Behind the Curtains: The Jhett Tolentino Story

Award-winning producer Jhett Tolentino, exclusive on PCI (PCI Entertainment)

Hamilton. The Lion King. The Phantom of the Opera. These are only some of the most notable stories presented in the Broadway theater stages. Circles of laughter were heard, tears of sorrow were shed, eyes sparkled with wonder, and teeth were grit out of anger – these different emotions and reactions were emitted by the audience as each unique story and performance unfolded.

However, who knew that a Filipino producer in the world of Broadway, has an intriguing true to life story that can also make strangers’ lips stretch ear to ear, eyes water upon internal realizations, and hearts ache for the reality of life?

Here at Philippine Canadian Inquirer (PCI) it is time to center the limelight on Tony and Grammy award-winning producer, Jhett Tolentino.

First Act: The never-a-problem-kid

Perhaps like the start of a new drama series on television for people to look forward to, even Jhett’s entry to the world, seemed extraordinary.

When Jhett’s mom’s water broke during her pregnancy labor in the 70s, she was at home not in a hospital. And instead of feeling unexplainable tensions of pain, Jhett’s narration said that no, she did not feel any.

It may seem like a funny story, but for him, it gave him a deeper sense of being.

“So that’s why I’m named Jhett – I came out straight [like a jet].”

“I live to that everyday. I have to measure up to my name.”

For someone young, this is perhaps quite a tough responsibility, but growing up in his early years, Jhett somehow had this mentality set already without anybody demanding him to. As early as the age of five or six, he was already able to notice their social standing.

“Growing up with hardly any toys, I remember this… climbing our guava tree just to watch our neighbor play with their toys. But I didn’t blame my parents because I knew they can’t provide. So as the youngest of four, I also observed how my older siblings kinda handle it.”

Having the youngest pair of eyes in the family, Jhett really became a keen observer.

“People would think that the youngest would be the spoiled one. I was never the spoiled one.”

And this was an important aspect of his personality as the award-winning Broadway producer did not only see poverty, but experienced poverty in his early life in Iloilo.

“We do not have any toilets… no running water. [We lived in] that kind of slum.”

Jhett’s dad was a passenger jeepney driver while his mom worked at the beauty salon.

“So my mom would pile up the coins from my dad from the day’s work and she would divide it to the four of us. Most likely than not, it wasn’t enough because first, she would pay the food for the day because we would get it on credit… ‘yung mga naglalako (from those who go around selling food). That’s how we survived.”

He narrated that whatever ends up as excess would be the baon of everyone. This was how Jhett described how life presented itself to him from his memories as a kid.

And as the not-a-problem kind of kid, he knew that he did not need to take things personally. Despite early on facing these hardships, he did not get mad at anyone, he did not get mad at the world.

“I just felt that I had to find a solution rather than rebel against them (my parents) or blame the world why my friend has rich parents… something like that. I didn’t go that way. I wanted to become part of the solution, not of the problem.”

He said that though the ambition to work harder was introduced in his life through material stuff, he still never forced getting those from his parents. Sure, there was disappointment but he got over it.

And as the youngest, being able to determine their current state is probably what made him go big. After all, he witnessed how hard his parents worked for their family.

“When it was my turn to graduate in elementary, my parents told me to wait for my siblings to finish college, so they can pay for my high school education. And that’s when it hit me, I was like oh my god. What if they won’t make it? What am I gonna do? That’s why I looked for scholarships.”

Jhett shared a fear of wasting time developed in him. He knew his capacity back then. He was not the top of the class, but he knew that he was smart. He described himself as someone who is always in the middle of the pack.

“I was an average student, just in the middle… surviving. I would just get Most Punctual, Most Neat or Clean, Most Well Behaved – I’m that kind of kid. I’m not the Most Diligent or the Honorable Mention. I wasn’t an honor student.”

This might have been his case, but Jhett strived hard not to maximize his skills for self-interest but to help his family end living in the slums.

His undergraduate studies were also funded by Meguko Society, the organization that granted his high school scholarship. Originally, Jhett wanted to take a Tourism degree but it was not available in Iloilo back then.

He then took up an Accountancy degree and immediately sought for job opportunities after graduation.

A couple of years later, he worked in Hong Kong as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW). But finding home abroad did not end in Hong Kong as he migrated to the United States (US) in 2002.

Jhett shared that he had a lot of “odd jobs” most likely referring to different positions that had nothing to do with his educational degree.

“I had different odd jobs. I was in sales and marketing; I did mortgage; I did home care; I did waitering. I’ve done it all. I’ve worked in a grocery store; I bagged groceries; I’ve done it all,” this was Jhett’s narration in an ABS-CBN interview back in 2015.

