Tony, Grammy winner brings Broadway closer to Iloilo townmates

ILOILO CITY – Tony and Grammy winner Jhett Dizon Tolentino brought Broadway closer to the city and province of Iloilo with the staging of M. Butterfly.

“More than anything else, this is for my hometown. My fellow Ilonggos didn’t have to go to New York or Manila for this,” Tolentino told Manila Bulletin.

The four-day staging of David Henry Hwang’s play came to a close Sunday night at a jam-packed SM Cinema.

Iloilo City was the fitting venue that kicked-off M. Butterfly’s country tour by paying homage to Tolentino’s roots. The 42year-old producer was raised in the slums of Calumpang, a coastal village in Molo district.

With no formal theater training, Tolentino became the only Filipino to win three Tony awards and a Grammy award for producing highly-acclaimed theater shows in New York City’s Broadway.

“I wanted to challenge and inspire Ilonggos that someone like me who grew up in Calumpang can do this,” Tolentino emphasized.

Actor and producer RS Francisco, who plays the titular role, recalled how Iloilo City was also the first venue for the country tour of M. Butterfly when it was originally staged by Dulaang University of the Philippines (UP Diliman) in 1990.

“When I did M. Butterfly 29 years ago, my first plane ride and my first tour was here. Iloilo has a special place in my heart,” Francisco said.