Franco Laurel shares the stage with his three daughters

Singer-actor Franco Laurel cannot be any happier that he is sharing the stage for the first time with his three daughters — Mariella, Sophia and Lucia — in 9 Works Theatrical’s forthcoming offering, “A Christmas Carol.”

- By LEAH C. SALTERIO

Franco Laurel, who shuttles between theater, TV and film, is joined by daughters Mariella, Sophia (left) and Lucia (front) in 9 Works Theatrical's staging of 'A Christmas Carol.'

“I can’t take away my being a dad when I’m with them,” he told The STAR. “They grew up watching me and their mom (Ayen Laurel) perform. Now, seeing them in a field that they love...

“We never forced them to get into theater. They are the ones who actually like to get into it. To get into character and discover their talents during rehearsals, it really makes me proud as a dad.”

Fun fact, according to Franco, Lucia was actually born during their production week eight years ago in November 2017 when they first did “A Christmas Carol.”

“So this is like a full-circle moment with our family because now, she is part of the show. I’m just so happy about it.”

“A Christmas Carol” marks the first time that all four of them are performing together. “This is Sophia and Lucia’s first professional theatrical production,” Franco offered. “I previously worked with Mariella in ‘A Christmas Carol’ in 2017. This is like a family affair for us.”

Franco, who shuttles between theater, TV and film, remains constantly amazed that he gets to discover new things about his daughters while they are doing rehearsals.