How Illusione was conceived

It would not come as entirely surprising if the recent HBO broadcast of Madonna’s spectacular Drowned World 2001 concert tour whetted your appetite for even more spectacle from the other divas in popular music. Well, beginning February, your appetite will be satisfied.

This February and March, the divas of pop music locally and internationally – think Barbra Streisand, Shirley Bassey, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Cher, Jennifer Lopez, Pilita Corrales, Sharon Cuneta and more – will come together onstage at Onstage in Greenbelt Makati for Illusione, a show-stopping spectacle of music and magic in what can only be regarded as the musical event of the year.

No doubt, you can’t believe what you are reading and you are this close to becoming convinced that some con artist is about to pull a fast one on an unwitting public. Well, you will be both right – and wrong. Yes, Barbra and company are not coming together for such a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle – anyway, there is not enough money in the world to make this possible, besides a venue big enough to have room for all the even bigger egos that would be involved.

But, yes, Illusione, produced by Bahaghari Productions (BPS) of Bagong Buwan Fame (with Margie Moran as president and Niña Romualdez and Carmita Francisco as associates) under the direction of Fritz Ynfante with Douglas Nierras as the choreographer, will be a musical unlike no other as it unveils the all-too-real "illusion" of these fabulous women showcasing the magnificent artistry that has made them, well, divas in popular music.

"Back in the 1970s, female impersonators were very much a part of the after-hours entertainment landscape, and I had such a great time watching them do everybody from Diana Ross to Donna Summer – and do them so very convincingly," says Margie with obvious fondness. "Having already had considerable experience in producing theater presentations in Davao, we at BPS wanted to put together something that would showcase the best female impersonators around so that the public could once again appreciate their artistry and at the same time give them a really great fun time."

Thus, Illusione was conceived. And to assist in the birthing of this upcoming revue, Margie turned to James Cooper, the beauty expert and entrepreneur who first sashayed into celebrity as the featured guest artist in several of Cher’s concert tours, lip-synching to the Diana Ross classic Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – replete with a gloriously beaded Bob Mackie dress and a wig of deliciously frazzled and flowing black hair.

"I had a really great time doing Diana and performing alongside Cher, who became a dear friend," says James with a radiant smile, adding, "Of course, that time will always remain one of the most thrilling in my life – but no, I will not be doing Diana for Illusione. For a time, Margie, Fritz and Douglas kept pleading with me to do her but, really, I had to say no. Believe me, it takes a lot of work and I’m not exactly in the best shape. Maybe I’ll do her again some time but for now, my work in Illusione is strictly behind the scenes."

James is helping whip into shape the men who passed the auditions held late last year to become any one of the pop music divas who will be featured in Illusione’s nearly two-hour repertoire. "And it’s no small work, believe me," he says knowingly. "A lot of people think that female impersonation is simply dressing and making yourself up to look like this famous celebrity but it’s nothing as simple as that. True, the right clothes and the right make-up help in creating the illusion but to complete that, you can’t just open and close your mouth to the music. You have to know the song, know how the celebrity moves onstage, know which parts of the song she underscores. All these details have to be in the performance to complete the illusion that it is really the celebrity that the audience is seeing."

With James together with Fritz and Douglas at the helm, no doubt the illusion that Barbra and company have done the impossible and come together for a night of glorious entertainment will be complete by the time Illusione opens at Onstage in Greenbelt Makati. The performance dates are on February 22, 23, March 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16. Tickets are now available at Ticketworld (tel. no. 891 5610), Music Museum (tel. no. 721 0635), Robinsons Place Manila (tel. no. 302 0113), Tower Records Alabang (tel. no. 850 5182), Tower Records Makati (tel. no. 892 9631), National Bookstore Branches and at the Onstage Ticketron.

Illusione is produced by Bahaghari Productions in association with Dove. Sponsors are Diego Dalla Palma Professional Make-up, Serge Louis Alvarez, Mario’s Restaurant, Red Ribbon and Tater’s Stadia with radio partners 105.1 Crossover, Joey@ 92.3, Wave 89.1, Citilite 88.3, 99.5 RT, K-lite 103.5 and Magic 89.9.