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MANILA, Philippines — Filipina theater actress Gab Pangilinan has a connection to her role in "Jesus Christ Superstar," including a fellow Filipina who played the same character on West End.
Pangilinan portrays Mary Magdalene in the new Manila run of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Time Rice's iconic musical, now in its 51st year and inspired different iterations around the world.
The version running at the Theatre at Solaire until the end of May is a new reimagining by Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London, which has already toured in Australia and the United Kingdom.
During a media call for the production on Tuesday, May 5, Pangilinan was asked if there was anything about Mary Magdalene that surprised her despite it being a famous character for nearly half a century now.
"Through this process and the eyes of the people I'm with onstage is so special because I'm getting to know Mary on a deeper level," the Filipina actress said.
She was sidetracked after sharing funny encounters on the online trend "Kamukha mo si Mama Mary," where Filipinos compare women who resemble Jesus' mother.
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After translating and explaining the trend to her co-stars, Pangilinan said she even received messages about the trend. She confided that she wanted to respond, "You do know that I am not the mother of Jesus in this show, right?"
The story earned a laugh from the audience and the "Jesus Christ Superstar" team and it took a while for Pangilinan to gather herself and go back to the initial question.
Instead, the actress shared that fellow Filipina actress Joanna Ampil, who played Mary Magdalene in the West End revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar" during the '90s, messaged her upon learning she was cast in the role.
"For me, just connecting to a fellow Mary years and years after just made me more excited," Pangilinan continued. "There's more excitement than surprise, fear, or anxiety... excitement to share this version of Mary and the production in Manila."
She ended by adding that the version of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" playing near the Theatre at Solaire was the original recording by Ampil.
RELATED: Gab Pangilinan breaks down Mary Magdalene role in 'Jesus Christ Superstar'
