In the gospel, Mary Magdalene is often defined by her commitment to serving Jesus. Gab Pangilinan, who portrays the character in the Manila staging of Webber and Rice’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ is committed to discovering her human side throughout its run.
Pangilinan spoke of how Mary’s humanity struck her most as she approached the character, adding that she focused on what Mary stood for and believed in, particularly her faith in Jesus.
‘When we were rehearsing for it, one of the notes I had was portraying Mary in a truthful, honest, and natural way, which is what it’s supposed to be. I am so excited for people to see that Mary,’ she said in a media event for ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ emphasizing that the musical was about showing the human side of Jesus, Judas, Caiaphas, Pilate, Annas, Peter, Simon, and King Herod.
‘It’s the truth of what she stands for, what she believes in, and it all boils down to what the story is trying to say. We all know the characters, but I think what’s so beautiful about this is how human every single person is,’ she continued.
Touching on Mary’s theatrical history, Pangilinan said she is inspired by her fellow Filipino theater actress, Joanna Ampil, who portrayed her on the West End in the 1990s, and reminded herself to focus on getting to know her better.
‘It was getting to know her more. For me, just connecting with a fellow Mary years after just made me more excited,’ she said, sharing that she received a supportive message from Ampil when she got the part. ‘There was more excitement than surprise, fear, or anxiety. There is excitement to share this version of Mary and the production with Manila.’
Mary as a way to get out of her comfort zone
Though Pangilinan has been part of the theater industry for quite some time, bringing Mary Magdalene to life was a step out of her comfort zone. For one, it’s her first time entering rehearsals where she didn’t know anyone.
‘For the first time in a really long time, I had to come into a rehearsal room where I didn’t know anyone. It took me out of my comfort zone, and I’ve been in the industry for a while – more than a decade,’ she said. After all, Pangilinan has been part of several local productions, so it’s no surprise that she knows everyone.
‘Our industry is small. We know everyone we work with. We make these connections, some of whom are family, friends, and colleagues,’ she continued. ‘Every single time I enter a new room, there’s always someone to latch on to. We have our comfort zone, the people we love working with, and the people with whom we know exactly what is going to go.’
This, for Pangilinan, is in itself a matter of ‘mental preparation,’ since vulnerability is a part of theater. ‘When you enter a room without knowing what the process is going to go, and you have to be so open, and so vulnerable, I’m just so lucky that it’s these people I ended up with,’ she said, referring to her castmates.
The actress said that while she loves the local theater scene, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ reminded her why she fell in love with the industry in the first place.
‘I love the Philippine theater scene and how it developed through the years, but this particular production is reintroducing me to my love for theater and why I entered it in the first place. I’m just happy to be a part of it,’ she said.
Aside from Pangilinan, the cast includes Luke Street, Javon King, Ethan Hardy Benson, Grant Hodges, and Kodiak Thompson.
The Manila staging runs from May 2 to 31 at The Theatre in Solaire in Parañaque.