Waya Gallardo, daughter of veteran singer-actress Celeste Legaspi and advertising director and Original Pilipino Music (OPM) stalwart Nonoy Gallardo, opted to be known by her real name instead of attaching her identity to her famous mother and father.
Apparently, Gallardo enjoyed the anonymity while she worked as a nurse in Illinois and Texas for five years. She was in the US from 2015 to 2021.
“People saw me and valued me according to my work ethics, my behavior, my personality,” Gallardo granted. “It was a good experience in that sense. Alam ko na maayos akong tao.”
Gallardo was in the US for six years. She left in 2015 and returned in 2021 right at the height of the pandemic. “I remember during the pandemic, my mom kept talking about Raymond Lauchengco,” Gallardo recalled.
“They were in the musical, ‘Oliver’ together. He was 12, while she played Nancy then. My mom had seen Raymond grow up in the (entertainment) business.”
The Gallardos had this beautiful vase at home that was broken. Legaspi said, “Let me send the vase to Raymond. He’s so good.” I said, ‘Raymond Lauchengco?’ I met him in the Christmas party of GR’s (Girlie Rodis). He told me ‘I’m such a big fan of your mom.’
“He’s so charming and looks exactly the same from his ‘Bagets’ days, except that his hair’s white. I didn’t really know him before that… I knew his work and his songs.”
Lauchengco did the Japanese art of kintsugi to repair broken objects. He works several hours a day making furniture, restoring ceramics and creating sculptures. That was therapeutic for him during the pandemic, when live performances were in a halt.
Since she returned to Manila, Gallardo had started writing for concerts. Last May, she wrote for Ryan Cayabyab’s “Gen C” concert at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater.
Last year, Gallardo wrote the script for “Contra Mundum,” an all-star concert musical at the Metropolitan Theater.
“My main training was musical theater,” Gallardo admitted. “I was working for Musicat Productions, the theater company of my mom. They trained me as writer, director, actor — all around. I even wrote a children’s musical for them. That was the training I got from my mom.”
Gallardo even adapted the script for the award-winning Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry, “Larawan” (2017), presented by Culturtain Musicat Productions, Inc. and directed by Loy Arcenas.
A few months back, talent manager and concert producer Girlie Rodis – fondly called GR – tapped Gallardo to write anew, this time for Lauchengco’s concert.
“I would love to, I told GR,” said Gallardo. “The next thing I knew, Raymond and I were already talking face to face.”
On November 23, 8 p.m. at The Theater at Solaire, Gallardo will not just write but also direct “Just Got Lucky, A Celebration of Raymond Lauchengco’s Music and Art.”
The concert will present Lauchengco not just a singer and actor, but also an artist. Musical director is Marvin Querido formerly of The Neocolours.
“It has been so much fun because the way Raymond talks, his stories were all so engaging,” Gallardo said. “The way he talks about his fans, that’s the main concept of this concert. The absolute love he has for his fans and their love for him.
“For 40 years, it hasn’t changed. His fans really grew up with him. That’s what all the stories that came out and that was what I really put into the script. We collaborate on the script because I wanted to be Raymond’s authentic voice.
“It has been really interesting talking to someone the way he talks about how much he missed music and how much he missed singing. He earlier thought his career was over and nothing was going to happen anymore.”
