Joanna Ampil is a musical theatre and film actress from the Philippines and United Kingdom.
Career Joanna, at seventeen years old, auditioned for an open call in Manila for the original production of Miss Saigon in front of director Sir Nicolas Hytner. Despite not having any experience in theatre or the performing arts, she landed the lead role of Kim and was flown to London to rehearse with the West End company at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. She has since reprised her role as Kim in the original Australian production, the original United Kingdom and Ireland Tour and 10th Anniversary Performance.
Ampil's other notable roles include Mary Magdalene in the West End revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, Éponine and Fantine in Les Misérables, Mimi in Rent, Christmas Eve in Avenue Q, Sheila Franklin in Hair, Thanh in the world premiere of The Real Love, Heidi in I Sing!, The ingénue June in the West End premiere of The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!, Blue Fairy in Pinocchio: A New Musical, West End Women (UK Tour), The Magic of Disney in Concert (Hyde Park, London), Defying Gravity: The Songs of Stephen Schwartz (Sydney), Grizabella in Cats, and reprising Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar in Concert.
In 2008, she made her Philippine theatre debut as Maria in West Side Story, alongside Christian Bautista's Tony. She played Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, at the Newport Performing Arts Theatre and was followed by Nellie Forbush in South Pacific in Concert. She was invited by Philippine's Prima Ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde to play Inang Bayan in the ballet Rebel EDSA 30. In 2015, she played Francesca Johnson in the international premiere of The Bridges of Madison County, and Jenna in the international premiere of Waitress in 2018.
She performed on recordings of Miss Saigon (The Complete Symphonic Recording) as Kim, Jesus Christ Superstar (1996 London Revival Cast) as Mary Magdalene, The Postman and the Poet (Concept Cast) as Beatriz Gonzalez and Ang Larawan “The Portrait” (Original Soundtrack) as Candida.
Her debut musicals album "Joanna Ampil" was released 2007 by JAY Records, followed with pop albums "Try Love" in 2010 and "Joanna Ampil" in 2014 with VIVA Records. Her latest singles are Reach for the Stars, Always Better and Memory.
In 2017, Ampil portrayed Candida Marasigan in the feature film Ang Larawan for which she won the Metro Manila Film Festival Award for Best Actress, PMPC Star Awards, Gawad Pasado, Luna, Gawad Tangi, Guillermo Award, Urduja Best Heritage Film Awards and the prestigious Gawad Urian Best Actress Awards.
She worked on the television series "Call Me Tita" "Babae Sa Septic Tank 3", The Quest, Mummy Autopsy and Broken News. She portrayed Corazon in Maalaala Mo Kaya's "Kadena" wherein she won the GEMS Award for Best Actress for Television.
She performed Grizabella in the 40th Anniversary Tour of Cats (South Korea, 2020/2021) during the height of COVID-19 pandemic with socially distanced audiences and local government protocols; along with Phantom of the Opera World Tour (South Korea and Taiwan, 2020).
In the summer of 2021, Joanna made her Chichester Festival Theatre debut in Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific as Bloody Mary. In the summer of 2022, she reprised the role of Bloody Mary in London ahead of a UK Tour.
In 2023, she played The Engineer in the brand new production Miss Saigon at Sheffield Theatres by special arrangement with Sir Cameron Mackintosh, bringing together the original creators of the show Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil along with Artistic Directors Robert Hastie and Anthony Lau in editing the book, lyrics and creating new arrangements for the reimagined production.
Joanna joined international stars of the stage and screen, including Michael Ball, Daniel Dae Kim, Maria Friedman, Audra McDonald, Julian Ovenden, Lucy St. Louis, Aaron Tveit, Marisha Wallace and Patrick Wilson in My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert, featuring a 40-piece orchestra on 12 December 2023, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The filmed musical concert will be screened in cinemas across the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and North America, and was part of the PBS Great Performances broadcast in Spring 2024.
Since 2024, she has played Carlotta Giudicelli in The Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre.
