Biography

The first time I remember singing is the living room of my grandma's house in the Philippines. Second time, the Christmas pageant at St. Nicholas School in Jersey City, NJ. I wore makeup for the first time, part of the mysterious rites of my mother that made her look more magical than she already was. I got the front row spot in the kindergarten section. I wore an outfit that was not that different from the one I wore when I played Marcy Park last month, which made my mom really nostalgic.

I wanted to be a fireman when I grew up. That sang and figure skated. I love that, as a six year old, there are no limitations to the number of things you can be. Until you're told that there are. So, I decided to do the thing that lets me do all those things, and secretly started my training as an actor. I say secretly because I didn't want to freak out my parents who would nod and smile and said that was the kind of thing you did for fun, and that the real thing I would be when I grew up, well, a good thing to be would be a doctor.

I think my parents knew the whole time. I got piano lessons, voice lessons, and dance lessons. And was constantly reminded to do well in school and get good grades, figuring, if anything, I'd get to rely on that.

It was the piano lessons that stuck until busted my hand in high school by pushing open a cafeteria door, missing the brass plate, and pushing on the plate glass instead. I permanently lost sensation in two halves of two fingers on her left hand and I lost control of the second joint on the middle finger. It was my only creative outlet at the time, the way I thought I'd be able to withstand being a doctor. I'd imagined long days at my residency at some amazing hospital, and coming home to my Steinway concert grand to relive my competition days. Having this taken away hit me very, very hard.

Post career-ending accident, Mr. Napoli, moderator of the glee club, saw me noodling on an upright piano in one of the classrooms and asked if I wanted to play. For his choir. And maybe sing. Without knowing exactly why, I joined the choir as part of a minor army of accompanists and as second soprano in the concert choi. Later, became part of the even more elite chamber choir. It was boot camp for anyone who wanted to learn how to sing and it was wonderful. I went from hiding behind the piano all the way to conducting the chamber choir. Thinking back on that still surprises me.

I still started college as a pre-med major. I need a mallet to the head to get it, honestly. I burnt the candle at both ends with a double major until I came to my senses.

While juggling labs and organic chem, I found out I was lyric soprano. That I dearly love musical theater. And French opera arias. Shakespeare. Sondheim. After building a book of go-to songs I like to sing my face off with and a select three monologues I liked to chew the scenery with, I finally told my parents, majored in opera, got married, and graduated. In that order.

Tagged on our honeymoon to a singing tour of Europe with the Rutgers University Choir, where we literally sang for our supper (delicious, delicious supper ... I would do that again in a proverbial heartbeat). Came home, got down to business, and started auditioning and with much good fortune and hard work, booked amazing roles in great stories. Which is what I do to this day.