New York, October 13, 2011 -- Filipino-Australian Broadway actor MiG Ayesa has spoken too soon: "It's with a heavy heart that...I'm hanging up my 'Stacee' boots for good this Sunday, September 25... From the touring to the Broadway show, it's been a job with many blessings, and I've been so grateful for all the incredible experiences that have come with it..." (www.mig-music.com, 2011)
Apparently, Ayesa isn't saying goodbye just yet neither to "Stacee Jaxx" nor to Rock of Ages because Atlantis Productions Inc., a prolific theater company based in Manila, Philippines, whose recent productions have included the Asian premieres of Next to Normal, and In the Heights, has just announced that Ayesa will be reprising his recent Broadway role as "Stacee Jaxx," a decadent rock star, when the smash musical Rock of Ages opens in Manila in June/July next year (venue to be announced).
Atlantis Productions' honcho Bobby Garcia says in a statement: "We're over the moon that MiG Ayesa will be coming to Manila to recreate the role of Stacee Jaxx...the country [Philippines] is so proud of his success as a global rock artist, and it will be a thrill for local audiences to watch him in his first musical in Manila."
Chris D'Arienzo writes the book, and borrows classic rock hits from the '80s in the Tony Award-nominated musical Rock of Ages; its story follows the flimsy premise of "boy meets girl" who are abruptly separated because of their Hollywood dreams. However, to see the cast breaking out into songs from the crazy '80s, such as "We Built this City," "Cum On Feel the Noize," "Can't Fight this Feeling," and "Don't Stop Believing," which bring the house down at every performance, is absurdly fun... Ayesa as Stacee Jaxx showed everybody on that stage, and the audience how to truly rock it out. His singing was just incredible." (BroadwayWorld.com, 2011)
Chari Arespacochaga (Spring Awakening, Legally Blonde) will direct Ayesa et al. in the upcoming Manila run of Rock of Ages, whose licensing agreement is made possible through Broadway Asia Entertainment.
In the meantime, Ayesa's currently promoting his sophomore album titled, "More Than Ever," an eclectic mix of original rock/pop tracks recorded in Sydney, London, and New York, and is available on iTunes, and Amazon.com. He's also reuniting with Rock of Ages on Broadway co-stars Dan Domenech, Rebecca Faulkenberry et al. in Rock of Changes, a benefit concert for LOVE146, a campaign which is fighting against child sex slavery and exploitation, at Joe's Pub on Wednesay, October 19. And, he's hosting the "Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York," an awards ceremonies celebrating the "Filipino American History Month," at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, October 29.
Photo by Peter James Zielinski
