AN artist and an athlete rolled into one, Vaudeville Theatre Company’s (VTC) founder and artistic director, Penelop “Penny” N. Ong, is proof that Cebu really is home to many of the most talented and passionate individuals in the world.
“I want the Visayas and Mindanao—Cebuanos most specially—to get a taste of world-class musicals done by locals,” Penny passionately shared as she mentioned her hope to encourage and build the trust of more establishments to support the arts by making them see the quality of the shows Cebu is capable of. She added: “As for the artists, I hope to someday fully compensate them like professionals. I want to give Cebuanos an avenue to showcase their world-class talents.”
Well-loved by all who have worked with her, Penny debuted her first huge production (“You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown”) in Cebu back in 2016 but has long started directing musical productions and short films since 1999. Her first full play was one written by a friend about a young man’s struggle with cancer that eventually took his body, but not the legacy he left behind. It was performed for two nights at Cebu Gospel Church.
The married mother of two grew up dancing, singing and performing in Chinese cultural shows and church choirs—the grounds of which she built her creative foundation. She was briefly trained at Musical Theater International, New York and International Academy of Film and Television, Cebu City. In 1982, she went to Beijing to learn ballet and Mandarin for a year. Surprisingly, she graduated as a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology in Velez College—a course very different from her current career and passion.
“I’ve never really had proper theater education. I just take short courses in film, theater direction, and acting from time to time in Cebu, Manila and New York,” she admitted with a sheepish grin as she added, “I mostly run on gut feel, and the blessed insights and wisdom from God.”
In spite of it all, the artistic director has shown more than enough capabilities and natural skill to shine at what she does. Currently a theater teacher and director at Philippine Christian Gospel School on top of founding her own company (Vaudeville), she has directed more than a dozen local and Broadway musicals and ballet shows—including Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Mulan Jr.,” “Into The Woods,” “Seussical the Musical Jr.,” “Pinocchio,” “The Nutcracker,” “Dear God,” “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” and “Peter Pan”—with “The Addams Family” (coming to Cebu in October) as her 17th directorial work and “Madagascar Jr.” (coming in March) as her 18th.
Penny’s other hobbies also include competitive badminton, ballet (on pointe), zumba and yoga—all of which she does regularly. Being a ballerina as well as an athlete, it is no wonder how she seemed to have discovered the fountain of youth—with her ageless beauty as proof.
“Cebu is so talented, but we lack schools, programs and a training ground. We don’t have a proper theater and the audience doesn’t really want to pay to watch a show. We lack support from the government, and I fear that the industry won’t be sustainable,” she said with concern about the theater scene in Cebu. With this in mind, she made it her personal advocacy to strive to support the industry.
Thus came the birth of Vaudeville, one of the newest musical theater companies in Cebu, which exists to provide local Cebuano artists an avenue for artistic expression on stage, train local amateur actors in presenting high quality productions suitable for the family audience at an affordable price, and provide the Cebuano community enrichment through the artistic and educational components that accompany VTC.
She said: “I hope that one day, Cebu can become the hub for theater arts in the Visayas and Mindanao and I plan to do this through Vaudeville Theatre Company, which aims to promote Cebuano talents by staging productions and educating the Cebuano audience through workshops and musicals—leveling it up each time.”
Penny founded VTC in 2016 and, through the company, seeks to involve students and young professionals in the theater arts—to help them discover and develop their potential as artists. It is her personal advocacy to create, build and foster a community of thespians with a passion for lifelong learning and a commitment to artistic excellence—pushing the limits of Cebuano theater to where it has never gone before.
As a message to all aspiring artists, Penny said, “Quoting Mulan: ‘Like a cloud, you are soft. Like bamboo, you bend in the wind.’ Let’s continue the work—even if it’s just for the reward of creative freedom.”
The company’s upcoming production, “The Addams Family,” will be choreographed by Vincent Paul Diez Gaton and musically directed by Jude Gitamondoc with the artistic direction of Penny Ong. This production aims to highlight Cebuano artistry and talents that have long been kept in the shadows. VTC believes that it is time for Cebuanos to shine, time for its people to come together and be proud of its artistic roots, hoping that one day Cebu will be recognized as the country’s creative capital.