Mel Sagrado Maghuyop recently played “The King” in the Walnut Street Theater’s production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I, and this month, he will appear as “The King” again, opposite Tamara Jenkins, Founding Artistic Director of Harbor Lights (Chicago, Les Miserables, Cats), who portrays Anna, in the final show of Harbor Lights’ third season as Staten Island’s only professional Equity theater company.
Tamara Jenkins as Anna and Mel Sagrado Maghuyop as The King in the Harbor Lights Theater Company’s production of The King and I. Photo credit: Bittenbyazebra
Ron Domingo as The Kralahome, Mel Sagrado Maghuyop as The King and Tamara Jenkins as Anna in rehearsal for the Harbor Lights Theater Company’s production of The King and I on October 27, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
The King and I director Alan Muraoka and choreographer Andrew Sakaguchi. Photo by Lia Chang
is helmed by Broadway Veteran and long-time “Sesame Street” cast member Alan Muraoka, who appeared in the 1996 revival of the show on Broadway, with Andrew Sakaguchi expertly re-constructing Jerome Robbins’ legendary choreography.
Dancers rehearsing a number from The King and I. Photo by Lia Chang
Dancers rehearsing a number from The King and I. Photo by Lia Chang
runs from November 8th through the 18th at the Music Hall at Historic Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Gardens.
The Music Hall at Historic Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens on Staten Island. Photo by Lia Chang
Christine Toy Johnson as Lady Thiang and Tamara Jenkins as Anna, in The King and I. Photo by Lia Chang
was inspired by the memoirs of Anna Harriet Leonowens, the real author and teacher. Anna was hired by King Mongkut of Siam to teach his 67 children at his royal palace in Bangkok. She stayed for several years, leaving Bangkok during the 1860’s and settling in Staten Island. She lived on Tompkins Place for approximately three years. While on Staten Island she ran a private school for girls in West Brighton. Following that she settled in Canada and where she lived until her death in 1914.
Choreographer Andrew Sakaguchi, Christine Toy Johnson, Jon Viktor Corpuz, Mel Sagrado Maghuyop, YoonJeong Seong and Hansel Tan. Photo by Lia Chang
The Harbor Lights’ production includes OBIE Award winner and Staten Island resident Ron Domingo (The Romance of Magno Rubio) as The Kralahome and his daughter Autumn as Princess Ying Yawolak, Hansel Tan as Lun Tha, YoonJeong Seong as Tuptim, Christine Toy Johnson as Lady Thiang, Jon Viktor Corpuz as Prince Chulalongkorn (Godspell cast of 2032), John Anthony as Captain Orton, Isis Noel as Louis Leonowens, Nobutaka Mochimaru as Simon of Legree, Viet Vo as The Interpreter, Masami Ishibashi as Uncle Thomas, Remina Nishida as Little Eva, Arisa Odaka as Angel/George, Yuki Kittaka as Topsy and Michiko Takemasa as Eliza. The cast also features Kaitlyn Cantoni, Gemma Dalfo-Zay, Jonathan G Galvez, Kavanagh Honor, Hyemi Kim, Sophie Kim, Tamara Lechner, Tomas Matos, Melanie Molina, Lily Randall, Olivia Roldan, Tomas Matos, and Darren Shin. Leo Corpus, Maxe Corpus, VJ Scarpaci, William Corwin, Viyath Navinna, Julianna Katz, Robin Rodolfo, Alexandria Rose Quinones and Suharya Bandara play the royal children.
YoonJeong Seong as Tuptim and Hansel Tan as Lun Tha in The King and I. Photo by Lia Chang
Mel Sagrado Maghuyop was last seen as “The Engineer” in Miss Saigon at Fulton Theater. He appeared in the critically-acclaimed production of Miss Saigon at the Walnut Street Theater first as “Thuy” and then as “The Engineer,” for which he garnered a Barrymore lead actor in a musical nomination. Besides 14 Miss Saigon productions, other favorites include Godspell, The Gate of Heaven and The King and I (North Shore Music Theater). His New York theater credits include a reading of Stan Lai’s Bruce Lee: The Musical in the title role, featuring music by Tan Dun; Tokio Confidential (Horiyoshi); Suites by Sondheim at Alice Tully Hall Lincoln Center (company member), Peony Pavilion (reading, Lee), Ferdinand Marcos in Pan Asian Rep’s Imelda; and the Prospect Theater Company’s Honor (Kenshin).
