Vino Mabalot and Benedix Ramos alternate in the role of Gabe Goodman in “Next To Normal,” with each actor bringing their own distinct energy to the production.
The first time 24-year-old Vino heard about “Next To Normal” was with the Ateneo Blue Repertory staging in 2020. “Of that cast, there were Davy Narciso, Jam Binay, and Jef Flores,” Vino shared. “All of them are also in this cast. I didn’t know about the musical yet at that time.”
Vino was invited by associate director Mark Dalacat to audition. “I realized when I joined this latest production, ‘Next To Normal’ was really serious, mabigat,” Vino said. “It was an invite-only audition.”
Initially, Vino auditioned for both the characters of Gabe and Henry in November 2023. “I didn’t know about ‘Next To Normal’,” Vino admitted, “so I was more excited than challenged. I was just happy to be doing this new theater project.”
Vino’s journey in theater started at the age of 16, when he played Lucas in “The Addams Family” with Ateneo Blue Repertory. Since then, his theater projects have “snowballed,” leading to more roles in musicals and plays. He has also ventured into TV, appearing in teleseryes such as “Viral Scandal” and “Huwag Kang Mangamba.”
“I’m still part of Star Magic, but I’ve also done straight plays,” Vino shared. “After ‘The Addams Family’, I did ‘Batang Rizal’ for Ateneo Entablado in 2017, followed by ‘Ang Pitong Gunggong’ (2018), another musical by Ateneo Entablado.”
Other notable productions include “Fluid” by Floy Quintos (2014) and “Dekada ’70: Isang Musikal” (2020), his first professional theater experience. Vino also starred in the popular series “Tabing Ilog.”
Despite his growing theater and TV career, Vino remains committed to finishing his college degree at Ateneo de Manila University. “I took up Communications Technology, majoring in Management, but I stopped after my second year. I still plan to finish college. That’s part of my long-term goals,” he said.
Though he’s done theater and TV, Vino is eager to break into film. “I’ve done a few short films, but film and TV are different creative processes. They’re still alien to me,” he explained. He also dreams of tackling Shakespeare’s works, such as Hamlet, though he’s unsure whether he’s ready for such a role yet. “Shakespeare gives a different level of training,” he said.
Vino credits much of his growth to his mentor Ron Capinding, who taught him that “90 percent of acting is clarity — clarity of speaking, gesture, and text.” So far, Vino has applied this principle successfully in his musicals and plays. “If I can say one thing about my performances, it’s that my characters were clear,” he noted. He also looks up to other directors like Jerry Respeto.
While rehearsing for “Next To Normal,” Benedix Ramos had to take a break for a week to shoot a Taiwanese film with a working title that will be released early next year.
The film, shot in English, Tagalog, and Hakka dialect, marks another major milestone in Benedix’s growing career.
Benedix, who is managed by Star Hunt/Star Magic ABS-CBN, is an actor, singer-songwriter, commercial model, host, and content creator. He first gained attention when he joined “Pinoy Big Brother” in 2021. Since then, his career has taken off, with his recent theater credits including “Bar Boys,” “Tabing Ilog” and “Ang Huling El Bimbo.”
When Benedix was first asked to audition for “Next To Normal,” he wasn’t familiar with the musical. He took time to research to prepare for his role as Gabe Goodman. “I didn’t grow up watching theater plays,” Benedix admitted. “I’m from Dagupan, Pangasinan, where there were no plays or theater productions.”
During the pandemic, Benedix was given his first acting role in a Boys’ Love series, directed by Carlo Obispo. “That was when I really started learning about acting,” he said. His mentors, including director Zig Dulay, played a significant role in shaping his craft. “I got to love acting,” Benedix added.
In 2020, Benedix uprooted to Manila and joined “Pinoy Big Brother” (PBB), which he describes as a life-changing experience. “I felt very fortunate to have that PBB opportunity,” he said. “So many doors opened after that. I didn’t expect things to move so fast. I got busy with projects, and after a month, I was cast in my first teleserye, ‘Love in Forty Days’.”
Looking ahead, Benedix dreams of playing the lead role in “Dear Evan Hansen.” “It’s so nice to say that the story revolves around your character,” he said. “That’s one of my dreams.”
