Shiela Valderrama-Martinez enchants you into her world
She was always a delight to watch as we were confident she was not just a singer, but a full-blown showstopper! She was born for the stage!
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.
Lights, camera, action: Shiela Valderrama-Martinez in ‘Part of My World.’
Photographs courtesy of the Cultural Center of the Philippines
The star of the night begins the performance with a transparent robed outfit.
The singer in her beautiful Rajo Laurel gown.
Shiela (center) together with Yanah Laurel and Carla Guevara Laforteza in ‘All That Jazz.’
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.
