Regine stars in new dramedy

CEBU, Philippines - She’s already an icon among gays and drag queens who love to imitate her birit style and penchant for décolletage-baring gowns. With her new primetime series “I Heart U Pare”, where she portrays a provincial lass on the run from police authorities and thus forced to pretend to be gay and dress in drag, Regine Velasquez will surely have her flamboyant fans and other viewers tuning in to witness her hilarious antics.

In an advance promo effort for the romantic-comedy primetime series that will premiere February 7, the Asia’s Songbird headlined GMA 7’s Sinulog Festival Kapuso Night at the Ayala Terraces last Friday, joined by the young cast of another upcoming GMA afternoon soap “Alakdana” namely Louise delos Reyes, Paulo Avelino and Alden Richards. Regine amused the crowd by giving a preview of what to expect from this first quarter offering: she sang the gay anthem “I Will Survive”, complete with back-up dancers in colorful drag.

Regine plays the role of Tonia/Tonette, who will meet the laidback guy Kenneth played by Dingdong Dantes. They had previously worked together in the movie “Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka” with Christopher de Leon years ago, but this is her maiden TV collaboration with the actor.

“All the while, he thought lalaki ako na bakla. Dun siya na-in love. Merong part na gagawin niya akong lalaki, kasi akala niya parang phase lang yung pagkabakla ko. Magiging close kami kasi we will become roommates. Mahirap yung character ko kasi una, nag-pretend akong bakla, tapos biglang magpe-pretend akong lalaki pero bakla ako. Baka pagkatapos nito, confused na confused na ako. Bipolar na ako!” she said in an interview with the Cebu and Manila entertainment press at Cafe Laguna of Ayala Terraces.

“Nakakatuwa lang kasi first time naming magkaroon ng soap ni Dingdong. Pinanood na ng mga boss yung mga ilang eksena and kilig na kilig sila sa mga kissing scenes. That’s a good sign kasi ibig sabihin nahihiwalay nila yung Regine dun sa character ko, the same thing with Dingdong,” Regine added.

In their “I Heart U Pare” teaser, one scene shows Dingdong giving her a sudden smack on the forehead. It took her a long time to persuade the actor to execute that funny scene because he was hesitant to hurt her. “Katakot-takot na pag-convince yung ginawa ko kasi nung una, natatawa siya sa itsura ko tapos kapag nagsasalita ako, natatawa na naman siya. Finally, nung na-convince ko siya na batukan ako, ang lakas!”

This is just one among light-hearted scenes we should look forward to, Regine remarked. Add to that a handful of glitzy and flashy musical numbers from her and professional drag performers.

How does Dingdong, whom we are used to seeing tackle serious characters, fare in their comical scenes, we asked. “Nakakatawa siya kahit hindi siya nagpapatawa. Kasi serious siya and he usually does drama. So kung nakita mo siya sa isang light scene, very refreshing. And the situations are also funny, plus ang gagaling ng mga kasama namin. Ang galing ni Tirso Cruz III dito ha, siya yung tiyuhin ko na bakla.”

Directed by Andoy Ranay and Joyce Bernal, the rest of the cast include Ian Veneracion, Marc Abaya, Ehra Madrigal, Paolo Ballesteros, Celia Rodriguez, Antonio Aquitania, Luz Valdez and Boy Alano. It will run for 16 weeks, but might get extended if it will perform well in ratings.

“We’re very excited about this project. May pagka-musical din siya, kaya lang hindi siya tulad nung ‘Diva’ na lumalakad ka lang tapos kumakanta ng bigla. It will be stage performances since my character works in a club na parang Club Mwah. Pero papalabasin namin na hindi talaga ako ang kumakanta. I will just be lip-synching other singers like Jaya. Ang plano sana namin iba-ibang songs from OPM artists,” she revealed.

There are also other things that’s making the newly-wed excited these days. It’s been barely a month from when she and Ogie Alcasid finally tied the knot last December 22 in Batangas. She has also earlier admitted in a Jessica Soho interview that they had already been living together for three years, yet Regine notes there is still something happily different now that they’re truly husband-and-wife.

“Mas exciting ngayon, mas masaya. Meron din changes eh kahit papano, akala ko nga noon wala. Hindi ko ma-explain, pero may iba eh. Maybe I’m just too excited or paranoid. Ang alam ko lang, parang mas in love pa ako ngayon.”

She was likewise glad to share that their wedding ceremony raised over P1 million for the five charitable institutions they actively support. Instead of the traditional gifts, they requested from their guests cash donations for Child Hope Asia, Gawad Kalinga, Bridges Foundation, Operation Smile and Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy. Because of the success of their fundraising, the couple hopes to make this an annual endeavor.

“What we’re going to do, every December 22 which is now our wedding anniversary, we will try to come up with something like a show or bazaar para makalikom kami ng funds for the same five foundations so that there’s continuity of help. Hopefully, we can do this every year. Ayoko naman ipangako kaagad kasi baka hindi makayanan ng schedule, pero we will try our very best.”

As for persistent queries of when she plans to get pregnant, Regine said she needs to finish all her outlined projects first. Ogie too has his hands full with tapings, shows and duties as OPM president. She is aware that her biological clock is ticking loudly, so if they will not be blessed with their own child the natural way, she is not ruling out resorting to science.

“I don’t want to put pressure on both of us. Everybody is asking me, but my parents are not even mentioning it. I understand that people are excited for us. But for me, I don’t want to get disappointed. Pag lalo mong iniisip, baka lalong hindi dumating. Now, we’re just trying the natural way.” (FREEMAN)