With an upcoming Christmas treat ‘A Classical Christmas Fantasy’ and a concert of opera, classical and Broadway billed for January, Gehan Cooray talks to Sashini Rodrigo of his love for the arts
Music is a sensory form of entertainment. It has to be felt by the audience and if the pieces are interpreted correctly, regardless of whatever language the song is performed in, the audience would still feel the magic. This is just the secret behind what talented singer/actor Gehan Cooray has achieved over the years.
We sit down for a conversation with Gehan at Jetwing Colombo Seven, where he is set to stage his next performance titled ‘A Classical Christmas Fantasy’ together with soprano Dhanushi Wijeyakulasuriya on December 19.
Gehan began his musical journey at the St Bridget’s Montessori, where he played the lead in the musical ‘Annie’. This gave him a much needed confidence boost and it was inevitable that he would go down a musical path.
A proud product of St Joseph’s College, Gehan recalls being guided by the choir’s choral director Francis de Almeida. Gehan also trained under well-known teacher Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu, who encouraged him to sing more operatic pieces.
“Between aunty Menaka, my own interests in Broadway musicals and Mr. de Almeida, who was very big on Latin sacred music, I think I had a very good foundation,” he reflects.
His talent however wasn’t limited to singing alone. Gehan also loved the theatre. One of the reasons he got into acting was his love of language and the possibilities of language, which he finds most modern scripts lack.
Back in school, Gehan took part in the annual Shakespeare Drama Competition and also acted in a few productions directed by Indu Dharmasena after he left school.
Gehan had always wanted to pursue acting and music, rather than the family business in the hospitality industry. “I knew I wouldn’t really feel fulfilled if I didn’t pursue acting and singing,” he says. Soon, he got the chance to study at the University of Southern California, which fuelled his passion for film as well.
He chose a double major in Drama and Psychology. While Gehan did find psychology to be academically fulfilling, and in fact considered reading for a PhD as well, he ultimately followed his passion for the arts.
Since then, he has appeared in many plays and musicals in the States. He has also produced some short films that got into film festivals in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Just last year, Gehan produced and starred in his first feature film titled ‘The Billionaire’, a gender-switched adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s The Millionairess’.
The movie is currently in post-production and is slated to come out next year in a limited release. Gehan portrays the title character – young billionaire Victor Ognisanti di Parerga, and describes the experience as his biggest