ANGELES CITY -- Angeleña theater actress Joreen Moriah Bautista is set to portray the role of Kim, the lead protagonist of the hit Broadway musical Miss Saigon, for its United Kingdom Tour in July.
Bautista, who hails from Barangay Capaya in this city, paid a courtesy visit to Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan after the regular flag raising ceremony Monday, April 17, at the Angeles City Hall.
The 17-year-old actress is a student of Brightwoods School and has engaged in theater plays and workshops from Trumpets Playshop as her training ground. Her interest in musicals and performing arts started when she engaged in singing as choir member for church gatherings.
“Everyone starts from small, being unnoticed. I am not really famous as the others but I hope, this achievement could motivate aspiring theater actresses like me to pursue and do what they can to achieve that dream,” said Bautista.
Miss Saigon is a theatrical play that tells about the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman named Kim abandoned by her American lover during the Vietnam War in the 1970s.
It has garnered numerous nominations and recognitions from international award-giving bodies like the Tony Award in 1991.
The musical masterpiece also launched the theater career of various Filipinas like Rachelle Ann Go and another Angeleña and the original actress to play the role of Kim, Lea Salonga.
“This is quite nostalgic since an Angeleña again will be playing Miss Saigon’s lead role. It seems that Angeleña qualities best fit the requisites of the said coveted role,” Pamintuan said.
“Joreen’s achievement is a manifestation that Angeleñas are truly world-class talents. As she explores the global stage, the City Government and the people of the city will always be up cheering her on,” added Pamintuan.
As expression of support and appreciation, a City Council resolution was handed over to Bautista by Vice Mayor Bryan Matthew Nepomuceno.
The resolution cited Bautista as an Angeleño pride, “beating more than 1,000 females who auditioned for the said coveted role.”
This is Bautista’s first major theater break. She is the second Angeleña to play the said role after Salonga. (PR/With Downy Gale Perez)