Colin Asuncion UnCovered

04 Nov 2019

Stevie Wonder and Prince are the two extraordinary artists to get the UnCovered treatment. Their songs will be brought to life by a dazzling array of artists, as well as some insight into their psyches courtesy of re-enactments of some of their more revealing interviews. Among the performers is Colin Asuncion who is the breakout star of The Great Canadian Baking Show where we have only seen teasing fragments of his formidable musical chops. Asuncion is under CBC protection until The Great Canadian Baking Show finale on Wednesday, but he was able to answer a few questions about UnCovered by email.

Drew Rowsome: When was the first time you heard Stevie Wonder? Prince? And what was your reaction?

Colin Asuncion: Oh gosh, I honestly can’t remember! I feel like both artists have always been a part of my musical upbringing.

Do you have a favourite song by the artists? Will you get to perform it during Uncovered?

Colin Asuncion: My favourite Prince song is "Kiss." It’s sexy, cheeky, and fun. My fave Stevie is "Superstition" and I do get to perform it in UnCovered! I’m excited to share our interpretation of the song.

Both Wonder and Prince have massive and sterling catalogues. How was it winnowed down or does the show run as long as one of Prince's epic jams?

Colin Asuncion: UnCovered is all about celebrating these two iconic artists and telling their stories. Reza has chosen songs, both iconic and lesser-known, that carry the narrative forward. I think the show provides great career highlights and will likely get audience members downloading a Stevie or Prince playlist once they leave the theatre.

You have a very versatile voice judging by your cabaret work, your work with Asian Riffing Trio and I greatly admired your vocal chops in Into the Woods (and Sondheim ain't easy). What are the challenges in tackling a Stevie Wonder song? A Prince song?

Colin Asuncion: Reza’s arrangements of Stevie and Prince use a variety of my musical “muscles,” so being able to flex in and out of styles is the main challenge for me. In any given song, I may go from a big, soulful, riffy moment into a calm, choral-like section, so the ability to transition smoothly between those moods is vital.

What sort of material do you most like to sing? Think you sing the best?

Colin Asuncion: I love singing pop and soul - I think that’s my sweet spot - but I also love to sing classical music. My training was in sacred choral music so a "Panis Angelicus" or "Ave Maria" gets me super nostalgic. As for what I sing best? Hmm, that’s up to the public.

How does working with music director Reza Jacobs (The Wizard of Oz, Falsettos, London Road, Assassins, Same Same but Different) compare, they're both incredible and unique talents, to working with Chris Tsujiuchi (The Rocky Horror Show, Unravelled, Parade, Box 4901, Onegin)?

Colin Asuncion: I’ve been singing with Chris for years and he knows my voice inside and out. We have sort of a musical shorthand when we work out harmonies, riffs, and the like. Working with Reza is exciting because we are getting to know each others’ style and skillset with every song we tackle. It’s like any new relationship - you learn more about each other with every new experience you share. I’d say the main difference between the two is that Reza, as he states himself, is not a riffer, so when it comes to ad-lib sections, he lets me run wild.

UnCovered is billed as a tribute to the artists with "wildly imaginative arrangements" of their hits. Both artists were already wildly imaginative. How do you balance your interpretation with the rearrangements with the artist's signature rendition that must be seared into your brain?

Colin Asuncion: That is the perfect way to describe my relationship with Stevie and Prince. The original renditions are seared into my brain. As a result, the essence of each song will always come through in our reinterpretations. We want to present this iconic music in a new way, giving the audience a fresh take, but never a complete reinvention. I perform a lot of covers in general, especially with Asian Riffing Trio, and that’s how I always approach the performance: reimagine the music in an exciting way that communicates who I am as a singer while maintaining the integrity of the original work.

You are in the company of extraordinary singers like Thom Allison (Ragtime, Elegies, A New Brain, Mary Poppins), Jully Black, Divine Brown (Obeah Opera), Chy Ryan Spain (Box 4901, Queer Bathroom Stories, Of a Monstrous Child: A Gaga Musical) and Jackie Richardson (My Piece of the City). Is the competition more or less fierce than on The Great Canadian Baking Show?

Colin Asuncion: Both experiences feel quite similar. We have a group of talented people who each bring their unique experiences and artistry to the table, and we are all working to create something beautiful. I felt very intimidated entering The Great Canadian Baking Show tent, and I feel that way in the UnCovered rehearsal room. I get to work alongside legendary artists, and I feel lucky, humbled, and a little scared. I’m always a little scared, come to think of it. Maybe I should work on that.

Who in the cast has bugged you the most to bring baking to rehearsals?

Colin Asuncion: Funnily enough, Alana Hibbert (Parade) and Michelle Bouey brought that up at our last rehearsal. I think I owe the cast a cake.

You've become an unusual triple-threat with a successful career as a marketing manager, in the culinary arts, and as a performer. How do you balance it all out?

Colin Asuncion: “Unusual triple-threat” - I’m going to add that to my LinkedIn profile. I take on projects that I am excited about, and it just so happens that those three areas have grown to be the most prominent in my life. There are ebbs and flows, of course: for example, when I was preparing for the Baking Show, I had to put all music projects on hold. But when you are passionate about multiple things, the areas that are truly important to you will always make it into your schedule.

Have you found someone to bake cookies for (per your advice in the CBC blog "What's the best baked good to win someone's heart")? What qualities does a potential need to have to be worthy of your baking or being serenaded?

Colin Asuncion: There is someone who may receive a batch of my sweets sometime soon. To be deserving of my culinary or musical output, one must be kind, thoughtful, discerning, loyal, proactive, and mature. My god, it sounds like I’m hiring an office manager. They should also make me swoon and/or sweat.

What do you have planned after Uncovered? I'm asking that question fully aware that you won't be able to say so if it is a huge promotional tour as the winner of The Great Canadian Baking Show.

Colin Asuncion: I’ll be releasing some original music for the first time! I’m co-writing an EP with Kevin Wong, and the first single will be out very soon. I’m SUPER PUMPED ABOUT IT. Also, I’ve been cast in Box 4901 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, going up in February 2020. This will be the first time I am acting in a full stage production for quite some time, so I’m full of all the feelings. As for The Great Canadian Baking Show, you’ll have to keep tuning in to see how far I make it in the competition...