MAKE ‘em LAUGH

Over four decades, JON SANTOS has known the assignment: make the audience fall for the characters you play, tell a great story, help them find sweet relief.

- JACS T. SAMPAYAN

Jon Santos is feeling it.

“Sinabi ko naman callos for lunch hindi fabada!” the come-dian shouts. Wearing full dandy for his first Vogue Philippines shoot, he is sitting on antique furniture along MiraNila Heritage House, whose interiors inspire a bygone era of jazz parties and Manila High Society. His impromptu bellowing is met with laughter, prompting another. “Sinabi ko naman 'pag pinalitan yung tuwalya sa banyo, palitan din yung tiles!” he says, raising his eyebrows and dramatically clutching the wooden cane handed to him. More laughter echoes throughout the home.

The sprawling property along Mariposa Street in Quezon City was built in 1929, a full decade before QC was declared a city. It has hosted Philippine Presidents and members of Congress over decades. The location seems fitting for Santos, whose smorgasbord of impersonations have included a handful of politicos. He's played satirical versions of Cory Aquino, Erap Estrada, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Juan Flavier, Rodrigo Duterte, Donald Trump. These alongside caricatures of other public figures like Vilma Santos, Kris Aquino, Catriona Gray.

But beyond that, Jon is a fully formed comedic artist and performer, and a consummate storyteller, with his stories told through drag, punchlines, jukebox musicals, lounge acts, recipes, science lessons, lampoon, and farce.

Santos has done mainstream fare like the 1990 Tony Reyes film Tangga and Chos with Joey de Leon, a play on the American comedy Tango and Cash. He has become everything from a house to a plant, trying to teach kids science in the educational program Sineskwela. He's indulged his Kapampangan blood in