BETWEEN hooves, a new album and an engagement ring, Nyoy Volante is singing a happy tune these days.
In a recent interview at the restaurant Meza in Tomas Morato, the acoustic music exponent shared the current melodies of his life, including the Manila re-run of the award-winning Broadway hit Shrek: The Musical, where he will be reprising the role of Shrek’s loyal and jocular sidekick, Donkey.
“’Yung months from September or so [the musical originally ran in Manila from September to October] to now, I’m sure a lot of us, especially the people who did this before, madami nang naiisip,” Nyoy said of the cast’s adjustment on the show’s second run, still at Meralco Theater, from December 26 to January 14, 2015, where British actor Rycharde Everley and Shiela Valderrama-Martinez will go green again as Shrek and Princess Fiona, respectively.
Playing the character voiced by Eddie Murphy in the story’s film trilogy, Nyoy admitted he made a conscious effort to incorporate the comedian’s touch to his role. “Kailangan, as much as possible, may makita silang Eddie Murphy dun sa character because people are going to look for that. But ’di pwedeng dun na magtapos ’yun kasi kailangan may sarili mo pa ring stamp.”
“Ako kating-kati na i-try out ’yung mga naiisip ko for the character, like approach and the delivery of certain lines, and it’s just fortunate that I get the chance to do this again,” he said, adding that since he has broken in the hooves of Donkey, the feeling before slipping into costume once more has changed. “It used to be pressure-packed before the first run, noong hindi ko pa ginagawa, but right now exciting na lang. Alam ko na kasi ’yung kinalabasan and I’m happy to report na it was well-done, that the reaction to it was good.”
Asked whether he keeps an ear to what critics say, Nyoy said that he does because “it’s worth listening to. It’s very helpful for you to at least know what the people think. You listen to criticisms but that’s it. People will always say good and bad stuff. Kung dun ka magbi-base, ’di ka makaka-focus. Ako I’m just focused on giving the best effort I can give.”
THEATER VETERAN
Beyond the guitar-wielding balladeer the public has become accustomed to, Nyoy has been into theater for years—even before he figured into the music industry. He said that he took a step back from the curtains for a spell to focus on his music career but in 2006, he joined the production of Hairspray as a kind of “pagbabalik-loob.”
Aside from the musical based on the 1998 John Waters film, Nyoy has also done Dreamgirls, Rent, Legally Blonde, In The Heights, The Adams Family and Rock of Ages. He tries to do a musical once or twice a year while maintaining his career as an acoustic pop singer.
The Star Magic and MCA music talent has his ninth album in the pipeline, set to come out on the first half of next year as a follow-up to last year’s release, titled Tuloy Pa Rin—a testament to Nyoy’s assurance to the followers of his music that they don’t need to worry about losing him to theater.
“Kahit na mag-theater ako ng mag-theater, babalik ako [sa singing] kasi that’s what I am. I’m a singer more than anything else.”
WHEN HE SAW HER FACE
During the casual interview, the topic inevitably swung to Nyoy’s love life. Openly, the singer-theater actor admitted, “Yes, I do have a girlfriend…wait, that’s actually fiancée.”
Nyoy said that he proposed in August to his girlfriend of almost three years, stage actress Mikkie Bradshaw. They met in Rock of Ages, where he played the character of Drew.
At the height of the discussion, another writer came in late, missing what’s already been said. She asked again for the status of Nyoy’s love life and at that point, with Mikkie sitting at a table within earshot, Nyoy played along and repeated his answers but this time indirectly addressing his fiancée.
“What made you say, ‘Ok, this is it, she’s the one?’” the writer asked. “Well we have the same interests, plus she’s really fun to be with. Being a playful guy, kailangan ko ’yun,” Nyoy replied, glancing at his eavesdropping fiancée who returned a smile.
Eventually, the prank on the writer was lifted as the German-American-Filipino actress joined the table. “We make a very good team,” Mikkie said. “We are each other’s best critic. As someone’s who more in the music industry like him, and someone who’s more of a stage actress like me, we give each other pointers.”
She added that before she met Nyoy, she used to “hate” his ballads because she’s more into rock. “My best friend was actually obsessed with Nyoy before, collecting all his CDs and posters but I hated his music because that’s not my type.”
But now, as the two prepare for their wedding next year, they have chucked all their differences, including their 13-year age gap. Nyoy quipped that, more than anything, it actually suits them well, “’Yung pagiging child-like ko lumalabas, tamang-tama lang ’yung agwat na ’yun.”
Mikkie then chipped in: “It’s just fun all the time with this guy.”