For the love of acting: Michael de Mesa to make theater comeback after six years 

Film and television actor Michael de Mesa is set to make his theater comeback after a six-year hiatus, this time as Georges of “La Cage aux Folles” produced by 9 Works Theatrical. His last work on stage was “Hairspray: The Musical” as Edna Turnblad. 

 

During the press conference of the theater company's 2015 season opener on Tuesday in Rockwell, Makati City, De Mesa admitted that shuffling TV and theater life is difficult. But De Mesa still insists for acting on stage "for his soul." 

"It's only in theater that I can say that I have roles I have fun creating. I have fun building characters. It's also in theater that I have the luxury of time to really build my character and create my own (interpretation)," he said.

 

He went on to explain the difference between acting on TV and stage.  

 

"I'm saying this because on TV, you're given materials that are already expected to do certain things. It's been quite the same, almost all the shows I've done on TV," he added. 

 

He further explained that most of the teleserye characters he usually works with are just either black or white, no gray characters. 

 

"In theater, that's where I'd like to dabble in the gray. Even in life, there is no black and white, there is always gray. I believe that every actor enjoys working on that gray matter," the actor said. 

 

Although theater has "no money," De Mesa still pursues the stage because: "It gives me the contentment that I look for." 

 

Why La Cage? 

 

The actor also praised his fellow lead in the musical, Audie Gemora, who will play his partner and star attraction of a drag nightclub named Albin. 

 

"I'm really excited about this project. It has been six years... This is the first time that I work with a theater legend, Audie Gemora. I've always, always, always admired this gentleman and always, always, always wanted to share the stage with him," De Mesa said. 

 

Gemora has been dubbed as the "King of Philippine Musical Theater" after successfully playing a wide range of roles on stage for the last 30 years.  

 

"When the opportunity (to work with Gemora) came... I said to myself, 'What's the fuss all about?'" De Mesa quipped and the entire room burst in laughter. — VC, GMA News
 

 

La Cage aux Folles will open on February 28 and will run in all weekends of March at the RCBC Plaza in Makati City. For more information, contact info@9workstheatrical.com.