MANILA, Philippines—No matter how long she has been away, Fely Irvine, 21, always feels that “sense of belonging” whenever she planes in to Manila.
“It’s really hard to explain,” she said in an interview with Philippine Daily Inquirer. “Sure, I didn’t grow up here, but every time I come back, I feel the sense of belonging.”
Coming over to Manila for the second time, Fely is part of the new cast of the popular Australian children’s educational program Hi-5, now on its 11th season Down Under. The cast held mall shows in Metro Manila in mid-May, part of the promotional tour to kick off the program’s new season.
Season 11 of Hi-5, which airs Monday on Nickelodeon, is somewhat momentous for the show with four new cast members, including Fely, joining the program. The past shows of Hi-5 saw another Filipino, Kathleen de Leon-Jones, perform since its initial run in 1998.
In 2006, Kathleen left the show after eight seasons to focus on taking care of her family.
Miss Saigon understudy
Prior to her Hi-5 stint, Fely began her career playing parts on stage and television. She was an understudy for the Kim role in the Australian run of Miss Saigon in 2007. It was headlined by Filipinos Leo Valdez and Laurie Cadediva whose performance earned her an acting award.
“I toured Australia [with Miss Saigon stars and crew] for 14 months,” she said. “Then I decided to focus on my acting career so I studied in New York. When I came home, my agent said there was an audition for Hi-5, and asked me if I wanted to try? I said sure and it went bang, bang, bang from then on.”
The experience was amazing, Fely beamed.
“I was only 17 when I started and I finished when I was 19, so I kinda grew up with the character,” she said. “As a performer, I learned so much and I had the opportunity to work with so many amazing people like Leo Valdez and RJ Rosales.”
Distinguished alumni
Determined to enhance her skills after Miss Saigon, Fely flew to the Big Apple to study at the Atlantic Acting School, put up in 1983 by Emmy award-winning actor William H. Macy and acclaimed playwright David Mamet.
The school’s distinguished alumni include Jessica Alba of the Fantastic Four series and Felicity Huffman, Macy’s wife, of the popular television show Desperate Housewives.
“When I came to New York for the first time, I had a complete culture shock,” she said. “I was like, ‘it was a whole new world I’ve never seen before.’”
In contrast, Fely explained that when she came to the Philippines, she felt as if she never left.
“I feel that it’s not forced,” she said of staying here and liking her surroundings. “I’m so happy to be around such beautiful people.”
Fely first came here in 2006 for a vacation and three years after, she said nothing much has changed.
“I love everything about here—the people, the feel of the sun on my skin,” she said. “I love everything about this country. I’m glad I’m here again.”
Never stop learning
With a tight schedule of at least three taping dates on top of promotional tours and publicity blitz, Fely had to bump off further acting workshops and training. But if there’s an opportunity, she said she’d definitely take it.
“I think learning is something that you should never stop doing,” she said. “There’s so much, so much to learn as a performer and as a human being. Definitely, I will continue to study when I can, if I could fit it in.”
Beaming like she’s on top of the world, Fely described her career as “good, so far” and it’s “on track.” She enjoyed the Manila leg of the Hi-5 tour, particularly because the children who watched them, she said, were “so amazing” and “full of joy and it’s contagious.”
She couldn’t ask for more, she said, because she finds her work fun and exciting, although work sometimes takes its toll on her because of the high-energy level required of her.
“I love my job, I love the fact that I get to play and sing,” she said. “Of course, it’s difficult to start the day, giving all you can and you go home, sleep, and do it all over again [the next day].”
But then again, she gets a boost when she sees a throng of excited children waiting for her and fellow actors’ performance, she said.
Work is fun
“It’s hard not to be that way when you’re in front of the kids who are smiling, jumping when they see you,” she said, referring to their performance-level acts. “I want to give them all.”
“[Besides] I barely call it work because it’s fun and I’m doing everything that I love,” she said. “I feel that this is not work at all. I’m just having so much fun.”
Even Kathleen told her that working for Hi-5 is a breeze, Fely said.
“[Kathleen] told me ‘you’re gonna have so much fun,’” she said.
Fely just turned one when her parents decided to settle in Australia. Her recollection of her stay in Manila and Davao, where her mother hails from, is faint but she said her mother never failed to teach her Filipino values.
“I’m very much half-half, because of Dad, who’s very strong willed, and so is my mom and they have different beliefs,” she said. “Somehow they managed to make it work which I think is beautiful.”
Though it might seem tough on her to be exposed to two different cultures, Fely said she managed to meet her folks halfway.
“I completely understand where my mom’s coming from. I completely understand where my dad’s coming from.”
Asked if she has plans of starting an acting career here, Fely said she wants to try playing a couple of parts here but she should first learn Tagalog.
“I understand a little bit but if I could speak it fluently, then I would have been here a long time ago.”
Broadway, here she comes
A career in Philippine show business may have to wait because Fely has set her sights on perhaps the promised land of theater actors—Broadway.
“Because when I was younger, there was a star [there]—a Filipino. I’d be so fired up and say, ‘Yeah! She’s Filipino,’ and I have some sort of a connection with her,” she said.
She was referring to the West End production of Miss Saigon on Broadway where Lea Salonga, who played Kim, made her debut in New York’s theater scene. She went on to win a Tony for her performance, nearly 20 years ago.
