NEWSFLASH 

---

LONDON’S MISS SAIGON IN “SHAME” WITH INA RAYMUNDO

Quezon City, Jan. 3, 2000- One of Lea Salonga’s successors as Miss Saigon in London is now co-starring in a bold movie with sex siren Ina Raymundo.

Carla Guevarra, who played the lead role of Kim in London’s Drury Lane Theater for two years, is in Regal’s first offering for the year 2000, “Shame…Bakit Ako Mahihiya?”

Carla turned 24 on Dec. 26. The fourth in a brood of five girls, she was a college freshman taking up international studies in La Salle when she passed the auditions for Miss Saigon and joined the cast in London.

Before that, she had appeared in about 15 plays for Repertory Philippines including The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet and Alice in Wonderland.

Now back in Manila, she sings at a lounge once a week while taking up hotel and restaurant management at the OB Montessori.

She is also looking forward to bigger and better movie roles, which are being negotiated by her manager Dondon Monteverde.

“He wants to build me up as a singer, pero gusto ko talagang umarte kaya nagprisinta akong mag-artista sa mga pelikula nila,” she says. “I was given my screen test as a tattoo artist in “Bayolente” with Zoren Legaspi. I now play a bigger role as Ina Raymundo’s friend in “Shame.” Pareho kaming waitress dito at sa akin siya nagko-confide ng problems niya with her wife-beating husband, si John Apacible.”

She enjoyed working with Ina and their director, Manny Castañeda. “Si Ina, napakabait. First time lang kami nagkakilala and she is very friendly. Si Direk Manny, masayang katrabaho kasi laging nagpapatawa sa set. Enjoy ako sa kanila.”

Despite her blossoming movie career, Carla has not forgotten her singing. She now sings at the Hyatt’s Calesa Bar every Friday night.

When Miss Saigon is staged here in October, she expects to be a part of the cast that will perform for local audiences.

“It will be a great honor for me to do Miss Saigon here,” she says. “It was an unforgettable experience performing for a foreign crowd every night. I was able to play Kim with three engineers, Junix Inocian, Robert Sena, and a British guy, Derek Griffith.”