FIVE years since her last performance in Manila, a Conservatory of Music alumna staged an intimate homecoming concert on Aug. 30 at the Manila Symphony Orchestra Recital Hall in Makati.
In “Halfway Home: A Musical Revue,” London-based songwriter and theater-maker Melisa Camba performed the songs of renowned theatrical composers Stephen Schwartz, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Jason Robert Brown, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The concert, which Camba described as a “plot twist,” was an ode to her journey from Manila to London. She obtained her masters in musical theater at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
“I wanted to show a little bit about my journey and not really feeling at home in [London] at first, trying to find my way in terms of getting into the industry,” Camba told the Varsitarian.
“It’s always like a halfway journey. There are always new things [that will] happen.”
Her 13-song set was directed and arranged by Thomasian conductor Airra Punzalan and also featured the performances of actor-singer George Stagnell and other music alumni, including pianist Raki Gendrano, guitarist Lyon Lopez, and cellist Vanette Villanueva.
“Since we were in the same class in UST, she (Camba) was one of the reasons why I went to conducting,” Punzalan said.
“Music directing is a fulfilling job…To collaborate with different musicians, it’s actually the best feeling you can feel, especially when you work with very talented artists like them,” she said.
Camba’s opening song was “Spark of Creation” by Stephen Schwartz from the musical “Children of Eden.”
She also performed original Broadway tracks, such as “I Miss the Mountains” from “Next to Normal” and “My Days” by Ingrid Michaelson from “The Notebook Musical.”
“They say that in musicals, when characters don’t know what to say anymore, they sing. So I think [singing] is the ultimate form of expression for me,” the Thomasian singer said.
She also performed “How Far I’ll Go” from the 2016 Disney movie “Moana” and the classic “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell, as well as a rendition of “Ikaw” from the original Filipino musical “Mula sa Buwan.”
Capping the concert was Camba’s performance of excerpts from a developing musical she is currently co-writing with playwright Dominique La Victoria, “This Is My Name,” including “Would You Like to Be Free” and the titular “This Is My Name.”
Camba obtained her degree in vocal performance from the Conservatory of Music, where she graduated magna cum laude. Sophia Andrea T. Reyes