He elaborated to PCI that at the age 23, he made his parents retire from their respective jobs.

Jhett had sales and advertising jobs, as well as mortgage jobs. He also jumped to taking jobs such as being a waiter and a grocery bag packer.

“At whatever cost, I just wanted to give them the life they deserve, they never thought they could have. I saw them, I witnessed how they worked so hard, providing for four children. They didn’t finish college themselves. That was my goal – at whatever cost, I just wanted to give them a proper life they deserved.”

Also at the age of 23, Jhett had his own house built.

“My mom… her joy, I can’t forget it for the rest of my life… when she had to sleep on a mattress for the first time.”

Jhett recalled how priceless that moment was when he provided an airconditioned room for his parents. He emphasized on a house that had running water and a toilet – that was what really lacked in their lives in the slums. He also made sure to get an oven as he said that his mom loved to bake and is a great cook.

“The only thing if I can turn back the hands of time, I would have wanted for her to have her first airplane ride. That didn’t happen.”

According to his story, his mom passed away due to cancer. She was unable to witness his success in Broadway.

His mom’s story was also like one of those stories families get to watch on television.

“At her last days, I looked for her siblings that she didn’t see for 25 years. So instead of me coming home to the Philippines, I looked for her siblings and her mom because they were scattered all over Laguna. They grew up in Sorsogon, in Bicol regions, so I had to find them and fly them. There were eight of them [that] flew to Iloilo and spent the last three weeks with her.”

“She died happy, that I could tell you.”

Jhett was able to wrap his poverty days by not forgetting it, but using it as a motivation to strive hard in life.

Second Act: The self-made critique turned producer

For someone who did not take any film or theater degree, and for someone who did not like theater before, no one really saw it coming that Jhett would be where he is now.

“At 2004… in between, because I didn’t have friends and family there [in the US], I found theater.”

Jhett considered theater as an outlet to keep his sanity intact. While New York is known as one of the busiest cities in the world, he knew very well that this concrete jungle can be a lot of things and it can be tough for someone like him who is not from there.

“If you want to be called a New Yorker, you need to call for three things: you gotta have an accountant, a lawyer, and a shrink. So for me, my shrink is theater.”

But the spark for theater did not specifically start in his life in the US. He saw Miss Saigon back in 2000, which was Lea Salonga’s last performance. Jhett shared that just because it was the last, he had to fly to Manila to go see it, and while it was out of curiosity, it changed his life.

This curiosity continued to grow as he started getting thoughts of wonder on how theater is done where there are live people performing on stage, costumes wrapping around their bodies, set pieces moving with the story, and so much more that it blew him away.

“When I got to New York, it reminded me of the experience. So I started watching and going to the theater.”

What started as mere curiosity soon became like a vice to Jhett’s system.

“I would go [watch] three to five… and it was my only, maybe vice? You know I never resorted to drugs or alcohol so it was only the theater. So three to five shows a week, and my record by the way in seeing shows is five shows in one day.”

His free day’s 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. would be occupied with theater-going.

Using theater as some sort of vice and some form of therapy, without realizing, Jhett just became jaded after watching more than a thousand Broadway shows.

“After having those experiences, when I see a show, I would challenge myself. I’d sit down and I would guess who designed the lighting, costume, and the sound. Even the setting.”

“During that course, I met a couple of theater-goers and we would deliberate. After the show, we would sit at a restaurant or a bar, then we would brainstorm.”

Jhett appreciated the discussions that happened after show. He felt like he was in an exclusive club having all those brainstorming with what he said were the “theater intelligentsia of New York.”

About five years of seeing different theatrical shows, somehow passion influenced Jhett to continue talking and discussing some suggestions for better approaches on the different aspects of a show. The other theater-goers he met were also “fed-up” and suggested for him to start writing about his opinions.

These events led to the birth of “It’s all about theater” – Jhett’s blog.

Just as he considered it as a form of a shrink, he knew how much theater-going cost money. It also cost time as a show takes three hours. This is why he considered his blog as a form of education to the paying public. It was some sort of advocacy that promotes the quality of shows that should be worth the time and money.

A year later, Jhett found himself invited by the people from the Broadway world.

“So I went to the invitations of being in the previous workshops, presentations, and even opening lights. And I was like oh my god, what was happening? I don’t know how to pay for my tickets. Dressed up to the nines, I went to these parties to these events only to meet those people that I panned in my reviews.”

Briefly remembering the feeling, Jhett chose to compare it to taking a cold shower to prepare for the Simbang Gabi really early in the morning.