Mel Sagrado Maghuyop arrives for The King and I rehearsal on his bike on October 27, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang
On the Saturday before Halloween, I took the Staten Island Ferry and a short bus ride to the Historic Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens on Staten Island, to photograph a runthru of the Harbor Lights’ production of
The King and I in a dance studio, and chatted with Mel at the end of the rehearsal.
Mel Sagrado Maghuyop
I was originally a music major and I was going to be a music teacher. I didn’t know anything about acting. The first show I did was an opera called
Albert Herring.
Albert Herring got me into doing musicals just for fun. I did
West Side Story, and I found that I was starting to enjoy it. The reason I got into theater was because of my mentors, Stuart and Anna Ostrow who found me at the University of Houston, and introduced me to the world of musical theater. I was late into the business, until 1993, 1994, I had never done an actual musical before.
Mel Sagrado Maghuyop (Photo by Lia Chang
The King, I really enjoy him. The Engineer and Thuy from
Miss Saigon. I’d always focused on being Thuy.
Mel Sagrado Maghuyop and Tamara Jenkins (Photo by Lia Chang)
I auditioned for Alan Muraoka. That’s when I met Tamara, who’s playing Mrs. Anna. My first experience with
The King and I was in ’94 or ’95 when I was going to the University of Houston. I played Lun Tha (I had hair). That was kind of a nice change. Since then, I hadn’t done
The King and I for a very long time, I was doing a lot of productions of
Miss Saigon. I got cast as The Kralahome in
The King and I at North Shore Music Theater, and was the understudy to “The King”, which was great since I had just been cast as “The King” for the Walnut Street Theater Production, after I did
Miss Saigon. It was a good time for me to actually play the part.
Tamara Jenkins as Anna and Mel Sagrado Maghuyop as The King. (Photo by Lia Chang)
The challenge of that connection with Anna. Finding those great moments of being “The King”, and still finding the jokes within the book. After taking on the role and seeing the different jokes which are really there that I had never noticed before, it’s great. Finding that fine line without going too far, being human and being able to slowly unravel the role, showing the more human side. All that needs to be shown to Mrs. Anna.
Tamara Jenkins and Mel Sagrado Maghuyop (Photo by Lia Chang)
Yes, I really am. It’s really great to build that connection with Tamara. Obviously, we had never really worked with each other before, but just jumping right into it, working on the blocking. Just this week, there’s been a nice vibe and flow that’s been happening between us. There’s new stuff that is coming up, so it’s been really exciting.
Tamara Jenkins and Mel Sagrado Maghuyop (Photo by Lia Chang)
I left Houston, TX in 2001 to do my second
Miss Saigon in Chicago. I was born in Chicago. I lived there for about a year doing the show, and then I left to go on tour for about 2 1/2 years.
OOV: Perhaps you’ve been told time and time again that you have become a role model for kids in your particular community. Perhaps parents want to know what the future holds for their son or daughter who might follow a similar career. Your name identifies you succinctly as Pinoy, is it easier in the industry to be a generic Asian American than to be known as Fil American?
Tamara Jenkins and Mel Sagrado Maghuyop (Photo by Lia Chang)
Mel: I have not had a problem with my name being more Pinoy sounding than a generic Asian American name. I have found that that most of the asian roles I have been contracted to play have been mostly non-Filipino! I have played Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian, Indonesian, Chinese, and Japanese. I have only played a Filipino less than five times in my professional career. I would have to attribute this to a smaller percentage of paying Filipino roles out there. And specifically in terms of what I have been right for or available for performing. On the other hand, there are certainly a higher percentage of paying non-Filipino Asian roles out there. My “bread and butter” so to speak has been the show Miss Saigon and The King and I.
The truth is, in terms of my name, I made a conscious effort to make sure that I used my full name of Mel Sagrado Maghuyop. I not only wanted to honor my parents names, but I wanted to stick out. My name shows three ethically diverse sides of me. All of which I embrace and all which show who I am. Mel, which is short for Melvin, is Scotch Irish for “Sword Chief” and shows how my parents wanted me to be “American”. Sagrado, which is Spanish for “sacred” and shows the Spanish influence on the Philippines (as a note my Grandfather was actually half Spanish and Chinese). Finally, Maghuyop, which means the verb “to blow with wind” in Filipino and from what I understand is deep, deep Filipino.
