By JOHN WILDMAN, Contributing Writer

MANUELA Y MANUEL takes the baton from La Cage Aux Folles and The Birdcage as the latest entry in the cross-dressing for romantic laughs series of films. The twist this time around is that director Raul Marchand Sanchez laces his story of a Puerto Rican club performer who is enlisted to pose as his pregnant friend's boyfriend (and father of her baby) with tropical passion and an easy acceptance of the lifestyle, but a difficult and bitter task of holding on to love. Humberto Busto is able to provide his director - and us - with a ripe balance of those conflicting forces in the title role.

While there is a fun, frothy style to the film in general, the character of 'Manuela' is maybe the least dramatic of the performers at the club. Was that something that was by design or do you feel that happened organically through the filming (and your acting) process. 'Manuela' is not a clown. He is a human being, and a very special one. Rafi Mercado (production and costume designer) and I decided that 'Manuela' was a real artist, so he steps into the stage to transform all his feelings, fears and worries into something new.

Let's talk about the choreography and the lip-synching. How much rehearsal did it take to pull that off? And does it make it easier or more difficult to focus on your performance as a whole? We really wanted to represent 'Manuela' as a very professional artist. So, the first thing was practicing for a few weeks by walking, dancing and running with heels to adjust balance and movement to the character himself. We did a lot of research -- attending clubs, seeing a lot of movies, reading about different kinds of cabarets and shows, and receiving lots of advices from female impersonators and drag queens. Most of my practicing was done by watching the women around me too.

What was your favorite costume to wear? And which one was your least favorite? I really love the dress behind the geisha suit. When I was on stage, I really understood what makes him try to feel like a woman. There's a special power being a woman (at least for a while...) that I don't have as a man. The one with which I really suffered was the maid dress. It was so tight that sometimes I couldn't breathe. And I had a stomachache for hours...

And finally, give us your honest opinion, who looks best in the wedding dress: you or Luz Maria Rondon? Definitely, 'Coca' is the most beautiful woman in that dress. And I think that 'Manuel' understood that when he saw her in the dress room: He is a man...not a woman. He came back to reality (especially in front of the mirror...). But he could do something with that experience. He could transform the dress into something new. So, at the end is kind of a huge liberation.