Miss Universe to visit Indonesia, hints at doing Broadway

By: Robert R. Requintina
Updated January 9, 2019, 2:42 PM

Miss Universe Catriona Gray said that she is set to visit Indonesia for the first time in the coming days and even hinted at pursuing Broadway in the future.

“I’ve been told we’re off to Indonesia which will be my first time there,” said Gray during an interview for the morning show “Good Day New York” on Fox 5 last Tuesday. This will be her first official trip abroad as Miss Universe.

Miss Universe Catriona Gray (center) with “Good Day New York” hosts Rosanna Scotto (left) and Lori Stokes (right) (MISS UNIVERSE / INSTAGRAM / MANILA BULLETIN) 

On the second day of her media week tour, Gray said: “I’m excited about it because my roommate during the Miss Universe pageant was Miss Indonesia. And she told me beautiful things about her country: where to visit, where to eat. So I hope I can catch up with her and also I can look around and really explore.” She did not give details of her trip to Indonesia.

Hosts Rosanna Scotto and Lori Stokes also asked Gray about her long-time boyfriend Filipino-German Clint Bondad who is one of the hosts for the Kapuso morning show “Unang Hirit.”

Scotto and Strokes described Bondad as “cute.” They asked Gray who will watch her boyfriend now that she is in New York.

Gray said: “I just wanna focus on the year ahead. Thankfully he is very understanding.”

The Filipino-Australian beauty queen also said that she would love to pursue a singing career, even Broadway.

“I would definitely love to pursue singing. I have a Certificate in Music Theory from the Berklee College of Music. It’s definitely something that I have a love forever since I was a little girl. Broadway? Why not!” Gray said.

For her 25th birthday last Jan. 6, Gray said that she went to see the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen. “I love the music. It was amazing. Actually, my friend gifted me with the ticket and I was literally on the front row.”

Gray also said that she is thrilled with her apartment in New York where she will be staying during her reign.

“The apartment is amazing! I can look out and see Central Park. So I feel like in a movie or something. This is what you dream about. It’s the Miss Universe apartment. I live along with Miss USA,” she said.

Gray also said that she just realized the importance of pageantry in pursuing her advocacy which is education for poor kids.

“I never realized the platform the pageantry has. At first, when I was younger, I just saw it as a show with sparkly dresses. It wasn’t until I’ve been seeing how the Filipino people see beauty queens. They really have a voice in the community,” she said.

Gray added: “I think that expanded with the help of social media to other countries around the world. Knowing that platform and I was volunteering for charities at that time, and I say wow! That’s how further I can push or reach for my causes if I can use pageantry.”

The beauty queen admitted that she never experienced poverty in life.

“When I was growing up, I never experienced poverty first-hand. It’s really different seeing it and sensing it rather than through a screen or TV. So that’s what happened when I was in Manila. There’s an area called Tondo which is actually known as a garbage dump. And most of the families there make a living from scavenging for trash.”

“So the children there are pulled out early from school to help make ends meet for their family or they never go to school. That’s why I am passionate about education. I work for an organization called Young Focus and they give free access to quality education for the children in the area,’ Gray added. (Robert R. Requintina)

https://entertainment.mb.com.ph/2019/01/09/miss-universe-to-visit-indonesia-hints-at-doing-broadway/