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From waving through a window to stepping onto the theater stage: 24-year-old Filipino Angelo Martinez made the leap from being a rookie musician to taking on the leading role in Singapore’s staging of “Dear Evan Hansen.”
ANGELO MARTINEZ HAS A STORY FULL OF FIRSTS.
His first audition for his first play, "Dear Evan Hansen," landed him the lead role of, well, Evan Hansen.
It was the first musical he ever knew — and now, it will be the first musical he will be a part of.
Angelo was jolly and friendly in his exclusive interview with GMA News Online; even through the Zoom call, his excitement shone through. He was in Singapore, where he has been rehearsing for the play, which premiered at the Victoria Theatre on October 11.
It was on Instagram that Angelo saw the open-call audition.
"You know, I haven't done musical theater before,” he said. “I am primarily a musician, a singer-songwriter, making my own music. But when I saw the casting online, I told myself to take a chance because I love the music."
"’Dear Evan Hansen’ was the first musical that I knew, so leading up to when I went to the audition, it was the only musical that I knew, so the song stuck with me that much," he added.
To prepare for his audition, he asked people for advice or tips on what it is like to audition in musical theater.
And then, in July 2023, he auditioned with the song "For Forever."
"I showed up, just sang the song, and after that, I was put on a group call where I was paired with other potential candidates for the role. There was a lot to learn on the ground, you know, to see how this thing works, singing in a group. I basically learned this as I went.” He laughed as he looked back. “It was the scariest thing I've done in my life, very, very terrifying."
EVERY MOMENT WAS A "FIRST TIME" FOR ANGELO.
He was never a theater kid growing up. He has always seen himself as a musician.
It was in 2020 that Angelo started making his own songs. He leans more into R&B.
In 2020, he released the single "Songbird." In 2023, he released his EP, "What We Have," which contains four songs.
But then, he went on that audition, and a brand new door was opened for him.
The process of being cast was a waiting game, full of uncertainties.
Angelo went through a series of callbacks, before he was finally offered the role.
To say Angelo was grateful is an understatement — he was over the moon. He was glad that he took his shot in the audition, and said that playing the lead role is "an unmissable opportunity."
"I'm a huge fan of the show; like I said, this is the first time I entered this world, so the power of this show, and the songs, is really an unmissable opportunity, and I think it's timeless."
'What We Have' by Angelo Martinez
Joining Angelo on stage is fellow Filipino actor and seasoned performer, Gian Magdangal, who will be playing the role of Larry Murphy. They perform the song “Break In A Glove” together.
But first, there was a long period of preparation that awaited Angelo after the casting.
"That's when the work began. To prepare for the role for me, [I had] maybe one and a half years," Angelo said.
But working in the production only made him fall more in love with the story.
"Every single song made me feel something. I fell in love with the story more.”
This time, he was definitely bitten by the theater bug.
Photos from Pangdemonium
"DEAR EVAN HANSEN" PREMIERED IN 2015, with music and lyrics by acclaimed songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and book by Steven Levenson.
With accolades including the Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score, “Dear Evan Hansen” has cemented its status as a cultural phenomenon and touched the hearts of millions globally.
In the Southeast Asian staging, the play will be directed by Tracie Pang.
It tells the tale of Evan, a young man grappling with the burdens of stress, anxiety, and isolation in his daily life. As Ben Platt sings in "Waving Through A Window," he feels alone, "on the outside always looking in."
His story starts with a lie that inadvertently makes him feel “seen” — but the lie gets too big, causing his world to take a series of unexpected turns.
While many might not agree with how Evan handles things, Angelo says that the story has “no villain.”
“There's no bad guy, right? It's just the story of people and the human condition of mental illness, mental health, what it means to grow up to face things or be in the darkest of places. What people can do to the extent of wanting to feel seen."
"You know, it is very easy to say that maybe he shouldn't have done that, he didn't have to lie,” Angelo added. “But I believe the audiences will see the empathy in caring for everyone."
Angelo, however, admitted that he did struggle connecting with the character.