Theatre YearTitleRoleNotes1993-1995Miss SaigonKimWest End
(Theatre Royal Drury Lane)1995-1996Miss SaigonKimSydney "Original Australian Production"
(Capitol Theatre)1996-1998Jesus Christ SuperstarMary MagdaleneWest End "West End Revival"Playbill.com story
(Lyceum Theatre)1998-1999Miss SaigonKimWest End
(Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
10th Anniversary Performance (September 20, 1999)2000-2001Les Misérables EponineWest End
(Palace Theatre)2001Les Misérables in ConcertEponineBelfast, Odyssey Arena2001-2002Miss SaigonKimUK Tour "Original UK and Ireland Tour"2003-2005Les Misérables FantineWest End2004Les Misérables in ConcertFantineWinsdor Castle "Entente Cordiale"2005HairSheila FranklinWest End2006RentMimiEuropean Tour2006I Sing!HeidiWest End "Original London Cast"
(Union Theatre)2006The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!The ingenue JuneWest End "Original London Cast"2007-2008Les Misérables FantineWest End
(Queen's Theatre)2008West Side StoryMariaManila
(Meralco Theater)2008-2009Avenue QChristmas EveWest End
(Noël Coward Theatre)
(Gielgud Theatre)2010Pinocchio: A New MusicalBlue FairySingapore "World Premiere"
(DBS Arts Centre)2011The Real LoveThanhLos Angeles "World Premiere"
(Pasadena Civic Auditorium)2011-2012The Sound of MusicMariaManila
(Newport Performing Arts Theatre)2013-2014CatsGrizabellaNew Wimbledon Theatre
UK Tour
European Tour2015South Pacific in ConcertNellie ForbushNewport Performing Arts Theatre2015Ballet Manila's RebelInang BayanManila "World Premiere"
(Aliw Theatre)2015The Bridges of Madison CountyFrancesca JohnsonManila "International Premiere"
(Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium)2016CatsGrizabellaEuropean Tour2016Ballet Manila's RebelInang BayanAliw Theatre2017-2018CatsGrizabellaMiddle Eastern Tour
European Tour
Asian Tour2018WaitressJennaManila "International Premiere"
(Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium)2019Jesus Christ Superstar in ConcertMary MagdaleneTokyu Theatre Orb2019-2020CatsGrizabellaAsian Tour2020-2021CatsGrizabella40th Anniversary Tour2021South PacificBloody MaryChichester Festival Theatre2022CatsGrizabellaAsian Tour2022South PacificBloody MaryLondon (Sadler's Wells)
UK Tour2022-2023CatsGrizabella2023 Jellicle Ball Tour2023Miss SaigonThe EngineerCrucible Theatre2024Your Lie in April: The MusicalSaki ArimaTheatre Royal Drury Lane2024-2026The Phantom of The OperaCarlotta GiudicelliHis Majesty's Theatre
Discography Cast albums My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert Miss Saigon (The Complete Symphonic Recording) Jesus Christ Superstar (1996 London Cast) The Postman and The Poet (Concept Cast) Ang Larawan (Original Soundtrack)
Studio albums Joanna Ampil (2007; Jay Records) Try Love (2010; Musiko Records, Sony Music) Joanna Ampil (2014; Viva Records)
Singles Reach For The Stars I'm Caught Between Goodbye and I Love You For The Last Time I Felt Like This Hanggang Saan The Only Place To Be Memory Always Better Kundimang Mahal (theme song of the movie Culion) One More Gift
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes2011One Day Waitress2011The Real Love Thanh2017Ang Larawan Candida MarasiganBest Actress: Metro Manila Film Festival 2017, PMPC Star Awards, Gawad Pasado, Luna, Gawad Tangi, Guillermo Award, Urduja Best Heritage Film Awards, Gawad Urian2019Babae Sa Septic Tank 3Herself/Narcisa2021The Show Must Go On Herself/Grizabella2024My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary ConcertHerself
Television/Digital YearTitleRoleNotes1999The QuestHerself2004Mummy AutopsyFilipino Woman2005Broken News Michelle Wong2018Leading WomenHerself2019Bulawan: The CCP 50th Anniversary GalaHerself2019Babae Sa Septic Tank 3Herself/Narcisa2019Maalaala Mo Kaya's "Kadena" Corazon Best Actress, GEMS Award for Best Actress for Television2019Call Me TitaMaya2022Flower of EvilDaniel's Mother2024My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary ConcertHerselfSky Arts & PBS
Concerts
Carols in the Domain (1995) The Domain, Sydney Stars of the Musicals (2001) Putra, Kuala Lumpur The Night of 100 Stars: Marvin Hamlisch (2001) London Palladium One Day More: A Symphonic Concert of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg (2004) Symphony Hall, Birmingham An Evening with Jason Robert Brown (2005) Players Theatre, London Musical Moments (2007) Hong Kong Cultural Centre Musical Moments (2008) Hong Kong Cultural Centre Musical Moments (2009) Hong Kong Cultural Centre Joanna Ampil, I Love... (2009) Music Museum, Manila West End Girl: Joanna Ampil (2010) OnStage, Manila Brad Little Unmasked with Joanna Ampil (2010) Taipei International Convention Centre, Taiwan Broadway Showstoppers (2011) Newport Performing Arts Theatre The Vietnam-Philippines Friendship Concert (2012) Hanoi Opera House, Vietnam The Night of 1000 Voices (2012) Royal Albert Hall, London The Magic of Disney in Concert (2012) Hyde Park, London In celebration of the H.M. The Queen's Diamond Jubilee West End Women: Kerry Ellis, Ria Jones & Joanna Ampil (2014) United Kingdom Tour Defying Gravity: The Songs of Stephen Schwartz (2016) Sydney A Woman's World: Joanna Ampil (2016) Shangri-La Plaza, Manila The Sound of Musicals: Joanna Ampil, Graham Bickley, Kerry Ellis and Oliver Tompsett (2016) United Kingdom Tour Una nit a Broadway Andrew Lloyd Webber: Joanna Ampil, John Owen Jones, Geronimo Rauch and Celinde Schoenmacher (2017) L'Auditori, Barcelona Love Wins: Joanna Ampil (2018) Maybank Theatre, Manila Silver Lining: Joanna Ampil (2019) Maybank Theatre, Manila Pinoy Playlist: Joanna Ampil (2019) Maybank Theatre, Manila Bulawan: The CCP's 50th Anniversary Gala (2023) Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila Fivera Goes West End with Joanna Ampil (2023) Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore Fivera Goes West End with Joanna Ampil (2023) Esplanade Theatre, Singapore Anywhere We Sing Is Home: The CCP's 54th Anniversary Gala (2023) Samsung Performing Arts Theatre, Manila West End Musical Halloween (2023) Lyric Theatre, London West End Does: Christmas (2023) Cadogan Hall, London My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert (2023) Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London
References
External links