“Yes, and she’s so awesome that she got nominated in the Oscars,” she says. “Now, I’m also curious to see how Julianne Moore will do the same role in the remake that’s to be shown soon. But of course, iba naman yung take ko sa role ko in the musical version. I only have five scenes, and they’re all with Mikkie Bradshaw who plays Carrie, and they’re all very very intense dahil lagi kong binubugbog si Carrie. Of course, we can’t do it the way the movie was done, like the death scene. Sa movie, she was crucified with flying knives because of Carrie’s telekinesis. Iba naman ang ginawa namin dito.”
She’s a director herself. The most recent plays she helmed were “Peter Pan” and “Jekyll & Hyde”. In “Carrie”, which opens tomorrow night at RCBC Makati’s Carlos Romulo theatre, she’s directed by Atlantis Productions’ Bobby Garcia. Does she voice out her own ideas in case she doesn’t exactly agree with her director?
“Out of respect, I usually just keep quiet. But with Bobby, he’s very open and very collaborative, so there’s no problem in sharing ideas with him.”
Mikkie is playing a lead role for the first time. How is she? “She’s very good and talented. I like her instincts, her work attitude. I’ve worked with her in ‘Nine’ where she’s part of the ensemble and she’s always been a hard worker. My maternal instincts work and I feel protective of her. Wala akong maipipintas sa kanya. I think the viewers will fall in love with her.”
Menchu is 50 but she looks so much younger. Her eldest daughter, Nicole, is now 25 and a fine arts graduate in the U.S. Her son, Luis, is 21 is taking up HRM at Enderun College. What would be her dream roles? “I’d like to do the role of Rose in ‘Gypsy’, Norma Desmond in ‘Sunset Blvd.’ although mahirap i-produce yun, and ‘Sunday in the Park with George’. I’ve done ‘Evita’ when I was so much younger and I’d like to do it now when I’m closer to her age.”
Menchu is also the artistic director of Resorts World and she’s also appearing as the fairy godmother in “Cinderella” with Karylle in the title role. They’re now planning and selecting the plays they’ll stage for next year at Resorts World
