After starring in Miss Saigon’s UK Tour for a year, GMA Network’s home-grown singer and actress Aicelle Santos is back in the Philippines with high spirits.
With her stunning performance amidst excellent reviews, she has truly brought pride to the country by successfully portraying the iconic role of ‘Gigi Van Tranh’ in Cameron Mackintosh’s critically-acclaimed musical.
“Playing Gigi was a personal, spiritual, and professional journey for me,” Aicelle shared. “It taught me a lot about myself as a person and as an actor. I became more disciplined because of our daily shows that required physical and mental focus.”
The Kapuso star also talked about the struggles of being away from home and what she learned from them. “Being so far from home and living outside of my comfort zone made me realize the more important things in life. I valued my personal relationships more with my family and friends. I learned to appreciate the warmth of the sun after days of cloudy and gloomy skies. I enjoyed the quietness of a simple and independent life,” she said.
Now that she’s home, Aicelle is back to performing for her kababayans. She is part of Ballet Philippines’ 2019 restaging of the 1977 pop rock opera ballet, “Tales of the Manuvu,” which showcases the folk tales of the Manobo tribe in Mindanao. It runs until March 31 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Pasay City.
She is also set to make her TV comeback this April as a regular host of GMA’s musical-variety show, Studio 7. Apart from these, fans can once again catch her reprise her role as Elsa in the rerun of “Himala: Isang Musikal”.
Asked what else she’s looking forward to, Aicelle said, “To creating new music and marrying the man I love.”
With overflowing love and blessings, Aicelle remains grounded and full of gratitude, “My new mantra is to live in the moment and to embrace the life that is unfolding right in front of you. I am more grateful than ever to everyone who continues to support me and to the Lord who guided me through this path.”