So, thankfully I have been known for my work and taking on other Asian roles. I show full respect to the other Asian ethnicities that I am lucky enough to play. I do my best to understand their cultures and language. That has been my key, respecting the other Asian roles and never denying or dismissing that I am a proud Filipino. I always wear my Adobo shirt to rehearsals!
Mel Sagrado Maghuyop (Photo by Lia Chang)
Mel: I am an only child. In terms of my parents giving me flack, well they did give me a hard time at first since almost all my friends were in the medical field. As I started successfully working as a performer, they have supported me and are very proud of my hard work. I started performing because of them. Both my parents sing and my father used to be a choir director at church. I in fact started singing at church.
The mask and prop piano. Photo by Lia Chang
I have kept all of them, in fact I yearn for more. I am very proud to be a Filipino and specifically a Visayan. I have in fact taught myself to speak Visayan. I actually learned how to speak on tour with
Miss Saigon, where I found several Filipino Visayan performers. Most of my life I have spent my free-time involved with promoting and supporting my Filipino community. When I was in college in Houston, Texas I was involved with organizations such VISMIN (Visayas Mindanao) and FSA (Filipino Student Association). Most recently here in NYC, BROADWAY BARKADA and PHILDEV.
Ron Domingo, Christine Toy Johnson and Mel Sagrado Maghuyop. Photo by Lia Chang
Yes I do. I realize that being in the “public eye” so to speak, I have a responsibility to not only Filipinos but to all younger generations. I used to be a teacher back in Houston so I understand that duty. I want the younger generation to know that as long as you are driven, work hard and do not give up hope on your goal/dreams … you will achieve success. Just realize the difficulty and sacrifice of the journey. You will face the odds. The odds have been against me, and always will, but I have not nor will not stop working hard. I realize that I will never achieve a “final” successful goal. I can only be happy with my past achievements and realize that there are others that are following in my path. In that sense, my greatest achievement will be the knowledge that other younger artists will pursue this career.
Tamara Jenkins, Mel Sagrado Maghuyop and Jon Viktor Corpuz. Photo by Lia Chang
This is an issue with me in some respects. As a Fil-Am, I can personally say that I am still seeking my “identity” of being a Filipino. I mentioned earlier that I taught myself how to speak my dialect of Visayan. I did that because my parents knew it was more important for me to assimilate into the American culture. Like many other immigrants, my parents sacrificed a lot to come to this country. With me being the first American born Filipino in the family, they wanted to give me the best odds. So to give me the best chance, they balanced the fine line with assimilating themselves and myself into the American culture. Although they never sat me down or gave me lessons on Pinoy language or history, they were HIGHLY involved with the Filipino community in Houston, Texas. My parents are and were community leaders. Not a weekend went by that I was not involved with some Filipino party, mass or celebration. My teachings of “traditions” came from example.
I think my history as a child and my hunger to learn more about my heritage has given me the tools to balance both worlds as I grew up as a Fil-Am. I think we simply have to respect other peoples heritage/history without forget or denying our own. The beauty of being an actor is the fact that I can live my regular life of being an American/New Yorker, from working a regular job or volunteering as NYPD, then at night play a person from some other ethnicity or tell my story on stage of being Filipino. I get the best of both worlds. I am American who is extremely proud to be Filipino.
The Original Sushi Pillow: Salmon Nigiri
Mel: Probably what I used to do, I would be a cop. I was an Auxiliary Police Officer here in New York with the rank of Sergeant for 6 years, and until last year, I was a volunteer police officer. Two extremes. I also have a business. I make pillows that look like sushi. We created it while I was on tour with
Miss Saigon, as a way of making extra money. I was only working two or three hours a day on the road. I had to actually stop acting at one point and lived off that in New York City for about 2 ½ years. But then the recession hit, so I went back into acting to make money. When I’m between gigs, I make pillows.
theoriginalsushipillow.com.
The King and I performance schedule is November 9th at 8pm, 10th at 2pm and 8pm, 11th at 2pm, 15th at 8pm, 16th at 8pm, 17th at 2pm and 8pm and 18th at 2pm. Tickets for The King and I are $30.00 for adults, $25 for students w/valid ID, children ages 3 and 17 and Senior (60+). Recommended age: 5 and up.
For more information about The Harbor Lights Theater Company and to purchase tickets to the show, visit the website at www.theharborlightstheatercompany.org. Box office phone: 866-811-4111.
The Music Hall at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island , New York 10301.