“Mind you, I was like… where is Harry Potter? I want to borrow his cloak. I just wanted to be invisible,” he shared laughing and eyes widening at the memory.

“First of all, I didn’t know they would find me. Who would give a rats on this teeny-tiny block?”

This was Jhett’s question as the invitations kept on coming to him.

Somewhere along the way, the continuous invites gave him phobia that made him stop writing for about four months.

“I didn’t do it to be feared… it was just for a small group of theater-goers who are trying to find good deals, to find shows that’s worthy of their hard-earned money.”

Jhett stressed that he was not trained for it, especially at such time where blogging was just starting. Some readers even messaged him, sending him shows and asking if they should see it.

The producer said that he did not want to write and did not want people to read his opinions.

“I didn’t care who they were. I just didn’t care. I think I educated myself enough having seen almost a thousand shows. You can imagine how many hours that is and how much money. I don’t have to say that I was in a pretty good position or authority to say my thoughts.”

However, it was still a difficulty for Jhett because after meeting the people of Broadway, he found out that some shows did not close because of his writings. He insisted though that he was not the major reason, yet this was enough to tap on his consciousness.

While he stopped writing, the curtains of theater were definitely not closing for Jhett.

Third Act: The only Filipino Tony and Grammy awardee

Fast forward to now, Jhett Tolentino is not someone known to be that not-a-problem kid. Nor is he know to be that blogger behind “It’s all about theater.”

Jhett became a worldwide hot topic after he got not just one but three Tony awards with the shows he produced. He is the second Filipino to bag the award with Lea Salonga being the first one to receive it.

However, he is the only person to get three from the prestigious awarding body, after he got two Tonys on his second win. The recognition does not end here as just last year, Jhett also bagged a Grammy award.

While Jhett did not study any course on theater, watching more than a thousand Broadway shows built him. The writer in him that recommended different approaches on the shows he watched, now got the chance to apply these suggestions through producing.

“A producer could be a lot of things, but mainly, the job of a producer is to put things together. He’s like the engineer of everything.”

Perhaps, after witnessing different productions, he started to get an idea on the formula.

“I’ve seen enough for me to somewhat… guess. It’s a calculated guess I’m not saying that I have the crystal ball.”

Jhett emphasizes, though, the world of Broadway is heavily a box office-driven kind of business. According to him, out of 45 Broadway shows in a year, only 20 percent will make it to recoupment and half of it will get profit.

Though the different stories that unfolded before his very own eyes guided him, he still maintains that no one in the industry is a god in knowing everything.

Jhett is also the only Filipino Broadway producer and all of these blessings coming his way did not happen overnight.

“I earned it. It was not handed over at all.”

“I was born in the slums. So I didn’t go to the United States and somebody gave me a million dollars – even ten thousand dollars. That didn’t happen. I operated on my credibility and on how I thought a certain production should go or should be presented.”

Final Act: Concluding lines

It was indeed a from rags to riches type of story when it comes to Jhett’s life.

Before the audience claps at this magnificent reality of hard work paying off, the award-winning Broadway producer has a few words.

“Never assume. Never misrepresent yourself.”

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions, because actually in your most vulnerable times, that’s when you value all the other people.”

For Jhett, who is still a Filipino in his heart, body, and soul, he is a bit torn as though the Philippines is his home, he considers the US and theater as also his home.

However, as he has established his name in the world of Broadway, the international arena of theater, he said that his homeland’s call has been getting louder and louder.

“Hey, what can you do for us? Where can you bring us? So I’m listening.”

Jhett says that he does not have the money, but what he has is himself and the connections he built through the years.

He plans on producing Filipino stories, but putting Hollywood around these stories. Whatever is in store for the public’s eyes in connection to this, is something to anticipate for. But for now, Jhett will continue to work on it.

“That’s what I love about art. We can express about anything we want.”

For someone who has garnered international awards from two prestigious award-giving bodies for his craft, and for someone who has watched over a thousand Broadway shows, can something still move someone like Jhett?

This question is answered as he shares to the world his story and how he got to where is now through his documentary “Life is what you make it.” And when it was shown in the Philippines last July, he confessed that he woke up emotional.

“Philippines is probably the sixth country that my documentary would be screened. It already won in Venezuela for Best Documentary and Best Script, it was a finalist in India, and it won Best Documentary in Thailand.”

But form some reason, the thought that his film will penetrate Philippine cinema dawned on him.

“I grew up here. I watched all those films since I was in elementary school and I just could not believe I am officially becoming a part of the industry.”

As the curtains close and the lights come back, the audience will not only clap for the shows on stage, but for the reality that happened behind the curtains.