Fil-Am singers make their homecoming debut in Manila

Filipino American producers and performers Lora Nicolas Olaes and Don Michael Mendoza will be part of “A Homecoming Concert.” CONTRIBUTED

NEW YORK — From the streets of New York to the avenues of Sucat, Muntinlupa, Filipino American theater performers will serenade Manila audiences in their debut on Philippine shores with a show titled “A Homecoming Concert.”

Headlining the show on April 29 at the 19 East performance venue in Sucat are Don Michael Mendoza and Lora Nicolas Olaes, along with special guests and seasoned international actors.

Both are also doing behind-the-scenes work. The show is from La Ti Do Productions, a cabaret and concert production company, of which Mendoza is the co-founder and executive producer. Olaes is the company’s New York City community director and is also a co-producer for the show.

Mendoza, who goes by Don Mike, says, “It’s called a homecoming event because being raised in the United States, this is my concert performance debut in the Philippines along with several other Filipinos in the cast, so it’s a very special event.”

Beginnings

Mendoza co-founded La Ti Do with fellow Fil-Am spoken word artist Regie Cabico as just a cabaret in 2012. But it has since gone on to produce more than just cabarets across the US, in cities such as Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, Austin and Chicago.

The company has produced hundreds of cabarets, concerts and theatrical presentations. It has presented more than 1,000 artists including Broadway casts and veterans, internationally recognized spoken word artists and the American national touring casts of “The Sound of Music,” “The King and I,” “Miss Saigon” and “The Band’s Visit” on its slates.

“A Homecoming Concert” marks La Ti Do’s first international production outside of the US.

The show’s cast is rounded out by Ellie Chan, Brad Veitch, Annabelle Rosewarne, David Duketis, Natasha Dumlao, Shannon Cheong and Louis Stockil.

Guest starring are Nigel Huckle, Kiara Dario and Laurence Mossman from the “Miss Saigon” production currently running in Manila.

Also a reunion

The show also serves as a reunion for Olaes and Huckle, who is playing Chris in “Miss Saigon.”

“When I played Kim in a production of ‘Miss Saigon,’ Nigel was my Chris!” says Olaes gleefully.

Manila audiences will remember Olaes from when she played Meg in Repertory Philippines’ staging of “Little Women” directed by Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo.

In the US, Olaes’ stage credits include “Stinky Kids the Musical” on Off-Broadway and the national touring production of “James and the Giant Peach.”

Regionally, she has performed as Mary Magdalene in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Joanne in “Rent,” Lucy in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” Anita in “West Side Story” and Marcy Park in “Spelling Bee.”

In the blood

On the backstage side of things, both Olaes and Mendoza’s most recent foray on Broadway was being co-producers of “Here Lies Love,” the David Byrne disco musical about the life of Imelda Marcos.

Mendoza’s other producing credits include notable collaborations with The John F. Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Dramatists Guild Foundation, The Pittsburgh CLO, 54 Below, Green Room 42, Joe’s Pub and The Bowery Poetry Club.

In addition to his work on TV and film, Mendoza is also a blogger and the creator and host of the podcast, “Producing While Asian.”

An affinity for working in the entertainment profession is in the blood. Mendoza is proud to point out that his grandfather was broadcasting pioneer Querubin R. Hodreal, Sr.

Tickets will be on sale at the door and online at Latidopoductions.com. Walter Ang is the author of Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater. Available at Amazon, Bookshop and other online booksellers.