Pinay wins best actress in New Zealand theater awards

Ivy Rose Padilla, a Filipina based in Wellington in New Zealand, won the Best Actress award for a musical in New Zealand's 2011 Northern Area Performance Theatre Awards (NAPTA).   In a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) news release on Monday, the Philippine Embassy in Wellington said Padilla won the award last February 25.   "She was recognized for her role as Kim in the Miss Saigon Musical staged by the Whangarei Theatre Company (WTC) in June 2011," the embassy said. The other NAPTA awards garnered by the WTC for Miss Saigon 2011 included:

• Best Musical Award
• Best Direction Award
• Best Choreography, and
• Best Performed Choreography Award.

  The NAPTA Awards were established in 2001 to recognize and celebrate the talents seen in amateur theater productions within New Zealand's Northern Region. Padilla's journey Padilla arrived in New Zealand with her family in February 2008.   According to the embassy, hile she had no experience in performing in a musical but she dreamt of participating in such a production.   In May 2009, she learned the Wellington Musical Theatre was conducting auditions for "Miss Saigon" in October 2009.   For the next five months, she prepared by researching how to go about musical theatre auditions and to choose an appropriate audition piece for the leading role of "Kim."   "At the auditions, Ivy was very nervous as she did not know anyone and did not have any experience in musical theatre. But gathering all the strength and courage she could muster through a prayer, and with the determination to learn from the experience, she performed to the best of her abilities to be given the opportunity to play the lead role of Kim," the embassy said.  "Out of 160 aspirants, Ivy stood out and was chosen.  She enthralled the audience in her debut performance as 'Kim' in the 2010 Miss Saigon production in Wellington," it added.   After the successful staging of "Miss Saigon" in Wellington, Lachie McLean, Director of the Whangarei production of Miss Saigon for 2011, requested Padilla to join the WTC.   It was in this production that Padilla was nominated for the Best Actress in Leading Role - Musical Award.   Surreal experience   Padilla said playing the leading role of Kim for the second time was a surreal experience as she felt like being reunited with Kim again.   "She is an unbelievably strong woman who went through so much pain, despair but in spite of all that, still filled with hope and love which kept her alive, all for her son.  It was difficult going through the roller coaster of emotions as her (Kim), I find it really challenging separating her from me but I know in order to tell her story right, I have to live her emotions," Padilla said.   Padilla is now involved in Sir Peter Jackson's film "The Hobbit" which she regards as another great learning experience for her as she gets to see the difference in how things are done in theatre and in film production.   Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Virginia Benavidez lauded Padilla as "a shining example of Filipino world-class talent and an inspiration for many Filipinos in New Zealand who are aspiring to make a name for themselves in music and the performing arts."   "Together with the other Filipino achievers whose works and talents have been recognized in New Zealand, Ivy continues to do our country and people proud!  Indeed, Ivy is among our valued links in enhancing Philippines-New Zealand cultural relations and people-to-people ties. This is cultural diplomacy at its best!" Benavidez said. - VVP, GMA News