In contrast, she adds, “I remember in Toronto, the first time we did the show, the cast was really shocked with the amount of enthusiasm coming back from the audience. I remember Tony saying, ‘I knew you guys would be amazed at the reception we’re getting; you would be getting it every night.’ And, it does feel good…The audience knows the show’s music, e.g. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” “Material Girl,” and “I Will Survive.” You just kind of let go and you don’t have to worry so much about the lyrics of the songs. In the finale, I’ll be looking at the audience and I’ll notice, literally, a random group of Filipinos would be waving at me and I'll be waving back at them."
Apparently, among Priscilla’s opening night audience in Canada was J. Elaine’s mom, her sole inspiration in creating the hilarious role of Cynthia. “My mom just laughed when she saw the show in Toronto. I would say that she definitely felt so honoured because everyone remembers Cynthia. I don’t think that she realized that the audience loves Cynthia because she’s kind of crazy though, “ J. Elaine bursts into loud laughter. “But, I’m glad that people have embraced Cynthia, in a sense, love her.”
An alumna of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City, J. Elaine first came to the “concrete jungle where dreams are made of” in 1994. “I took a two-year program at AMDA – pretty much singing and acting all day for two years. Then, I kept on till I got to working on Broadway then TV and film (which includes appearances in NBC’s 30 Rock and Lipstick Jungle; and a feature role in Morning Glory, a comedy film with Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford, among others).” Even though working on TV and film is more financially rewarding compared to working in a musical theater production, J. Elaine wouldn’t mind filming during the day and performing in the theater in the evening. “I love the theater because of the gut feeling of the live audience and the immediate reaction. It’s so fast. Doing a film is also wonderful; but let’s be honest, television and film pay much more. But I’m very grateful because [both TV and film] people recognize my work in Priscilla.”
Recently nominated as one of the Outstanding Filipino-Americans in New York, together with other Filipino actors who have been making a name for themselves on Broadway like MiG Ayesa (Rock of Ages) and T.V. Carpio (Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark), J. Elaine is so amazed with the strong bond among Filipino artists working in American theater. “We all know each other. They’re only a few of us, and we respect each other,” she says. “Miss Saigon was my Broadway debut (last one year and a half before it closed in 2001). That was the first time that I really was able to embrace my Filipino culture in a way. During dinner time, someone would bring [Filipino food] kare-kare or dinuguan. The dressing room smelled like food – our food. Miss Saigon really brought a lot of Filipinos together.”
Consequently, Filipino artists continue to conquer the bright lights of Times Square till this day: George Salazar and Ana Maria Perez de Tagle star in the first Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz’s Godspell; Catherine Ricafort stars as Ali in Broadway’s current 10th longest-running musical, Mamma Mia!; Bobby Lopez has been consistently winning Tony Awards for his original scores for musicals, for instance, his works for 2003’s hit musical Avenue Q and today’s hottest show in town, The Book of Mormon; and of course, J. Elaine never ceases in bringing the house down every night at Priscilla.
J. Elaine stresses that “in the workplace, we always make fun of stereotypes because we know our types: I know I’m short, Asian, Filipino. Another guy knows that he’s the tall, black guy. We look at the breakdowns: that’s what we see, and that’s what it is. But, we know we’re more than that. It’s not an issue amongst us. Thankfully, we know it takes a lot to get a job. In musical theater, they really put you into a wringer. They want to make sure you can sing, act, dance, and you can harmonize. Everyone made it through the wringer, so we’re more than just our types.”
“I’m going to stay with the Priscilla as long as it runs. Like I said, it feels like home. It’s a good thing!” she exclaims as BroadwayWorld.com wraps up the interview.
Priscilla: Queen of the Desert at Broadway’s Palace Theatre is currently offering winter season tickets starting at $43. You may purchase tickets at www.priscillaonbroadway.com.
Photos by J. Elaine Marcos, Joan Marcus, Troi Santos, Racheal McCaig, and Peter James Zielinski
Priscilla's J. Elaine Marcos (Cynthia) sings "Pop Muzik."
