Catch a Rising Star: Amaya Braganza
/
Amaya Braganza
We caught up with her shortly after the touring company landed in Los Angeles for an October 3rd to 15th engagement at The Ahmanson Theatre.
Hadestown was created by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin. The story deals with the Greek myth of doomed lovers Orpheus and Eurydice and the unexemplary marriage of gods Persephone and Hades. Fil-Am Eva Noblezada, 27, originated the role of Eurydice, which she played in London and Broadway before completing a four-year commitment in August of 2023.
J. Antonio Rodriguez and Company in Hadestown North American Tour 2023 (Photo by T Charles Erikson)
That two Fil-Am women would be cast as Eurydice in separate productions of Hadestown doesn’t surprise Braganza. “Eurydice was my dream role because she embodies qualities that are present within Filipino culture,” relates the actor, whose credits include a 2019 episode of the HBO series Succession. “Eurydice is also a survivor like many individuals in the Filipino community.”
Rachel Chavkin directed both the Broadway and touring shows. Braganza realizes, “You have more independence when you’re working with a female director. The director let Eva and I put our stamp on the character. We have different interpretations of Eurydice. My take showcases the survivor aspect of the character.”
Braganza lends her voice to 25 songs in the musical score. Her favorite is the opener, “Road to Hell.” She says, “The narrator Hermes (Will Mann) sets the stage for the song with all of the cast present. We are all focused on being present for the art we are about to create.”
Hadestown has been compared to Rent for calling attention to societal ills of their eras. Inspired by Puccini’s tragic opera La Bohème, Rent depicts human agony caused by homelessness, societal neglect and corporate greed during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and ’90s. Braganza says, “Hadestown adapts Greek mythology to address modern themes of immigration, climate change and big business.”
Greek-American comic George Leon shares, “There’s a joke I used to tell about Orpheus and Eurydice… but looking back, it was a bad idea.” Classics majors will get a laugh. Braganza entertains a wider audience as Hadestown dusts 2,500 years of volcanic ash off the Greek myth to bring universal truths back to civilization.
Theatergoers whose eardrums can no longer bear the searing guitars and frenetic distress of Rent will drink in the New Orleans underworld of zydeco vibes and often fun, sometimes foreboding vocals in Hadestown.
Philippine Roots
The Los Angeles run is a homecoming for the Orange County, California native. She was born in nearby Fullerton to Diana Braganza of Cebu and Gil Braganza from Manila. The New York resident says, “I’m super stoked to be back in California. I’ll have fifty family members and friends present at opening night. I’m honored to share the special story of Hadestown with people who helped me become the performer I am today.”
She and older sister, Anika, and younger sister, Adriana, form the singing trio, The Braganza Sisters. The middle sister compares the experiences of performing on a proscenium stage versus a concert stage. “The band is more personal and you have more autonomy without a director or a theater script. I’m blessed to be sharing the experience with my sisters in the band.” She emphasizes, “They’re very special to me.”
Braganza is also in tune with Filipinos outside her orbit. “Hadestown is a very human story that I believe will inspire other people who look like me.”
Acting and Activism
While living in New York, she is earning a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Fordham University. On the surface, a practical college degree might appear superfluous for the rare actor who can support herself with her first love, musical theatre. She finds that perception of her academic studies peculiar because she considers social work more of a calling than a vocation. “I’m drawn to community activism. My Social Work major is a way I can combine art and activism,” she declares. “It’ll be interesting to see how the two professions connect.”
Being a young, veteran actor, Braganza understands, “You have to sustain your energy through self-care because burnout is real.” But her perpetual motion is fueled by more than eight hours of sleep and a nutritious diet. “Hadestown is a special show because it’s a collective experience. Nobody is alone in the story. We have lots of moments when we connect with the audience. It’s rewarding to share a beautiful story.” She adds, “As far as never being tired, I’m constantly aware of what a great privilege it is to be onstage. You feel so lucky to be in the show every day.”
If not for the actors and writers strike, she would be booking television and movie auditions while in Los Angeles. While many fellow stage actors, like Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth and Lea Michele have also achieved stardom on screen, Braganza is presently content to concentrate her efforts on musical theatre. “It’s special to share a moment with the audience in real time. The show depends on the energy the audience. Every show is different because every night is different.”
After seeing Hadestown, Catey Sullivan of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, “Scorching! Stunning! Both unmistakably timely and irresistibly entertaining.” Braganza has faced tougher crowds than newspaper critics.
Braganza at Hadestown rehearsals
I haven’t yet seen her on stage, but we know that a Filipino audience can be demanding. Not just anyone is allowed to hold the karaoke mic at a family gathering. It takes a special talent to be queen of the machine. She must be one of the best balladeers in the Filipino galaxy to risk everything on the Great White Way starting at the tender age of ten. Hadestown is an opportunity to witness the early success of a future superstar.
Braganza is also a good person who should be a source of pride for Filipinos everywhere. She’s still a young adult but has seen and experienced firsthand dramatic shifts in show business.
“I started working professionally in 2012 when I was ten years old. Back then, things were different. All Asians were grouped together. Our individual identities weren’t represented on stage.” And now, “We are definitely seeing a change in the stories being brought out to the world. The industry is starting to showcase the beauty of Filipino culture.”
Show information and tickets are available at the Center Theatre Group website. Visit the Hadestown tour website for upcoming dates in other U.S. cities.
Anthony Maddela acknowledges Peter Goldman of Davidson & Choy Publicity for going beyond Google to identify and reach out to publications like Positively Filipino that exist to highlight news that affect the Filipino community and to introduce us to admirable personalities like Amaya Braganza. Anthony further thanks Diana and Gil Braganza for raising a daughter whose victories are candles for fellow Filipina artists who are finding their way in the darkness of an uncooperative environment. Anthony recently had a recurrence of cancer. As he contemplates his mortality under the photon beams of the radiation machine, he takes solace in introducing the Filipino community to generous souls like Amaya who will be giving back to the community for decades to come.
More articles from Anthony Maddela
