The divine Miss Mitch

The divine Mitch Valdes thinks that her most important achievement in life is having kept her sanity intact. And it was never easy. It’s hard not to lose your head if you have lived a full life as one of the premier entertainers in this country or if you have been an acclaimed theater and movie actress and if you have been known to be formidable mover and shaker in the entertainment industry. Mitch is president of the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM). "How much are you worth body and soul?" I asked Mitch. "Only my creator can answer that," she replied.

The divine Mitch turns into gold via the show Mitch Valdes Golden Girl – Divah? It opened at the Onstage in Greenbelt recently amidst critical and commercial acclaim and her other performance are on Oct. 20 and 27.

Mitch is ageless, I always say. The best thing about her is she doesn’t only make you laugh, she makes you feel good. And inarguably, she is one of the most sincere performers in showtown. When I asked who among the young singers/actresses today she thinks has the passion? She shot back, "Who has the brilliance and passion of Mitch? I cannot answer that for very obvious politically correct and diplomatic reasons." And of course, she roared in laughter.

"Do you think you’ll go to heaven or hell? I probed. "Heaven! Where there are no calories!" she quipped. "How would your epitaph read?" She declared without flinching a second, "Here lies Mitch. Boy, did she live!"

All-out comedy

Check out Ol in 1 Nyt, a comedy show featuring Anton, Rey Kilay, Duday Galliguez, Wilma Doesnt, Bearwin Meilly, Joy Viado, May Bayot, Giselle Sanchez and Arnel Ignacio on Oct. 28 at Southern Bulls.

Ol in 1 Nyt is a pre-halloween fund-raising show for the San Roque Parish, Sampaloc, Manila. Tickets are priced at P350 each. For more information, call 412-3139 or 0917 4861385/5201148. Sponsors for the show include Pantene Pro-V Treatment Shampoo, Private Property Shirts and Accessories, Smart Talk N’ Text, Bacani’s Press, Atmacs, Pepz of Manila, Tamayo’s the Wedding Specialist and ABS-CBN Publishing.

Rachel says ‘no’to diva

Meanwhile, mark your calendar for Oct. 24, 9 p.m. as Hajii and Rachel Alejandro will be featured in their first back-to-back show billed Just the Two of Us at the Captain’s Bar in Mandarin Oriental.

Rachel, who continues to impress audiences as Mimi in Rent (which runs until Nov. 4 at the GSIS theater) is an extremely talented singer, composer and dancer. She’s a feisty young woman who’s not afraid to speak her mind out. And to me, that’s not a problem.

And I somehow agree to the bare essential of what Rachel was trying to say when once asked about divas and she said that she didn’t want to be called one because "diva" somehow connotes being matanda. "Matanda" as a word is maybe hurtful but it is correct. It is true that you cannot sing your first song and be called a Diva, a title that has been trivialized by spindoctors in showbiz. A diva refers to a prima donna, a celebrated opera singer.

As Kris Aquino would say, it is a title that is earned. You cannot just pluck it off from some billboard and attach it to a fledgling singer who has not even heard of Billie Holiday. When Streisand and co. have become bigger than their pop thrones – music writers would refer to them as divas – not as an aberration to the title but more of a tribute to their awesome body of work – pop they maybe.

When people started calling Kuh Ledesma Pop Diva, no one seemed to protest or when the fiesty Celeste Legaspi would be referred to as a Formidable Diva – no one ranted. Rachel is right. Today, anyone who can carry a tune or miscarry a note can be called a diva. Enough! The title has been butchered like the foul smelling mad cows of Europe. And when Rachel said it, who said ouch. Look around!

Susan’s other passion

Susan Africa – a passionate actress who is known for her roles in the soap opera. Mara Clara and Saan Ka Man Naroroon. Susan is a friend who I met many summers ago when we were very young and not necessarily innocent. We were together at the Metropolitan Theater in the early 80s. Susan’s husband Spanky Manikan is also a friend of mine. Spanky is one of the finest actors in Show business.

Unknown to many, Susan is a cum laude graduate of Fine Arts from UST. She will be holding her first one-woman show on Oct. 25-Nov. 6 at the Gallery 139, Artwalk Level 4, Bldg. A SM Megamall.

The exhibit, titled Floral Melodies, draws inspiration from tropical flower variations rendered in impressionistic strokes with bright striking hues.

Susan (or SAFRICA as she signs her works) is hopeful that this first one-woman show will be appreciated by her colleagues in the industry as well as art lovers and collectors alike. For details, please call 633-7363.