"Because, you know, the entire story of Evan Hansen is dedicated to a lie. How do you make sense of that — morally? For yourself, right? Well, it's very easy, Evan shouldn't have lied, but it's not so simple and that's the beauty of the show."
Regardless, the musical holds a strong connection to his personal life, as it highlights a strong message on mental health awareness.
"That was back in 2019 (when I first watched it). I learned about the songs, and I listened to it. Funny because it was kinda my introduction into understanding the musical theater and the power it holds, impacting lives, it was also the year that I was diagnosed with health anxiety myself. So it has a really strong connection to my personal life, because it really really helped me even grow the courage to grow the courage that I am scared of."
Being diagnosed with health anxiety, Angelo emphasized the power that this particular musical piece holds — with its songs and the story itself — is even more relatable and relevant, especially at this day and age.
"For me, [‘Dear Evan Hansen’] is a timeless message for all to say that genuinely, you are never alone. Because, compared to other musicals, this reaches out to so many types of people, to teens, to children, to parents, to teachers," he said.
"I'm glad that mental health is a more common conversation now, but it's still very taboo. I think that, as we have talked about with the director, suicide is still the most common death among youths, so I think, today, 20-30 years down the road, as long as the internet is a thing, I think Dear Evan Hansen is a timeless piece," he added.
He said he sees this opportunity as an instrument of awareness and empathy.
"No matter where you come from, the biggest takeaway, I think, is to have empathy. To have empathy in all of the characters, not just Evan, but every character."
Photos from Pangdemonium
"NO, I DON'T FEEL ANY PRESSURE." Angelo laughed. "It's just the lead role, not a big deal!"
Although Angelo delivered the words as a joke, he said he actually does not have time to think about the pressure.
"All I think about is the show and my head is in this phase since August last year. I learned about the audition in May. The work began in August. It's more than a year of me working towards the show. The pressure actually built up when we started to release and prep for the show and when I met the cast members. But I think the love and support that we've all felt, with the cast members and the team, has been so so giving."
However, like any other theater actor, Angelo said maintaining his health amid a busy schedule and rehearsal remains a big challenge, as it can get very draining.
"Learning on being an actor, I think it's so fun, but the main challenge in playing ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ is the endurance and stamina to last a full two hours. The journey that this character, as he kind of goes through the entire two acts, really drains the battery of the actor," he said.
"So I think that the responsibility that I have is to make sure that I have enough in my battery so I can commit to the whole show and really tell the story of the character. Because at the end of the day, we play the show next week, the training, aside from the team taking care of me. It's not just about playing the character really well, it's about playing it sustainably and playing it in a way, that in which, yes I've done my best, right but I am also taking care of myself in that process," he added.
He is looking forward to performing his favorite song from the musical, “Words Fail.”
"This is the song that resonates with me the most. That I also hope the song reaches the audience, 'Words Fail'. Because I think that the story, I think for me, 'Words Fail' is where the tissues are coming. You have to prepare."
Angelo Martinez as Evan Hansen
It helps greatly that the production team and all the cast members are supportive. Angelo shared how much he loves his fellow cast, especially fellow Pinoy Gian.
"I love singing with Gian, I genuinely believe that I enjoy singing all songs, but it's even more joyous to sing with other people. That's the beauty of musical theater, right?" he said.
"I'm really going to miss Gian when he flies back to the Philippines. So I have to make sure we go on the same flight or cancel his flight back home," he added with a laugh.
Angelo said he also loves the connection and family he built in this production, making him even more grateful that he shot his shot.
Also in the cast are Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Xander Pang, Zachary Pang, Gary Rae, Mia Smith, and Ethel Yap.
"I'm gonna miss the entire cast, the directors, once this is all over, you know."
Angelo, who is now living in Singapore, said he is looking forward to continuing loving theater — and he would love to perform in his home country, too!
"Oh, yes! I would love to do shows sa Pinas. I would love to do shows back home," he said with excitement.
"I love that I took time to love musical theater here in Singapore, a very safe and loving space, but I think further down the line, I would love to expand more and perform back home." —JCB, GMA Integrated News
