Musical theater artists Markki Stroem, Arman Ferrer, and Poppert Bernadas are headliners in this year’s TRIPLE THREATS: THREE TENORS from October to December 2022 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater) at 7:30 p.m. After the successful event last 2013 to 2018, this series is now back on track.
TRIPLE THREATS is a series of solo concerts featuring the stalwarts of Philippine Musical Theater. Each concert is an intimate evening of beautiful music, personally selected by the artists themselves, from their vast repertoire of favorite songs from Broadway, West End, original Filipino musicals, and the movies. Dubbed as a series of “concept concerts”, the narrative of the performance is dictated by the song choices. It is a rare opportunity for the audience to see a different facet of the acclaimed theatre artist being featured. The definition of a “triple threat” is someone in a particular field who exhibits the three skills that are necessary to excel – can act, can sing, and can dance.
Leading this series on October 14, 2022 is Markki Stroem, known as today’s Contemporary Crooner. He was a finalist on ABS-CBN’s Pilipinas Got Talent Season 1 and had nine (9) theater credits including Henry in Next To Normal (Atlantis, 2011), Shane Gray in Camp Rock (Repertory, 2012), Tommy Ross in Carrie: The Musical (Atlantis, 2013), Leading Man in Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady (Dalanghita Production, 2015), Tommy de Vito in Jersey Boys (Atlantis, 2016), Gabby in Awitin Mo at Isasayaw ko (Ballet Philippines, 2016), Claude Hooper Bukowski in Hair (Repertory, 2017), Terry Connor in Side Show (Atlantis, 2018) and Joe Pitt in Angels in America (Atlantis, 2019).
Aside from theater, he also dived into the Television industry as he became a part of the variety show, ASAP’s Boys R Boys (BRB) and won as Most Promising Male Group in the Guillermo Mendoza Box Office Awards. Stroem was then nominated as Best Actor (Cinema 1 Originals Awards), Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actor (Golden Screen Awards), Best Breakthrough Actor (Gawad Tangi), and New Movie Actor of the Year (PMPC Star Awards for Movies) for Cinema One Originals 2012 Slumber Party. He also produced and directed music videos for artists – Rachelle Ann Go, Christian Bautista, and Noel Cabangon. His first album, “Thousands of Pieces” tapped the Astroplus top-selling album charts in 2012.
Make sure to look out for the second act performer on November 18, Arman Ferrer. He is considered one of the brightest musical theater actors today. He was only 21 years old, an operatic tenor, and had no acting experience for his first audition in the zarzuela, “Walang Sugat” at Ateneo, bagging the lead role of Tenyong in 2010. He then had to do an acting workshop.
He then reprised the role of Tenyong in Tanghalang Pilipino’s staging of “Walang Sugat” directed by Carlitos Siguion Reyna at the CCP. After that, he appeared in “The Best of Opera” at Resorts World Manila, “A Christmas Carol” for 9Works, “Mabining Mandirigma” at CCP, and two original musicals for Director Joel Lamangan, “Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag” and “Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical”, where he received great reviews. In 2021, he bagged the title role in “Lapu Lapu” the musical, directed by Dexter Santos and the first production staged at the newly renovated Metropolitan Theater (MET).
Closing the series on December 21 will be Poppert Bernadas, a complete and world-class performer through his unwavering passion to his craft as a singer and actor. He is a singer with stories flowing from his lips in each and every performance. From 2007 until now, he has been an original member of the multi-awarded vocal group the “Ryan Cayabyab Singers” or RCS when he was handpicked by National Artist Ryan Cayabyab to be a part of the prestigious singing group who continues to tour successfully and perform in local music scenes.
In 2014, Poppert was cast as “Kenny” in the iconic, longest-running, all-original Filipino musical: “Rak of Aegis” of PETA. He has been a part of other productions such as “Magsimula Ka!”, “LORENZO the Musical”, “Ang Huling Lagda ni Apolinario Mabini”, “GodSpell”, “Spoliarium”, “Marawi The Musicale” and on Season 7 for “Rak of Aegis”, Poppert reprises his original role in the 2019 production. He ventured into his acting prowess by playing the role of “Kanor” in the Primetime Teleserye of ABS-CBN, “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin” and the role of “Rio” in the Season 2 of the said teleserye. Last year, he became a part of management called “Ateam” headed by OPM Icon Ogie Alcasid and co-managed by Star Magic headed by Lauren Dyogi. Last year, he released his two original songs dedicated to his late mother “Payakap Inay” which was featured in “Maalaala Mo Kaya” for their Mother’s Day Special and the other one is “Mama Ko” his first collaboration with Maestro Ryan Cayabyab.
TRIPLE THREATS is presented by the Cultural of the Philippines. The three concerts will begin at 7:30 pm at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater). Check out the CCP’s official website https://culturalcenter.gov.ph and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/culturalcenterofthephilippines for more information about the series.
