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Despite the fame, Jojo Dela Cerna (Jovy Adlawan in real life) answers the questions straightforward without much fanfare: direct, precise, and deductive. He recalls the past events as if they were just yesterday.

He grew up in Bansalan, Davao del Sur – where most people know him as Jojo Adlawan – and came to Manila as “gamble in terms of a singing career in show business.” This was between 1991 and 1994.

In 1995, he joined the queue of countless hopefuls for Miss Saigon casting. “I got recalled consistently but never got lucky to be in the finals to be sent over to the next destination either to Germany or Australia,” he says now, “it was extremely frustrating. I thought it was because of my accent, or not being good enough.”

He said he only applied for the ensemble part at first. “I found out the choreography combination was too difficult at that time, but when I got to sing I was continuously moved forward to the next lot of recalled hopefuls.”

He was applying for the role of Thuy, the villain of the show who was shot by Kim – the play’s lead character. “I was auditioning for (the part) predominantly because of my age; at that time I was matched to be Kim’s cousin for the casting. The part also suited my vocal range, singing high notes on the stage while harassing Kim with the knife protecting her son Tam.”

Thuy’s casting notes read: “Strong willed, aggressive, and militaristic. Intensely patriotic and anti-American. Strong vocal and dramatic ability required.”

The description fitted Dela Cerna perfectly.

“I was offered the contract to perform Thuy in London’s West End while in Manila, and by the end of the week my batch were on the flight to London,” he recalled. “(There was) no time for goodbyes with my family in Davao – that’s how urgent the new cast was needed in London at that time.”

The rest was history.

“Rehearsal was a hectic schedule and no chance to be late whatever happens in the London underground tube,” he said. “I was performing the role of Thuy for a year. Due to restructuring, I also did the Ensemble for almost a year, then went back on performing Thuy for the next two years until it finally closed, which bought me time to be granted residency in the United Kingdom then into British Citizenship in the year 2000.”

Dela Cerna wasn’t able to perform with Lea Salonga at the West End because she was already doing the production on Broadway in New York. But he had an opportunity of working with her and other original cast at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in the Shonberg and Boublil Concert (the music and lyric creators of Miss Saigon, respectively).

“It was a nerve-wracking experience to be performing alongside the originals of Miss Saigon in that concert, an incredible experience,” he says, adding that he joined the second half of Miss Saigon until its final curtain in 1999 in the West End.

During one of his performances, he saw Spanish actor Antonio Banderas together with his wife, American actress Melanie Griffiths watching the play. After the show, he had an opportunity to meet the two famous Hollywood thespians.

“(Antonio) particularly recognized every character of the show while Melanie couldn’t stop crying while carrying the little Tam of the show in appreciation,” he recalls of the memorable moment.

Another memorable moment was during the final reprise of Miss Saigon in 1999. “I felt in my bones to be truly part of this historic musical event that changed the lives of so many Filipino artists around the world,” he says.  “We reprised the music highlights of the show with the original Kim, Lea Salonga and original Engineer, Jonathan Pryce, while producer Cameron Mackintosh and music producers were in the levitating car during the American Dream as the culmination finale – a momentous event I will never forget as closing of an era.”

That closing paved a way for a new opportunity for Dela Cerna to perform the role of Luntha, the tragic lover of Tuptim in The King and I, in subsequent years of touring around the United Kingdom.

“(Luntha) was memorable not just to sing the beautiful duets by Rodgers and Hammerstein classics but I remembered almost being naked on stage while wearing the traditional Thai half made style costume and the monks robe while sporting a clean shaved head for the duration of the contract,” he recalls.

There were several other unforgettable roles. He played Emperor Abe on Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures, which was staged in Leicester Haymarket Theatre. Another notable emperor role was in the Christmas pantomime called Aladdin (in Wimbledon Theatre and Orchard Theatre).

In between those plays, he had the opportunity of working with famous stage thespians like Jason Scott Lee (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and Mulan), Stefanie Powers (Hart to Hart), Elaine Paige (Cats, Evita, and Sunset Boulevard), and Brian Conley. “I worked with European and American actors, mostly in the lead,” he says.

Doing stage plays while touring is no bed of roses. “Touring was fun at first but very taxing for a long time; (there was) no sense of settlement as you need to be ready yet again in the next two weeks to the next theatre of destination. Regardless of what the British weather brings while travelling to the next town or city, you are expected to be on top of the form once on stage with no second take for consideration being a theatre performer.”

Being in a Western country, where most people are white, he considered himself one of the lucky ones. “There were limited roles for Asians in the West End,” he admits. “You are lucky to be chosen among the top of every agent already experienced and well-connected in the business to get the part.  I’m also short in height to be partnered with a much taller counterpart, which was a hindrance in castings at times, but thanks to height increase shoes which proves to make the difference.”

In between those appearances on stage, he released his self-titled album, “Trust the Wind” by David Friedman with Nathan Martin as musical director. He also performed in cabaret acts in the West End cabaret circuits with appearances at the Mountbatten Hotel Lounge; the Jermyn Street Theatre and the Talk of London as well as corporate and private functions within the Filipino community in the UK.

“After I recorded my signature record, and did some West End cabarets I felt I was fulfilled on a personal level,” he says. “Perhaps I was wondering about stability as I thought Asian roles were limited even though I had two very promising agents back then.”

What if the stage roles and singing commitments stop coming, what would happen to him? “I wanted something to fall back on when I’m not doing any show anymore, so I enrolled in some courses online to get some merits on top of my college degree back in Davao (author’s note: he graduated at the Ateneo de Davao University with Bachelor of Arts in Communication), which was not enough to compare the level of qualification in the UK. 

“I went to the extent of enrolling in a Counselling and Psychotherapy course as I thought it would be beneficial if I work in the private patients sector of the National Health Service (NHS) where Filipino nurses are hired to work in the UK,” he says.

When asked how he was able to survive for so long in another country, Dela Cerna replies, “Experience makes you even more confident despite the hurdles of finding a job in another country. I never wasted time to jump start for stability quite early when I started in 2005 to diversify and branch out into something different to prove my self-worth with survival instinct. Social integration is also very important in my experience particularly that the UK is a multi-cultural society with teeming diversity.

On his future plans, he says, “I feel the stability of what I do currently, with several possibilities to look out for and try to achieve. I am now in my early fifties and truly grateful for everything in my career so far including my personal life.

Text by Henrylito D. Tacio and photographs by Jojo Dela Cerna