T i b i t s f
r o m a M u s i c d u d e :
( the night of Regine's first show )
Let's see...
What to do this Friday night?
Join 17,000 music maniacs and celebrate
Regine's graduation into Superstar status?
But then that would mean haggling with scalpers
over the best price for the closest seats.
Nah...
I think I'll stay in and
watch R2K (at M.M.) on the TV.
You knew that right? For the last 4 major shows
they would play her last concert while she would
be on stage for the next one. Not sure if that
is productive or not because it encourages you
to stay home and see it on TV. They should really
spread it out over the week in case you wanted to
catch it all. And boy, I use to try and catch everything!
-Music Editorial
( Postings from Regine's
Internet Mailing List )
Regine
Is . . 'Flying' Colors
-A Regine article from
the wire-
There's a figure of speech in Pilipino that describes
a decidedly daring or risky action: tumulay sa alambre
(roughly translated, to balance oneself on a wire),
derived from those heart-thumping high-wire acts of circus performers.
In her 30th birthday and first concert for the millennium, R2K, Regine Velasquez
did not exactly walk on wires, but one of her numbers approximated that Pilipino
figure of speech: while performing the Mariah Carey hit Butterfly, Regine was
hoisted - literally - high above the plexiglass stage by two wires strategically
connected to her back, which slowly transported her from the back to the front
of the stage as the audience gasped in astonishment (and fear no doubt) that she
just might suddenly fall off. As Regine crooned, the skirt panels of her bright
yellow Rajo Laurel gown billowed and flapped, making her appear like a butterfly
(if not a fairy) in the wind. Wow!
So it is not an understatement to say that Regine
literally risked life and limb for this two-and-a-half-hour concert, which (even
without that one spectacular number) from start to finish reflected Regine's
(and her team's) meticulous preparations. Nothing, it seemed, was left to
chance, and the effort showed. The result: a fully loaded electrifying concert
(Regine sang no less than two dozen songs including her Tagalog hits, Top 40
smashes and '70s classics) which gave the audience much, much more than their
money's worth.
R2K showcased Regine's vocal pyrotechnics to the hilt,
whether she sang solo or with guest performers who could hold their own with
Regine without upstaging her. This set-up proved that unlike other concert
"artists" who "require" guests to act as concert
"fillers" to compensate for the main star's "deficiencies,"
Regine is blessed with enough talent to depend on. Her concert guests thus
looked as if they were simply there to have fun with Regine - which they did in
large measure by the way - from the wacky Ogie Alcasid and Janno Gibbs who sang
inspirational songs with Regine before bringing the house down with their
riotous spiel and take on Tom Jones' Sex Bomb; Gabby Eigenmann and KC Montero
with their rap numbers; and the four remarkable gay performers/impersonators who
sang McArthur's Park with Regine while dressed in gowns like those - as the
giant TV screens showed - the songbird had worn in past concerts.
Spiels were brief but engagingly funny, one number segued
seamlessly into another, and the Hotlegs went into overdrive with their funky
numbers. What was also touching about this concert was that- without
proselytizing or "sermonizing"- it celebrated the major reasons behind
Regine's 15-year-long showbiz success: her faith in the Lord (before singing
inspirational songs with Ogie and Janno, Regine said a heart-felt, "Thank
You so much God for the gift You've given me. I sing this for You"); her
strong family ties (her duet of Dance With Me with her mom was one of the show's
most applauded numbers; sister Cacai amazed everyone with a ballet number); and
Regine's own boundless energy and creativity (for those who still don't know,
she conceptualized and directed the concert herself).
The only thing one didn't appreciate about R2K on its
second night was that it started an hour late. But not to worry - the wait gave
this viewer ample time for celebrity watching. Mikee Cojuangco, Gary and Angeli
Valenciano, Kris Aquino, Bing Loyzaga, Joanne Quintas and husband Domini Primero,
Marvin Agustin, Viva boss Vic del Rosario and Aga Muhlach were some of those I
spotted lending Regine their morale support. And speaking of Aga, the Big Dome
positively reverberated up to its newly refurbished rafters when fans went kilig
and berserk when he joined Regine onstage. Whether this was scripted or not was
immaterial; the fans obviously lapped it up.
And lastly: It was definitely a stroke of genius
choosing Jaya for a climactic duet with Regine. Who better to provide Regine
with a musical tit for tat - decibel for decibel, lung power for power - than
the Queen of Soul? Besides Jaya's solo jazzed-up rendition of You've Got a
Friend, listening to their Habang May Buhay duet was exhilarating down to the
last note.
R2K was definitely A-okay. Do
I hear a repeat in the works?
( From a Philippines Star newspaper article. )
Midi song playing : " Vacation " from the Go-Go's