Directions from NYC:
If you are taking public transportation the following trains will get you to the Whitehall Ferry Terminal:
R: Whitehall Street, 1: South Ferry, 4/5: Bowling Green, J/Z: Broad Street
Bus Directions from Staten Island Ferry terminal:
Go to Gate A to the S40 bus. Tell the bus you are going to Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden. Get off at the first Snug Harbor Exit which will lead you to the middle of the site. Bear left and follow the paths to the Music Hall or Veterans Memorial Hall. Click here for a map and detailed directions.
The King and I director Alan Muraoka gives notes after the runthru. Photo by Lia Chang
Mel Sagrado Maghuyop as The King and his children in the Harbor Lights Theater Company’s production of The King and I. Photo credit: Bittenbyazebra
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This profile will appear in Our Own Voice, a quarterly journal on the Internet that features stories about Pinoys around the world.
About Harbor Lights Theater Company:
Since founding HLTC in 2010, Broadway veterans and Harbor Lights Founding Artistic Directors Tamara Jenkins and Jay Montgomery, and Founding Producer Beth Gittleman, have begun putting their substantial contacts and relationships to work building a bridge from Broadway to Staten Island, bringing the nation’s best to work with their community’s finest. In only two seasons of producing plays and musicals, Harbor Lights has presented over 50 Broadway professionals, including TONY, Grammy, Oscar, Emmy, Drama Desk, and Obie Award winning and nominated artists on its stages.
Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Playing Lady Thiang in the Harbor Lights’ Production of The King and I is a dream come true for Christine Toy Johnson
Mel Sagrado Maghuyop, Tamara Jenkins, Christine Toy Johnson and Ron Domingo Lead the Cast of Harbor Lights Theater Company’s Production of The King and I, directed by Alan Muraoka, November 2-18, 2012
Broadway Stars Pay Tribute to Alan Muraoka at National Asian American Theatre Co. Gala on September 10, 2012
Christine Toy Johnson to Receive 2012 Wai Look Award for Outstanding Service at Asian American Arts Alliance Gala on October 9, 2012
Signature Theatre’s Production of Golden Child by David Henry Hwang has been extended through December 16, 2012
Photos: Opening Night with Hold These Truths’ Playwright Jeanne Sakata and Star Joel de la Fuente, a Revelation as Gordon Hirabayashi; Performances Extended through November 25, 2012
Harlem Nights with Lorey Hayes, Actress, Director and Award-Winning Playwright of Power Play and Massinissa
Photos: Maurice Hines, Jonathan Groff, Mercedes Ellington, Charles Randolph Wright at The Beechman for André De Shields’s I PUT A SPELL ON YOU
Photos: Pauletta Pearson Washington, Roscoe Orman, Ruby Dee, Denise Burse, Phyllis Yvonne Stickney, Micki Grant, George Faison, Constance C.R. White, Will Calhoun and More at Lorey Hayes’ POWER PLAY
Manu Narayan Dazzles as Richard Roma in La Jolla Playhouse’s Revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross
Mu Performing Arts’ Artistic Director Rick Shiomi takes home Ivey Award for Lifetime Achievement
Video: Academy Award Winner Chris Tashima Talks About His Roles in Lily Mariye’s Model Minority and Lil Tokyo Reporter
Photos: 4 Wedding Planners’ Illeana Douglas, Kimberly-Rose Wolter and Michael Kang at Screen Actors Guild Foundation Conversations Series in NY
Photos: Tonya Pinkins, André De Shields, S. Epatha Merkerson, Billy Porter and George C. Wolfe at 54 Below
Photos: All-Access Pass to Disney’s Aladdin at The Muny with Thom Sesma, Francis Jue, Robin De Jesus, John Tartaglia, Jason Graae, Curtis Holbrook, Eddie Korbich, Samantha Massell and Ken Page
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
Christine Toy Johnson, Mel Sagrado Maghuyop and Lia Chang. Photo by Hansel Tan
November 1, 2012
Categories: Asian American Artists, Dance, Entertainment, New York, Performance Photography, Theater . Tags: Anna Harriet Leonowens, Backstage Pass with Lia Chang, Christine Toy Johnson, Jon Viktor Corcus, King Mongkut of Siam, Lia Chang, Mel Sagrado Maghuyop, Music Hall at Historic Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Gardens, Ron Domingo, Sesame Street Alan Muraoka, Tamara Jenkins, The Harbor Lights Theater Company, The King and I . Author: Lia Chang . Comments: Leave a Comment
Lia Chang
