Accounting was never enough reason for Rony to forego his plans of pursuing musical theater. No, in fact, it had been the opposite. Despite just having a handful of years of being a musical director and piano player in the local theater scene, he submitted his resume anyway to the folks at Hong Kong Disneyland, got the call for an audition, bagged an interview, and booked the job immediately.

In this THEATERATI exclusive, we get to know the man behind the piano and the music that brings insatiable, indubitable magic to where else but the “Best Place in the Universe,” Hong Kong Disneyland’s talented Musical Director extraordinaire Rony Fortich.

THEATERATI: Tell us a little something about yourself.
I’m Rony, once an accounting major, now a music director.  I like earth colors, chocolates, and as of the moment, these cooking reality shows.

You are the musical director of Hong Kong Disneyland. How’d you get that gig?
Well, I had a lot of friends who were getting in and I remember wishing them well.  Then someone informed me that the position of music director had opened up and that I should apply.  I checked out the job requirements online and really didn’t think it would happen, I only had my accounting degree and a handful of years in the theater industry under my belt.  Still I turned my resume, got the call for an audition, got the interview, and got the job.  For someone who grew up all Disney, it’s been a pretty awesome experience.

What’s the theater or music scene like abroad? Is it the same as it is in Manila?
Hard to say, I don’t watch as much theater in Hong Kong.  There are a handful of productions here, mostly translated into Cantonese, and touring companies.  But, nothing as abundant as the theater scene in Manila. Talk about the migration of Pinoy talent. Is it necessarily a good thing, or a bad thing? Six years ago, I remember being asked by Jessica Soho a question regarding the Philippines losing talent to Hong Kong Disneyland.  Just last January however, she interviewed me again, but with a more enthusiastic tone of pride that the Filipinos bring to the country by performing in the park.  So yes, it’s a GREAT thing.  They learn a lot here and their talent shines a very positive light on the perception of Filipinos around the world.

What’s the one accomplishment you’re proudest of to date?

That would have to be writing “Celebration in the Air,” the theme song for the 5^th anniversary of Hong Kong Disneyland.  Last year, they invited some well known composers to submit songs for consideration and last minute they asked if I’d be interested in submitting an entry.  I did and a couple months later, and I still remember it well, I was next to the photo copying machine when our VP of Entertainment Laurie Jordan went up to me and said, “they chose your song.”  I almost fell over.  What followed was a lot of media interviews, the song being sung live in front of the castle by two Hong Kong pop stars, and the melody heard everywhere from the website to the airport Disney shops to TV commercials.  One song, one unforgettable year.

Who are your role models in the industry? How have they shaped your career?
Easily Ryan Cayabyab and Jaime Del Mundo.  I grew up watching Ryan Ryan Musikahan, it taught me about the honest brilliance of a singer and a piano, which is pretty much my life as an accompanist.  Half the time, I found myself listening to how he plays more than I would the singer.  And his birthday tribute, “Ryan Cayabyab: the Musicman @ 50” is still the best concert I have ever seen in the Philippines.  Jaime Del Mundo is the finest director I have worked with in the Manila theater scene.  His ability to create and execute an original idea with integrity and vision is unmatched.  I had seen a lot of his works from the large scale Meralco shows to his corporate gigs and he gives such finesse and art to each production.  I worked with him two years ago on N.O.A.H. and I look forward to our next project.  And still, what is even more admirable about Mr. C and Jaime is their immense generosity.  They are loved in the industry because they are as good teachers as they are respected professionals.  They’ve got good hearts with a real desire to pass on what they know.  And that’s inspiring on so many levels.

You are also a noted composer. What do you think are the components to a good song?
If I gotta break it down, three things:  a strong hook, shifting gears, and a new perspective.  A strong hook is a specific thing about a song which makes it, well, stand out.  It could anything from a hummable melodic line (Baby, baby, baby oh!) to a catchy lyric (Put a ring on it!) or even backup singing (Who doesn’t know the back up of Smokey Mountain’s Kailan?)  Shifting gears simply means it goes somewhere.  Could be a key change, a tempo change, or a riff in the final chorus.  And a new perspective is all about saying the same old message in a new way.  My favorite example of this is how “I love you” has been said through the years.  Once it was “The Nearness of You”, now it’s “My Life Would Suck Without You.”  I love that.

You’ve been a staunch supporter of theater in Manila for quite sometime now. Talk about Manila’s theater scene. Where is it headed?
I think these are incredible times for the theater actor and the theater audience.  Actors have so many venues now where they can go and master their craft with skilled directors and in front of appreciative audiences.  With the creation of the Philippine Theater Actors Guild and so many enthusiastic people in charge over there, the idea of an empowered theater actor will slowly become a reality.  Audiences too now have a wide variety of shows to choose from.  There are theater companies producing shows that have everything from spiritual messages, to political themes, to showbiz personalities, to larger than life sets, to 4 people on stage.  It’s a great time for variety.

On the other hand however, I am concerned about what audiences are learning about the industry which will eventually affect its future.  Looking at these real-time Broadway World polls, it looks like celebrities are being viewed as the “theater actors” of today.  I am not against showbiz casting (I’m aware of the need to sell a show) but if it means we’re teaching audiences that great singing is great theater, then I’m concerned.  Moreover, there is so much training and praising of celebrities who will most likely not dedicate their lives to enriching the theater industry as much as the more-talented, lesser-known chorus members will.  Many of the legit directors now, Michael Williams, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Jaime Del Mundo, among others, came from a time when training was excellent and you got a role cause you were actually good.  But nowadays, the message seems to be that one must enter showbiz to break into theater. This can’t be what young aspiring actors are learning.  Or audiences for that matter.  Get audiences to love theater for the wonder that it is, without the smoke and mirrors, and only then is Philippine theater really on its way.

You are known to hold your annual Birthday jams where the likes of Lea Salonga or Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo have gleefully participated? How did that idea come about? Any plans to make it bigger next year?
When I moved to Hong Kong in 2005, I really missed my friends.  Moreover, I missed jamming with them.  So when I turned 30 in 2006, I decided to gather all my friends in one room and get them to sing.  I had such a blast and so I did it again the next year, but gave it a name this time “No More Disclaimers” which means no one is allowed to throw in an excuse before they sing (something that as a pianist, I know singers so often do.)  I also ask for no gifts, just books that I can donate to a school.  Since 2006, the party has grown quite a bit but at the heart of it, it’s all about making great music with good theater friends.  And yes, already planning next year.  Getting creative and hoping to find ways to make it more of a charity event.  Let’s see.

Finally, describe a life without music.
Life without music is just, well, accounting.  =)