Sing-along at the Big Dome

Whoever thought of putting the five old (in experience, I mean) veteran singers – at random now: Rico J. Puno, Marco Sison, Rey Valera, Hajji Alejandro and Nonoy Zuñiga –together at the Araneta Coliseum stage last Saturday night in a show called Just Once (first project of June Torrejon for Viva Concerts) deserves not only a pat on the back but a standing ovation which was what the all-seats-taken audience gave "The Fabulous Five" at the end of the three-hour concert capped by a medley of their hits (Rico’s Lupa, Hajji’s Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika, Rey’s Sinasamba Kita, Marco’s My Love Will See You Through and Nonoy’s I’ll Never Say Goodbye).

It was such a good show that, at 11:30 when the guys, together with Maribeth Bichara and her VIP Dancers and the Viva Hot Babes, took their final bow, I felt like staying for some more – more, more, more!!! – and grudgingly drove home feeling somewhat bitin, even as their songs kept replaying in the stereo of my mind like bittersweet memories that linger on and on and on.

Just Once was a virtual "sing-along at the Big Dome" because you couldn’t help but sing along, as Rico and Marco and Rey and Hajji and Nonoy asked the audience, to sing-along with old, familiar (mostly) love songs that mark specific chapters of your and my life. Listen to Rico sing – again – The Way We Were, his early ’70s hit, and you embark on a hurried trip down Memory Lane, back to "the good old days" when you and your girlfriend were easy to please – you know, namamasyal pa sa Luneta ng walang pera.

You can’t stroll hand-in-hand now in Luneta (Rizal Park) without risking your pocket being picked or your cellphone being snatched or, if you resist, you being stabbed to death and/or your sweetheart being dragged into a dark grassy area and being raped, can you? What dire thoughts, what frightening possibilities! Don’t you think it’s much safer these days having a "date" at Manila Mayor Lito Atienza’s Baywalk (secured by barangay tanods, etc.)?

I know by heart most, if not all, of the songs by Rico and Marco and Rey and Hajji and Nonoy, so I enjoyed every minute of the enchanted evening. My heart melted when Rico sang Macho Guwapito (with the Viva Hot Babes as back-up dancers), or when Marco sang Make Believe, or when Rey sang Maging Sino Ka Man, or when Hajji sang Tagaraw, or when Nonoy sang Love Without Time, and I couldn’t help but sing along with each of them during their "solo" portions, hanging on to every word of every phrase of every line of every stanza of every song as if to a beautiful memory you just can’t let go.

Remember, it was "sing-along at the Big Dome" and the whole evening felt as if you were just in the privacy of your room, sipping a cold drink while listening to the CDs of Rico and Marco and Rey and Hajji and Nonoy which you play and replay especially when you’re feeling low and the world seems to be caving in on you.

They’re right: Thanks to the music! Could you imagine a world without music? To paraphrase a song, I don’t care what they say I won’t stay in a world without music.

Because on the Big Dome stage, the five guys did their songs in such a plakadong-plakado style that they sounded exactly the way they did 20 or so years ago when they first sang those – their! – songs when you and I were much younger and things were much simpler and the world was not as confused and complicated as it is today.

Oh, for those good old days!

I scanned the "patron" section of the Big Dome and a dozen celebrities were there, caught by the camera (and their faces flashed on the giant screen onstage) in rapt attention. I was sure that they, too, like every soul in that part of the globe, was enjoying their own personal "trips." Rio Diaz was there (on the first row) with her and Hajji’s son Ali (very goodlooking!); and so were Jinggoy Estrada (tagged by Rico as the "Batok King" –referring to that unfortunate and embarrassing Star Olympics incident with Richard Gomez–in one of his jokes (which revolved mostly around Erap during that particular "gap"); Bayani Agbayani; Ai Ai delas Alas; Sen. Jun Magsaysay; Stella Ruiz; Jenine Desiderio; Tirso Cruz III and his wife Lyn Ynchausti; Bong Alvarez minus wife Almira Muhlach; former Miss Republic of the Philippines Joy Conde; Universal Records’ lady boss Bella Tan; talent managers Girlie Rodis and Norma Japitana; and many others.

It was also a night of jokes which Rico and Marco and Rey and Hajji and Nonoy poked mostly at each other, "roasting" time you know, and the audience lapped up every punchline with gusto no matter how very green the jokes (courtesy of, siempre, Rico!) were, punctuated with highly-suggestive gestures. (No truth to the rumor that MTRCB Chief Marissa Laguardia was in the bleachers armed with a roll of plaster, ready to pounce on Rico just in case.)

Among the touching portions of the show included those of Rico singing The Way We Were (ang kanyang walang kamatayang "national anthem") with his lovely and talented daughter Tosca (with estranged wife Doris Tayag who was present), Hajji singing Nakapagtataka with daughter Rachel (who’s now based in Los Angeles) and Marco singing Make Believe with his son Alain (with the late sister of a semi-retired actress). It’s a pity Nonoy doesn’t have a son or a daughter who sings and that Rey "forgot" to invite any of his children to sing with him. (But Rey did sing his unrecorded song called Sa Aking Panahon which chronicles the ills of present-day life such as pollution, corrupt government officials, the prevailing materialistic attitudes, criminality and the moral decadence gnawing at our society.)

Oh, yes, there was a "breather" (aside from the jokes of varied colors) when the five guys, dressed like the F4, sang the theme songs of Meteor Garden – in Chinese! – much to the delight of the crowd most of whom were, I’m sure, way, way beyond and above the Meteor Garden/F4 age range.

I can’t end this piece without thanking (especially) Viva Boss Vic del Rosario, Jr. for coming up with idea of putting together the five veterans in one show – and hitting the jackpot! Individually, as the five singers themselves admitted, they couldn’t have drawn even one-fourth of that Saturday-evening crowd. But together... well, that’s another success story altogether.

Still and all, I must say that the title of the show is not right. Why?

Well, such a memorable show has to be staged not "just once" but over and over again, just like the way we tirelessly play and replay the CDs of Rico and Marco and Rey and Hajji and Nonoy.

More, more, more!!!

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