Curtain-raisers:
* It's going to be a stork-busy Year of the Dragon as far as showbiz is concerned. Already, Mikee Cojuangco has given birth to her and Dodot Jaworski's first child. Now infanticipating are Lucy Torres (Mrs. Richard Gomez) and Christine Jacob (Mrs. Paco Sandejas). They are the legal ones. The rest are, well, conceived in liberty.
* Three prominent personalities are marking their birthday on Valentine's Day -- Sen. Johnny Ponce-Enrile, Makati Councilor Rico J. Puno and Kris Aquino. Of the three, only dear Kris is Valentine-less. She has barely three weeks to look for one (dial "M." quick!).
* One of Viva Films' forthcoming romance-drama projects will topbill Aga Muhlach and Angelu de Leon. Pops Fernandez would have been in the cast but she has been replaced by Zsa Zsa Padilla. Why? What happened?
When I got back from the Leonardo DiCaprio press interview in Hawaii last week, I took an accredited NAIA taxi (more expensive but definitely safer) and was I surprised about the beans that the friendly driver was spilling as we snaked in and out of the Metro traffic.
He said that a few years ago, he fetched a petite and fair-skinned bold star from "somewhere in Makati" and brought her to a five-star hotel "also in Makati," and waited for her for two hours so she could be brought back to where she came from "somewhere in Makati."
It turned out that the boldie was brought to the five-star hotel as pasalubong (welcome gift) for a hunky black actor ("gifted," I suppose) who was here to help promote his movie (the title sounds like,,,, wait a minute...okay, okay, bingo!).
"When she came back," the driver recalled, "she couldn't walk straight. She looked very happy, pero pagod na pagod."
And she was P60,000 richer!
"Pinagod ako ng itim na 'yon!" the driver quoted the boldie as saying.
Does Funfare take the driver's tale hook, line and sinker? Yes, of course! You see, a few years ago, Funfare put out a blind item about that "sexplosive" incident, that's why I was surprised that the driver's tale jibed detail for detail with the Funfare DPA's account then.
A "return bout" next time?
The boldie will be ready, if and when.
Loyal Funfare letter-writer Paul R. Mortel of MBLA Court, Malanday, Marikina City (1805) has a very worthy idea (paging the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas). Here it is:
Last June 1, 1999, you were kind enough to publish my suggestion that the KBP pay tribute to Tiya Dely Magpayo while she is still alive and kicking, rather than heap praises on her when she has already "closed" her eyes for a long blissful trip.
That humble proposal of mine stays. But I would like to make another suggestion for the KBP to consider: How about holding a sentimental reunion where the radio greats of yesteryears will occupy the center stage?
Some of the great broadcasters who in one way or another have touched the lives of our people are (not necessarily in order of importance): Koko Trinidad, Tiya Dely (of course), Tita Betty (Mendez), Eddie Ilarde, Frankie Evangelista, Lito Gorospe, Bong Lapira, Eddie Mercado, Bobby Ng, Bingo Lacson, Vic Morales, Barr Samson, Kuya Cesar, Art Galindez, Jo San Diego and many othes. Funfare readers can perhaps come up with more names.
On the same occasion, the KBP can give posthumous awards to radio pillars like Rafael "Paeng" Yabut, Johnny de Leon, Ric Tierro and others.
Until now, even when he'd rather consign that painful and traumatic experience where he was stabbed several times by his former manager and left for dead on a lonely road near Baguio City, Franz Llanes is still asked about it and how Franz cringes with that very painful and very traumatic memory!
He was still Francis Enriquez then and maybe he decided to change his name as part of his turning over a new leaf. Franz/Francis is an unusually forgiving person (bless him!) because instead of filing a case against his tormentor ("It was a case of fatal attraction," Franz now dismisses the incident with a smile), he opted to just forgive (but maybe not forget) the offender (a man bigger than Franz).
Now managed by Jameson Sy, Franz has closed the book on his bold-actor image and is embarking on a career as a singer. His self-titled debut album, Dahil Mahal Pa Rin (definitely not dedicated to his tormentor/offender but to somebody special who has given Franz two little bundles of joy), was produced by Jameson himself under his own Rock Records. It carries 12 songs, composed mostly by Nonoy Tan.
"Franz didn't start his singing career unprepared," said Jameson. "I let him take up voice lessons at the UP Conservatory of Music. He has the talent; kailangan lang i-hone at ihasa pa."
Franz's album was launched last week. He's now busy promoting it in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Franz is also busy shooting Crown-Seven Ventures' Col. Jamias Story, with San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada in the title role.