After starring in many series and movies as the villain or kontrabida for decades, it’s surprising to see an award-winning actress in a musical film portray a goody-goody character, not the one being beaten up.
“Ito ay pampamilya na inaalay namin lalo na sa panahon ngayon na maraming bagay na hindi kasing ayon pagdating sa pamilya,” writer Mario Alaman shares.
“It’s a family drama with a lot of songs. I enjoyed shooting the film with Gladys and the rest of the cast,” director Paolo Bertola said as he greeted the audience.
“Ako, personally, fan ako ng The Sound of Music. When it was offered to me, sabi ko kakaiba,” shares The Heart of Music star Gladys Reyes.
“The Heart of Music” follows the story of the fun-loving, curly-haired Yaya Madonna, a breadwinner who was orphaned by her mother. After being scammed by an illegal recruiter, she pretends to have gone abroad so her father (played by PJ Abellana) won’t worry. She is eventually forced to work as a nanny for the eight children of the couple Diana (Isay Alvarez) and Frank Riviera (Robert Seña). This is where the story’s many twists and turns begin to unfold.
Gladys shares that ‘The Heart of Music’ is a dream come true. Was there any pressure that she get to sing along with veteran singers like Robert Seña and Isay Alvarez?
“Siyempre. Kaya nga sabi ko, before I did the movie, gumawa ako ng assignment ko. Nag-take up ako ng voice lessons, even piano lessons, hindi naman sobrang na-highlight sa movie pero siyempre nahihiya ako kanila Isay and Robert, sila kasi talaga ‘yung, sabi ko nga, formidable duo in the music industry. Gusto ko din naman ipakita na kahit papaano ibibigay ko ‘yung best ko dito. So, ‘yun ang ginawa kong preparation na sisuguraduhin ko at alam ninyo naman na mahilig talaga akong kumanta, sa karaoke. I’m not a professional singer but I really love to sing sa karaoke and that’s my stress reliever. Kaya nga when it was offered to me, sobrang saya ko na, wow, binigyan pa ako, at this point, to do a musical.”
When asked about a line in the film, “mahirap maging ina,” Gladys answers, “mahirap na masarap. Mahirap dahil, ako nga not just one, not just two, but four kids. Ang consuelo dun, nakikita mo na napapalaki ninyo sila nang maayos katuwang ang aking asawa. Ang pagiging isang ina ay, dun mo talaga masasabi ‘yung love na hindi ka naghihintay ng kapalit, basta bigay ka lang nang bigay.”
Gladys jokes, as ‘The Heart of Music’ is a musical, will beat the ongoing Hollywood musical, ‘Wicked For Good,’ “Actually, parang ang dinig ko nga, medyo na-stress si Ariana.”
‘The Heart of Music’ opens in Philippine cinemas on December 10, 2025. Rated PG by the MTRCB.
Watch our coverage of the Q&A below: