When I first witnessed Two-time Tony nominee Eva Noblezada in Hadestown, I became Orpherus—smitten with her portrayal of Eurydice. Her mezzo-soprano voice is enchanting, filling the room with light and warmth. Her artistic prowess, Mexican-Filipina American roots and trademark chin length brunette-turned-blonde hair also add to the iconic image that is Noblezada. Born in San Diego, California, this 26-year-old is a triple threat who has the world in her palms.
Most recently, she wrote and performed in her one-woman show Notalgia, A Love Letter to NYC. The show is “an intimate evening of songs and storytelling-celebrating everything that is so maddening and magical about our beloved city. Debuting new music and personal reflections live for the very first time.” Noblezada uses the show as “an invitation to be transported” by her “powerful vocals and a call to surrender, just for a moment, to your own sense of wonder and nostalgia.”
Below are five places where you can catch Noblezada’s work:
- Hadestown
Officially the longest-running show at Walter Kerr theater, Noblezada stars as Eurydice: the love interest of the (naïve) character Oprheus. I had the pleasure of seeing the show Fall 2022 in New York City and was blown away by the set design, lyrics, and of course—Noblezadas performance. Noblezada’s singing filled the room like a warm, reverberating gale, and her disheveled, sassy Eurydice was heartbreaking, charming, and sweet all at once.
She croons jazzy, bluesy tunes written by Anaïs’ Mitchell “Wait For Me”, “Wedding Song”, and “Come Home With Me” are some of the many notable songs from the show—the kind of tunes you can’t stop singing on your way home. This musical myth retelling captivates audiences of all ages and is certainly worth seeing. Co-starring with her as Reeve Carney; the two are dating in real life and their chemistry is palpable. Noblezada and Carney met in rehearsals for the show and announced they were dating shortly around 2019.
According to Hadestown creator Mitchell’s website, the show is a “sung-through musical based on Greek mythology.” It took Mitchell more than a dozen years to finish. “Hadestown has evolved from a DIY community theater project in Vermont to a studio album and live concert tour, to pre-Broadway productions in New York, Edmonton, and London, to its current home on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre.” In Hadestown, Noblezada has starred alongside the likes of Tony Award winner André De Shields and Tony Award nominee Patrick Page. Grace Yoo, who plays one of The Fates, is also a fun addition as I had seen her previously in Los Angeles at East West Players starring in Mama Mia.
The show runs for 2 hours and 30 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.
- Yellow Rose
Diane Paragas’ film stars Noblezada as Rose Garcia, an undocumented Filipino-American with a passion for country music. The film grabbed my heartstrings and never let go in the first fifteen minutes—without spoiling too much, I’ll just say the mother-daughter dynamic is everything. The pressing topic of ICE raids is also highlighted in this powerful film.
In the Sony Pictures film, Rose yearns for safety, stability, and belonging, and she feels like a “velvet chair in a dusty saloon.” Alienation and biculturalism are major themes of the film. Cowboy hats rise! This wonderful film portrays American identity by defying preconceptions about who gets to be a country music fan or performer. Noblezada has mentioned it being one of the first projects she worked on where it was an entirely Filipino team, behind and in front of the camera. You’ll either leave the film wanting to be a country star—-or an immigration lawyer.
- Luck
As a lifelong animation fan, Noblezada is all the more excited to star in this Apple+ TV project. Eva describes the film to Rose & Ivy Journal, as such: “Sam is searching for her forever family and for her friend Hazel, who is young and in the foster care system. She wants to find the people who don’t leave and who stick with you no matter what… My character is very clumsy and goes through a lot of bad things when she comes to this point where she thinks she’s bad.” The movie is great for younger audiences who can be assured mistakes don’t make you a bad person.
- Easter Sunday
Released soon after Luck, Easter Sunday stars Noblezada with Jo Koy. She plays Tala, Jo Koy’s fictional sons’ crush. In the same interview with Rose & Ivy Journal, Noblezada says: “Filipinos are the best–our culture is super special, I don’t even know how to describe it. I love seeing pictures of these massive Filipino families posing next to the film’s poster. I’m excited to show my future kids, and I am so happy my brother and sister loved it.”
In her own Variety essay, he says working on Easter Sunday was special, like “being served a steaming plate of lumpia and pancit palabok—dishes integral to Filipino cuisine and homes. It was food for my soul.”
- Ms. Saigon
Another major accomplishment of hers includes playing Miss. Saigon—and rite of passage for any talented Asian American singer—Noblezada shines in this role. In 2014, she left the Northwest School of the Arts to star in ‘Miss Saigon’ in London, a role she reprised in the Broadway revival and earned her first Tony nomination.
Bouncing between screen and stage, Noblezada has commented on the difference between the two mediums.In an interview with Theatermania.com, Noblezada says throughout life she has learned many “ways to start and finish a project and feel after a project. The theater has definitely helped shape that intellectual aspect for me, and working on these films helped me add to my toolbox and memoir inside my head. It’s so different, but I love new challenges! You don’t have as much time to perfect [the film you’re working on].”
On Variety Magazine, Noblezada states she keeps working because she knows “we need more stories.” She states how she empathizes with “those who didn’t grow up seeing themselves in society. There are definitely traumatic repercussions from that. Especially when all we see is one type of person who represents the epitome of beauty. For them, it always looked easy.” Keen words for a face that will represent a generation and new wave of Asian American triple threats.
You can follow Noblezada on @livevamaria or in NYC’s Hadestown.
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