C.A.R.L.O.S.: So much to thank for

As you look at him now, so hunky sexy and forever smiling, you won’t believe that Carlos Agassi was a battered child, with his own late biological father as the "culprit."

"My father," began Carlos who refused to name the father, understandably so, "was nice when we were here. It was when we – my mom and younger brother Mike – moved to Iran that his personality totally changed. He became violent; he’d beat us up without any provocation at all."

The father died during the Iran-Iraq war in the early ’80s. Shortly before that, Carlos and his mom and brother had to escape from Iran while the father wasn’t looking (arrested by the cops, actually, for reasons Carlos also refused to divulge). Not long after, Carlos’ mother remarried an Arabian businessman who, according to Carlos, "is the best thing that ever happened to us."

Without any bitterness towards his biological father at all, Carlos is convinced that what happened was a blessing in disguise.

"Otherwise," he explained, "I would have grown up a spoiled brat. I have my looks because of my biological father who looked like Jestoni Alarcon. Very handsome. I’m thankful to have a stepfather who’s more than a father to us (Mike and their 12-year-old half-brother). His name is Fahad Al-Hanaki. He said I didn’t have to work but I want to. I want to earn my own keep. Because of my stepfather, I was able to study, with one more year to go before I tuck up a degree in Psychology (La Salle)."

Through his own sweat, Carlos (who’s turning 24 in December; his brother Mike, a reluctant actor, is 18) was able to buy a Patrol, put up an outlet for Dickies clothes (of which he’s an image model) and save enough to build his own house in an uppity part of Makati City.

"My cousins are surprised until now how I landed in showbiz," laughed Carlos. "Because of my unhappy childhood, I used to suffer from inferiority complex. I was skinny, may pagka-kuba, and I never smiled. When we came back from Iran, I hardly spoke any Tagalog word and other kids would bully me around. I never joined plays in school. I was an introvert. I began to change – for the better – only when I was recruited for commercials and, eventually, showbiz."

Look at him today: part of the ABS-CBN Talent Center, member of The Hunks (with Piolo Pascual, Diether Ocampo, Bernard Palanca and Jericho Rosales), acting in the ABS-CBN soap Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan (which will be replaced in June by a new one topbilling him with Claudine Barretto, Piolo Pascual and Diether Ocampo) and soon to start shooting the sex-comedy Power Girls (Star Cinema) with Ai-Ai delas Alas (his leading lady), Joyce Jimenez (with Vhong Navarro) and Assunta de Rossi (with Onemig Bondoc), directed by Joey Javier Reyes.

He’s also busy promoting his new (second) album titled C.A.R.L.O.S., specifically its first spin-off single Boracay Baby, one of the 12 tracks on which he and Andrew E. (of Dongalo Records; they might do a movie soon) collaborated. Released by Star Records, C.A.R.L.O.S. (a title styling inspired by J.Lo of Jennifer Lopez whom Carlos interviewed in Hong Kong two years ago?) simply means Can Agassi Rap Like Old School? On the album, Carlos jams with guest artists Piolo Pascual, Carol Banawa, Francis M., Andrew E. and other Dongalo artists.

Flower Drum Song closes

With her musical Flower Drum Song closing seven months ahead of schedule (it was supposed to play until October), will Lea Salonga’s wedding to Robert Chien (with whom she was engaged early last year) be moved also ahead of schedule (supposed to be in December)? No word about it yet. Meanwhile, here’s a report on Flower Drum Song by a Funfare correspondent:

Flower Drum Song, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that was revived last September on Broadway, will have its last performance on March 16 (last night). It played for almost six months, which is good for a musical that has mostly an Asian cast.

Lea Salonga, who plays Mei-Li, is expected to close the show. Unfortunately, Ms. Salonga has missed several performances since Tuesday after Broadway turned their lights on again following the strike spearheaded by Broadway musicians and joined by stage hands and actors. According to the staff of Virginia Theater (where Flower Drum Song is playing) Ms. Salonga flew to Los Angeles when the strike shut down the show last Friday. She is not expected to be back until March 14, barely three performances to go until the closing. In her stead, Ma-Anne Dionisio, another Filipino doing good on Broadway, is playing Mei-Li.

Several fans of Ms. Salonga decided not to see the show when they found out she is unable to perform – which is too bad since it would have helped a lot in shoring up sales of the tickets which are priced from $66 to $96. Unfortunately, with the economic recession and the lack of tourists in NYC, a lot of Broadway shows have suffered in the box office, closing some high-profile musicals like Dance of the Vampires with the original Phantom of the Opera star Michael Crawford as soon as they opened.

But Flower Drum Song will still compete for the Tony Awards set in June where hopefully Ms. Salonga will get a nomination and repeat her victory as Best Actress in the Musical for Miss Saigon.

(E-mail your reactions at rickylo@phil-star.net.ph)