Meet Christine Allado—the Pinay who is part of the Grammy-nominated ‘Prince of Egypt’ album
It took a while for Filipino-British actress and singer Christine Allado to believe that her team behind the musical Prince of Egypt made it to the Grammy nominations for Best Musical Theater Album.
“I couldn’t believe anything like this was even possible,” she opened up in an interview with veteran columnist Ricky Lo. “Especially as an actress, it’s not something you aspire to. But what a miracle it is that it’s even an opportunity you can realize.”
Getting the role as Tzipporah (Moses’ wife) in the musical is the first gig that she didn’t exactly audition for. “I did a workshop with the creative team and producers two years ago where we did a reading of the show and some of the music. I didn’t know they were going to be doing a West End version of the show but while I was in New York, I got offered the show and the role of Tzipporah,” she mused. “No auditions or anything! I was very shocked as well that that could be possible!”
The album cast recording was done in London back in January, “before all the craziness of the pandemic.” She recalled, “And how lucky that we did, as they were considering doing the recordings in March when it would not have been possible to finish the album.”
In the masterpiece, she sang her heart out to When You Believe, which was popularized by a duet rendition of Grammy award-winning singers Mariah Carey and the late Whitney Houston.
“I also have two original Stephen Schwartz songs that I sing in the album, a feisty and fiery solo called Dance to the Day, and a beautiful love duet called Never in a Million Years,” she shared. “I also open Act 2 with a small solo and end the show with some singing, so I’m kind of dotted all over the album.”
The Grammy nomination is just one of the many milestones that she has experienced in her stint as a Broadway star. Born in 1995 into a “very musical family,” she started at Trumpets Playshop—where she “laid the groundwork for where I am today”—and earned a postgraduate degree in Music and Theater from the Academy of Music in London.
“I’ve always loved theater and film and I’ve always lived my whole life singing. So to be able to join the two together is a sublime gift. I’m thankful for it every day,” she said in a 2017 interview on Conversations. “No one in my immediate family is in the performing arts, so I guess I’m the black sheep in the bunch,” she added with a laugh.
Allado had her West End debut in From Here to Eternity and continued to shine in other musicals like Sweet Charity, West Side Story, Cinderella, Wasted, Phantom of the Opera, Here Lies Love, and more. Additionally, she has even shared the stage with renowned Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli.
Describing it as “one of the best years of my life,” Allado took on the role of Peggy in Hamilton and Maria Reynolds in Act 2. “To be part of such a phenomenon was an absolute honor. And I still feel very much a part of it as the blessings from it keep pouring through and people always associate me with the show which is lovely!”
Now that West End is closed, she’s been lending her amazing voice to various projects, with much-needed breaks in between. “I’d been a part of a Netflix and DreamWorks cartoon and that was released over the summer,” shared Allado. “I recorded a few more cast recordings for new projects and have been back in the West End doing workshops. So it still keeps going even though it’s behind the scenes!”
With a few shows lined up for Christmas and New Year, she expressed her joy and excitement to be back on stage. While she dreams of spending much of her time in different parts of the world—“Manila, London, New York, and LA” in particular—her homeland will always have a special place in her heart. “The Philippines will always be my home,” she concluded.
Article thumbnails from Christine Allado’s Instagram account