Multi-Instrumentalist Lester Demetillo Gets a New Banjo for CHICAGO

Manila, Philippines--Although a bit leery to be pegged as the "Only Professional Banjo Player in the Philippines," University of the Philippines-Diliman's Classical Guitar Instructor Lester Demetillo did agree to be associated with the title "Professional Multi-Instrumentalist who has Banjo-playing in his Repertoire," laughing upon conferment of the long-winded alias.

"Baka mamaya may maglabasan na mga banjo-players if I solely claim that title!" he continued smiling.

The claim to being the "Only Professional Banjo Player in the Philippines" may not be too far-fetched however, as Concertus Manila Executive Producer Bambi Rivera-Verzo shares how Lester bagged the coveted CHICAGO gig.

"We had a real hard time looking for a professional banjo player for the orchestra. During the two-month audition process, we didn't get any responses for the banjo instrumentalist position. It was just lucky that we found Lester through networking with friends in the music industry. He is definitely the best we've got!" she said.

"For CHICAGO, I'll be playing three instruments: ukulele, mandolin, and banjo. In fact, I got the new banjo today. The first banjo they (Concertus and Lunchbox Theatrical Productions) bought especially for me to use for CHICAGO--the one I also used for the audition video--was defective and had to be replaced, and I got the replacement today. I'm so excited! I'm happy because it's a better one!" Lester shared.

"The banjo is not really bluegrass, but you know the banjo used to be so popular with the music from that period, that era, the 1900s. Through the dance music in the dance halls of that period, when the electric guitar wasn't really technologically that good--when it didn't have the acoustics or volume needed during the big band era that needed to have a really big sound--that's how the banjo became so popular then," he went on to say, explaining the diversified jazz infusions found in the unique sound of John Kander and Fred Ebb's CHICAGO.

"Bluegrass is a different genre; it's more associated with the folk music of Kentucky and Virginia, the places where bluegrass was invented," Lester added.

Although not a complete stranger to playing under pressure--in layman's terms, churning out beautiful breathtaking music through sight-reading (playing directly from music sheets)--Lester explained that playing under pressure is a fact of life for any musician.

"Playing in rehearsals or playing in concerts, or even doing studio recordings, when you're on the job and they give you a piece of paper and you have to read directly from it, it's just one of those things that goes with the job," he continued, as BroadwayWorld.com exclusively caught up with him yesterday, a few hours before flying out to Indonesia to attend the five-day Jakarta International Guitar Festival.

"I'm just one of those guys who is excited to watch his students perform and compete!" he added, and quite justifiably as one might add, as he segued on to explain how international productions are positively affecting the general perception on Filipino musicians.

"Everybody should realize that we (Filipino musicians) are at par with what's happening abroad at the international level... Filipino musicians should be encouraged more so that they can up their craft to keep up with the market--there's an international market out there, so we have to produce (musicians) and keep up with the demand," he added.

"Yes, I hope so!" answered Lester when asked if any of his students will be watching him perform in any of CHICAGO's 23 shows in its three-week Manila run.

"I teach classical guitar and other subjects related to classical guitar, and sometimes students of mine do watch me in shows and other solo concerts. Some of my friends whom I saw just this past week--they're not musicians though, they're actually businessmen and the like-- they're going to watch CHICAGO; it's in their schedule already," he added, smiling.

CHICAGO currently holds the record as the longest-running musical revival on Broadway; it is set to overtake "Cats" as the second longest-running musical of all time with its 7,486th public performance at Ambassador Theatre on 49th Street on November 23.

12 Filipino musicians will playing in the 16-piece orchestra, conducted by Musical Director Robert Billig (Broadway's "Wicked" and "Man of La Mancha") when CHICAGO runs at The Theatre at Solaire from December 3 to 21.

CHICAGO is produced in Manila by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, David Atkins Enterprises, and Concertus Manila. For tickets, visit ticketworld.com.ph.

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