Shiela Valderrama-Martinez enchants you into her world

Family and parientes, friends and colleagues, fans and followers gathered in a U-shape around the stage which gave an intimate vibe for a memorable evening of such a hand-picked crowd, to be a part of Shiela Valderrama-Martinez’s world. With not an empty seat in sight, the eager audience wished to watch, witness, boost and champion the lauded theater actress and renowned singer in a show aptly tagged Part of My World.

From where we sat, we noticed it was truly a congregation of her faithful and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) could not have found a better venue than the Tangahalang Ignacio B. Gimenez, otherwise known as the CCP Black Box Theater. The show is the second of their Triple Threats series, which showcases three sterling ladies on three separate nights.

As the affair commenced, the stage backdrop exhibited projected clips of the young Shiela during her audition for the Repertory Philippines when she was just 14 years old. The star of the night was engulfed with a see-through but elegant cloak, which she appeared to cling on to, like a security blanket, for dear life. She seemed shy to recall her early days, but it was all a ruse as she consciously concealed what was underneath, careful not to spoil the surprise. But when she finally unfurled the opera coat, what greeted us was a gorgeous layered primarily gold and silver tasseled gown by the famed Rajo Laurel, and of course, Shiela’s trademark superstar persona in full bloom. An amazing transformation, she instantly became the belle of the ball.

As a recounting of her 30-year-long career, she took us on a journey through a montage of “Part of Your World,” “In My Own Little Corner,” and “Break from the Line.” Being the leading lady of several Broadway and West End shows, she recreated the iconic songs from her theater days, to include “Human Heart” from Once on this Island, “Hello Young Lovers” from The King and I, “Moment in the Woods” from Into the Woods, “Loving You” from Passion, and “I Know It’s Today” from Shrek the Musical. Slideshows continued playing in the background, with snap shots of her during those times — all to roaring success.

What followed was an OPM suite, with hits such as “Mahal Kita” from the musical Binondo with Floyd Tena, and “Paalam na Pag-ibig” from Noli Me Tangere with Arman Ferrer, who has been her eternal love interest in all their musicals, the most recent being in Rama, Hari. Speaking of, other solo tunes Shiela emotionally delivered included “Magbalik Ka Na Mahal” from Rama, Hari and “Minsan ang Minahal ay Ako” from Katy the Musical.

As a pleasant surprise for the evening, during what was supposed to be the usual intermission or a guest singer, musical director Rony Fortich came to the rescue, performed a brief comical skit and introduced the band, as he played the piano and sang “Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago. A resounding applause!

What truly brought the house down was Shiela’s re-emergence from backstage, together with dear friends Carla Guevara Laforteza and Yanah Laurel, as the trio brought justice to Chicago’s “All That Jazz,” which gave the original indomitable performance of the cast, starring Chita Rivera, a run for their money!

Husband Lorenz Martinez, joined by Floyd Tena and Arman Ferrer, soon took the platform in a Boys Disney Medley, which consisted of “Reflection” from Mulan, “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana, “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid. To end the act, all three gentlemen teamed up with Shiela for “Go the Distance” from Hercules.

The crowd sighed as the husband-and-wife duo shared a duet to Parade’s “All the Wasted Time.” There were further “awws” as 14-year-old daughter Simone — coincidentally the same age when Shiela began her auditions — came on stage with The Rescuers’ “Someone’s Waiting For You.”

The trio then came together to finally deliver a mischievous repartee of “Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better” from Annie Get Your Gun.

The repertoire concluded with “My Days,” and a reprise of “Part of Your World,” once again with her daughter together in the limelight. Hearts simply melted.

The full-house auditorium continued to smile whenever Shiela delivered her spiels, as they seemed so effortless. She was always a delight to watch because we were confident she wasn’t just a singer, she’s a full-blown showstopper and she was born for the stage.

By the end of the evening, we were undoubtedly part of Shiela’s world and she must have been a part of our world, too.

¡Enhorabuena, Shiela!