When the groundbreaking STARtista Gallery officially opened its doors inside Star City, visitors marveled at the hyper-realistic statues, but it was legendary prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde who truly brought the exhibition’s origin story to life. During the opening of STARtista gallery, we got the chance to interview the ballet icon and revealed that she wasn’t just a supportive spectator for this project; she was the very first to be scanned for the “grand experiement.” For Macuja-Elizalde, seeing the public enjoy the first-of-its-kind celebrity figure exhibition is the culmination of a deeply personal family journey that began thousands of miles away during a simple vacation.
Recalling the heartwarming moment the concept was born, Macuja-Elizalde shared that the idea came directly from her husband, Star City founder Fred Elizalde, during a visit to the world-famous Madame Tussauds Museum in London. She watched as her husband recognized global stars, but the true inspiration struck when he saw his own family interacting with the exhibits. As Macuja-Elizalde fondly remembers: “He got the idea during one of our trips to London where we went to the Madame Tussauds Museum, and then, he saw all of the artistas there: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, all of the artistas and he recognized a lot of them. Nakita niya kami ng anak ko nagpapa-picture with the wax figures, so he said, ‘let’s do something like that in Star City.'”
Bringing her husband’s ambitious vision to life meant launching a high-tech venture, and Macuja-Elizalde proudly stepped up as the project’s ultimate test subject. The technological undertaking required a meticulous blend of traditional hand-sculpting, dynamic video displays, and state-of-the-art, precision 3D scanning. Macuja-Elizalde shed light on the intense, and sometimes bizarre, trial-and-error process it took to get the methodology right: “I was one of the first, I think, in fact I was the first one who was scanned for the grand experiment. I had to stand really still and then, they scanned me from head to toe. I didn’t really know what it was doing, and then I saw the first prototype, it was so surreal kasi nga, nakita ko ‘yung ulo ko nasa plato. So, there were a lot of experimenting that went on before talagang na-finalize ‘yung process.”
Thanks to Macuja-Elizalde’s pioneering efforts, the resulting STARtista Gallery now stands as a world-class, highly detailed attraction accessible to all Star City park-goers at no additional cost, as entry is fully included with regular admission. The diverse opening lineup features prominent leaders and actors such as Isko Moreno, Richard Gomez, and Imee Marcos, alongside legendary sports icons like Efren “Bata” Reyes, Django Bustamante, and Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz. Entertainment lovers can also get up close with beloved screen personalities including Michael V., Paolo Contis, Angel Aquino, Rhian Ramos, Rica Peralejo, Ruffa Gutierrez, Gladys Reyes, Ara Mina, Diana Zubiri, Maui Taylor, Ashtine Olviga, Wilbert Ross, Bea Binene, and Michael Flores.
Looking ahead, Macuja-Elizalde and the Star City team are far from finished, with an exciting expansion already underway to bring even more Filipino icons to the gallery floor. Production is officially in the works for statues honoring the late, legendary Comedy King Dolphy as well as beloved comedian Bayani Agbayani. For Macuja-Elizalde, the exhibit is a proud celebration of homegrown talent and a beautiful reminder of how a fleeting family vacation moment transformed into a permanent, interactive space where local fans can finally stand side-by-side with the stars they admire.
Watch our interview with Lisa Macuja-Elizalde: