{"id":3323,"date":"2014-03-03T22:28:51","date_gmt":"2014-03-03T14:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=3323"},"modified":"2014-04-05T19:48:17","modified_gmt":"2014-04-05T11:48:17","slug":"fil-am-robert-lopez-becomes-12th-member-of-elite-egot-circle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/03\/03\/fil-am-robert-lopez-becomes-12th-member-of-elite-egot-circle\/","title":{"rendered":"Fil-Am Robert Lopez becomes 12th member of elite \u2018EGOT\u2019 circle"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The Lopezes accepting their first Academy Award. Screengrab from YouTube<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

An Emmy, a Grammy, a Tony, and on Sunday night\u2014an Oscar.<\/p>\n

Filipino-American songwriter Robert Lopez became the 12th<\/sup> member of the elite \u2018EGOT\u2019 circle after winning the best original song award for \u201cLet It Go\u201d from the blockbuster film \u201cFrozen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lopez now belongs to the ranks of Audrey Hepburn, Richard Rodgers, Mel Brooks, Helen Hayes, and John Gielgud\u2014all of which have received an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony or simply an \u201cEGOT.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pinoy Pride<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cPinoy pride!\u201d Robert said in a backstage interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer after he won the Oscar over music industry big names like U2, Karen O, Spike Jonze, and Pharrell Williams.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so excited. I\u2019m just sending love to the Philippines. I know they\u2019ve had a tough year\u2026\u201d Lopez said, being the first Fil-Am to win an Oscar award.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are doing a concert for the Philippines. I believe it\u2019s March 12th in New York City. A benefit [concert], and [we will] probably be singing something from \u2018Frozen\u2019,\u201d Robert\u2019s wife and co-writer Kristen Lopez said.<\/p>\n

When asked about the husband and wife\u2019s creative process, Kristen shared, \u201cWe both perform all the songs that we write\u2026 We create a demo in our tiny little studio, and then we play them for the directors and John Lasseter. John played the demo that had me singing \u2018Let It Go\u2019 in his car for months and months.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee directed the movie and John Lasseter is Disney\u2019s chief creative officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really thought of our kids when we were writing. We have two girls, just like Elsa and Anna, and we wanted to write a song that would instill in them the idea that shame and fear should not prevent them from being the magical people that they really are,\u201d Robert said.<\/p>\n

The couple dedicated their Academy Award to their two daughters, Katie and Annie.<\/p>\n

Anna and Elsa are the two main characters in \u201cFrozen,\u201d which has become a worldwide sensation with over $1 billion in ticket sales. The soundtrack of the movie itself has gained equal popularity as well\u2014true to Disney form.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t really comprehend something like that,\u201d Kristen shared. \u201cWe wrote this song to tell a story. And we love musical stories, and you don\u2019t imagine that it will spread this far. But every single day on my Facebook or on my Twitter, I get some kind of testimonial from somebody who says \u2018this song kept me from committing suicide,\u2019 or \u2018this song got me through the cancer treatment for my kids\u2019 and that is just so meaningful to us that our song can go and give hugs to people like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple gave thanks to John Lasseter in their acceptance speech and even sang \u201cHappy Oscars to you. Let\u2019s do \u2018Frozen 2.\u201d to the tune of the birthday song.<\/p>\n

The motion picture\u2019s staggering success will now be tested on the Broadway stage, which brings Roberts and Kristen new waves of excitement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very excited to get started on the stage version. It will, by necessity, have more songs than the movie, so we can\u2019t wait to reimagine it,\u201d Robert pointed out.<\/p>\n

Prior to the success of \u201cFrozen,\u201d already has two Daytime Emmys (for \u201cThe Wonder pets\u201d), a Grammy (best musical theater album for \u201cThe Book of Mormon: Original Broadway Cast Recording\u201d), and two Tony Awards (original score for \u201cAvenue Q\u201d and \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d) under his belt.<\/p>\n

Robert shared the credit with his \u201camazingly talented collaborators,\u201d including his wife Kristen, \u201cwho has been in the background all of my work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, a Williams College alumnus, collaborated with her husband Robert, actress and singer\/songwriter Zooey Deschanel, and Henry Jackman for the film \u201cWinnie the Pooh\u201d whose songs were nominated in the Annie Awards.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tracing Roots<\/b><\/p>\n

Robert was an English major from Yale University. Now, he uses his skills to create worded art to the tune of various accompaniments. But his story is much more than that.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy story is interesting because my father (Frank), who was part-Filipino, was born on a ship on the way to the United States from Manila,\u201d Robert shared with the Philippine Daily Inquirer prior to his Oscar win.<\/p>\n

The ship Robert was talking about was reportedly the last GI ship that left Manila after World War II.<\/p>\n

Kristen shared, \u201cHis father\u2019s certificate had longitude and latitude on it, not a place but a spot in the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a long story\u2014she had divorced her husband and was trying to meet her father,\u201d Robert said about her grandmother. \u201cIt must have been a crazy trip for (her).\u201d<\/p>\n

Kristen also pointed out that at the time Robert\u2019s grandmother was taking care of a two-year-old child.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was a spark plug, a firecracker,\u201d Robert said about his grandma, who passed away while the couple was writing songs for \u201cFrozen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it was a sad moment,\u201d Robert said. \u201cWe had to stop work. We went up and stayed for the funeral. She was a wonderful woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an epic story that would really tie into \u2018Let It Go\u2019 a little bit. It was like leaving her past behind and going toward a place where she could use her power \u2026 \u2018Let It Go,\u2019 which we wrote in a day \u2026 became the cornerstone of the movie,\u201d Kristen shared.<\/p>\n

Robert almost visited the Philippines when \u201cAvenue Q,\u201d his Tony Award-winning masterpiece, premiered in the Philippines. But the birth of his masterpiece coincided with the birth another great creation\u2014his second daughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never got to see (Avenue Q) there\u2026 At the time that the show was being done in the Philippines, we had our second daughter,\u201d Robert said.<\/p>\n

Hazel Anne Raymundo, a Filipino-American thespian, appeared in \u201cAvenue Q.\u201d<\/p>\n

To keep in touch with his Filipino heritage, Robert and his family live in a Filipino-American community in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of connection with the Filipino-American organizations in New York,\u201d Robert said. \u201cI\u2019m connected with the artistic community. It\u2019s a musical culture. I feel like there\u2019s got to be something in there that came to me, even though neither my mom (Katherine) nor my dad are particularly musical. But I have so many Filipino friends who are amazing singers, writers and composers.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Truly the \u201cplace where dreams come true\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Robert and Kristen met in Disneyland, which is a testament to the theme park\u2019s slogan: \u201cThe place where dreams come true.\u201d<\/p>\n

They first met when they both collaborated for the Disney live show \u201cFinding Nemo: The Musical\u201d at Disney\u2019s Animal Kingdom.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman met in the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, which is for aspiring songwriters\u2014where you can learn your craft and try out songs for an audience. That\u2019s where we met, too, and started dating,\u201d Robert mused.<\/p>\n

Kristen, on the other hand, gave a more interesting version of how they first met.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was actually doing his first song for \u2018Avenue Q\u2019 in a concert (during the workshop),\u201d she smiled. \u201cHe had gotten hurt. He\u2019d been bitten by the dog of (his \u2018Avenue Q\u2019) songwriter-partner Jeff Marx\u2019s boyfriend. So he couldn\u2019t play. He was wearing a red yarn wig. He came out and sang a song called, \u2018Tear It Up and Throw It Away.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about Robert\u2019s Filipino side that Kristen liked the most, the wife almost blushed after saying, \u201cOh my gosh, don\u2019t get me started on his sexy Filipino\u2026 What is wonderful about Bobby is, because he\u2019s part-Filipino, he\u2019s always been trying to figure out who he is, what his place is. That\u2019s where his art comes from. He\u2019s attracted to characters who aren\u2019t sure where they belong. That\u2019s a wonderful place to create art from, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple is currently busy with their new musical, \u201cUp Here,\u201d which will premiere summer 2014. Robert described \u201cUp Here\u201d as \u201ckind of like \u2018Annie Hall\u2019 meets Cirque du Soleil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex Timbers, who also produced the David Byrne musical about Imelda Marcos \u201cHere Lies Love,\u201d will direct the couple\u2019s summer musical.<\/p>\n

With report from Kristine Sabillo, INQUIRER.net<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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