Actor Chinggoy Alonzo, 67
VETERAN stage and screen actor Ramon “Chinggoy” Alonzo succumbed to colon cancer on Sunday at the age of 67.
Mr. Alonzo’s manager, Shirley Kwan, confirmed his passing at 11:30 p.m. at the Chinese General Hospital in Manila, as reported by ABS-CBN’s Mario Dumaual.
Known for his long and stellar stint in the country’s theater industry – where he worked not only as an actor but also as a director, playwright, and producer, he was considered one of Repertory Philippines’ “Originals,” according to a post by theater actor/producer Audie L. Gemora.
“[He was] an exemplary thespian who paved the way for many of us who followed the path of the Great White Way,” Mr. Gemora said in a Facebook post on Monday night.
“Love to Veda… Ralion, Altair and Mako. Keep carrying his torch!” he added. Mr. Alonzo was married to ballet dancer and choreographer Veda Banez with whom he has three sons – Ralion, Altair and Mako – who has followed his footsteps into the theater.
Included in his long list of credits in Repertory Philippines was playing Capt. Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, the King of Siam in The King and I, and Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, among many others.
He most recently worked with the theater company in its 2014 production of A Christmas Carol, playing the lead Ebenezer Scrooge.
Mr. Alonzo honored by the Aliw Award in 1977 when it named him Best Actor, and he received the Karilagan Award for Best Performer/Director for three straight years, from 1974 to 1977.
Aside from being considered an institution in the local theater scene, Mr. Alonzo also crossed over to television, playing Don Xeman Monteclaro in GMA Network’s Anna Karenina in 1996. He also played Lauro Calma in the 2006 ABS-CBN small screen adaptation of Emmanuel “Maning” Borlaza’s Bituing Walang Ningning.
His most recent television stint was in ABS-CBN’s popular series, Wildflower, where he played Senator Pablo Alcantara.
He also worked in film, debuting in Frank Gray, Jr.’s 1979 movie Buhay Artista Ngayon which starred Rodolfo “Dolphy” Vera Quizon, Sr. and Vilma Santos Recto.
In 1996, his work in Ikaw Naman ang Iiyak garnered him a Filipino Academy of Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
His most recent film role was in Star Cinema’s 2015 film Etiquette for Mistresses, directed by Chito Roño.
Theater director/playwright Frank G. Rivera took to Facebook and posted a poem for Mr. Alonzo where he detailed that he will miss his “articulation” and his role as Prof. Higgins in My Fair Lady.
“Chinggoy, you bring with you an era
of shutting up when there is
nothing good to say…
You bring with you your smile.
And I will miss that.
Too bad, I am not smiling now…” said Mr. Rivera in his post. – Z.B. Chua
