Paolo in Laurice’s US-made movie - FUNFARE by Ricardo F. Lo

Curtain-raisers:

Here are some images on national television indelibly etched in the memory of a badly-wounded nation...

* Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta doing the (dance of death?), waving her arms in the air in gay abandon, after the "no-vote" won, prompting her sister-in-law, former President Cory Aquino, to comment, "What’s wrong with opening the second envelope – unless they have already received bigger envelopes?" Ouch! "They," of course, referred to the 11 pro-Erap senators who must be lulled into a sweet slumber these days by millions of reasons (but doesn’t their conscience ever bother them?). I wonder how Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara feels about her "misbehaving" little sister – puking like the rest of us?

* Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago marching like Gen. Patton after publicly scolding and humiliating those three innocent spectators whose only "crime" was to look at her. I wonder, how did Miriam’s children react to the (absolutely embarrassing) incident when they saw it on television – puking like the rest of us?

* Sen. Ramon Revilla, the one-man member of the "silent majority," insinuating that Emerito Perez, Tribune Business Editor who sat on the witness stand, accepted a bribe (for an article about Perfecto Yasay) to buy him and his family three square meals a day. I applauded Perez when he countered, head held high, "Sir, I’m not a Senator," meaning that, yes, journalists can survive and, that’s it, eat three times a day (with little snacks to boot) even if they don’t live as comfortably as most senators do (making the rest of us "puking" majority wonder what other sources of income they have).

* Lawyer Raul Daza (my fellow Waray) recoiling like a Lion Katol mosquito coil while being rebuffed by Senator-Judge Raul Roco, seconded by Sen. Judge Kit Tatad, at yesterday’s (non-) hearing, retreating to his seat while Roco’s voice reverberated in the near-empty Senate Hall, "You’re not a member of this court, youü’re not a member of this court, you’re not a member of this court!" Honestly now, for once, I was "ashamed" to be a Waray (right, Boy Abunda?).

* But as I’ve been saying, I take my hat off to Sen. Loren Legarda-Leviste" for conducting herself not only in a lady-like but in a "Senatorial" manner, cuddly even when she’s in tears (due to Senate President’s Pepe Pimentel’s resignation), and giving us poor Filipinos that distant silver lining behind the dark, dark clouds hovering over us.

After the Impeachment Trial, I tell you, national television will never be the same again!

* * *

Besides the daughter of Phillip Salvador (with estranged wife Sony Dabao), another US-based Filipino actor appearing in American Adobo (formerly Magic Adobo) is Paolo Montalban who created waves with his performance as Prince Charming (co-starring Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother and Brandy in the title role) in Cinderella, shown on American television four years ago, the same role he’s now reprising (opposite Debbie Gibson in the title role) in the North American stage tour of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. (This informatiion was relayed to Funfare by my "international correspondent," Toronto-based Ferdinand Lapuz.)

American Adobo was shot in its entirety last October in New York, directed by Laurice Guillen, with New York-based Ting Nebrida as scriptwriter and line-producer. Others in the cast are Christopher de Leon, Ricky Davao and Dina Bonnevie. Producer of the movie is Star Cinema International.

Paolo, who was an understudy for the King on Broadway’s The King and I a few years ago, perfectly fits into the movie which is about Filipinos in America. Born in the Philippines, Paolo migrated with his parents to the US when he was a kid. He came for a visit in December, 1999, saying he’d love to do a Filipino movie. American Adobo is "it."

Chosen by People magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in 1998, Paolo, 27, said "I’d rather be lucky than good. I’ve been born under a lucky star. Once you get the opportunities, you can always work on being good. One piece of advice I received from my first agent has always stayed with me: ‘You’ll do okay in this business if you keep your mouth shut, your nose clean and your fly zipped’."

Nice advice (for other stars, too), isn’t it?

Meet RP’s ‘Britney Spears’

She likes Jennifer Lopez even if she’s tagged as "The Britney Spears of the Philippines" when she performs all over Japan where she and her sister were born and grew up.

Ironically, Baby M. ("M" as in Mother Mary), whose real name is Miyoke Hiu, doesn’t have a single drop of Filipino blood in her veins, her father being pure Japanese and her mother, the former Manica Hellmen, half-Norwegian and half-British.

So how come Baby M., who has just released (in Japan) her debut album, has such affinity and affection for the Philippines?

Well, in 1997 she and sister Noemi (now married to a Dizon from Pampanga) came with their mother who put up the Kapatiran Foundation devoted to helping street children. Manica is a philanthropist who was touched by the plight of street children when she first came here as visitor of a Filipina teacher she met in Japan and helped find a job in her (Manica’s) own school.

While here, Baby M. studied at Ryan Cayabyab’s music school, honing her talent before she embarked on a singing career back in Japan. Only 16, Baby M. looks and sounds like Britney Spears, and the comparison has stuck. Now she’s getting to be known in Japan as "the Philippines’ Britney Spears," singing both Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez songs in addition to other R&B numbers and selections from her album.

Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was said to have been impressed by Baby M.’s performance at the blessing of the KO Medical Center in Lubang, Mindoro in 1999. KO stands for Kiyoshi Osawa, the 95-year-old Japanese philanthropist who came to the Philippines as a free immigrant in 1925 – and stayed. Manica is working hand in hand with Mr. Osawa.

In March or April, Baby M. will have her grand debut on the Philippine stage when she sings at a concert (maybe at the Music Museum) for the benefit of Kapatiran Foundation. Before then, perhaps we should be hearing the Baby M. sound on the radio. Watch for her.