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| Yanah Laurel is Kinky Boots' Lauren |
For someone who has been performing since the young age of
nine, Yanah Laurel is one artist who only gets better and more impressive with
every character she portrays, and in every song that brings her powerful voice
straight to the heart of her audience.
Now a two-time Aliw Award nominee for Best Actress in a
Musical, Yanah has made a name for herself as one of the brightest young
theater talents in the country today. She was lauded for her stellar portrayal
of Whatsename in 9 Works Theatrical’s staging of the Tony Award winning rock
opera American Idiot, where she received a Gawad Buhay citation for Female
Featured Performance in a Musical. She also wowed audiences in Atlantis
Theatrical Entertainment Group’s staging of the Tony Award winning Jersey Boys,
where she played Lorraine, and also in Fun Home where she played Joan.
Yanah admits that from the moment she started performing as
a young girl, there was “an instantaneous connection” that made her fall in
love with the musical stage. It was something that kept beckoning her to come
back for more until it became a passion she could not resist. “In 2008, I knew
that this is something that I want to do for the rest of my life,” she
disclosed.
Not a lot of people know, however, that this awe-inspiring
singer almost lost her voice and, with it, her dream of spending the rest of
her life on the theater stage. “I was sick for over two years and suffered from
a rare but life-threatening condition called Achalasia, an esophageal motility
disorder. It was the most challenging and physically painful part of my life
because my condition made it hard for me to eat as I couldn’t keep anything
down. I lost 50 lbs. and my voice was severely affected. I popped a blood
vessel in my throat, which required me to undergo seven months of vocal
therapy,” Yanah revealed.
Needless to say, Yanah survived that disheartening roadblock
in her musical career and has lived to fulfil her dream of continuously honing
her talent as a theater artist and as a singer. Aside from gaining recognition
and accolade for her performances, she also gets to portray more remarkable
characters that make her shine brighter on stage. This month, she will be seen
playing the lead role of the spunky shoe factory worker Lauren in the Manila staging
of Cyndi Lauper’s Tony and Grammy Award winning Best Musical, Kinky Boots.
“Lauren is a feisty and brave young woman who marches to the
beat of her own drum. She is unapologetically her charmingly odd self, and I
love that about her. What makes her different from the other roles I have
played is, on a physical sense, I chopped off my hair for the role! I have
never had hair this short in my life and it was daunting yet exciting,” Yanah
shared, adding that Kinky Boots is really worth watching for the heart and
celebration of self-love and its “2 feet of irresistible tubular sex!”
Produced by Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group,
together with Metrobank Card, Kinky Boots features 16 original songs by Cyndi
Lauper and is based on the inspiring book by four-time Tony winner Harvey
Fierstein. Directed by Bobby Garcia, the Manila staging of the Tony
Award-winning play opens this June 30 at the RCBC Plaza in Makati City. Joining
Yanah Laurel in the powerhouse cast are Nyoy Volante, Laurence Mossman, Jamie
Wilson, Nel Gomez, Christine Flores, Sarah Facuri, Steven Cionde, Rhenwyn
Gabalonzo, Ron Gohel, Jill Peña, Japs Treopaldo, Juancho Escoto, Ritz Beltan,
Jorege, Jahnke, Michael Jahnke, Jazztin Cacayan, Mark Pineda, Gerhard
Krysstopher, and former Miss Saigon cast member Tricia Canilao.
Kinky Boots will run from June 30 to July 23. For tickets,
call 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.