‘Shame on you, Romeo!’

Curtain-Raisers:

• A certain movie-TV actor, so handsome and oozing with sex appeal, can have any actress he’ll fancy, I guess, but his "trip" is something else. Cheap thrills, that is. He could hang around bars in uppity areas like Makati or Ortigas or some such places frequented by celebrities out not just for fun but for, well, you know what. But no, he prefers the shady joints around Quiapo and Sta. Cruz, his favorite being "S." He usually goes to "S" with his non-showbiz barkada. They rent the VIP Room and have the prettiest girls for their "exclusive" enjoyment – if you know what I mean.

• Could it be true that Dondon Monteverde is having, to put it mildly, a little problem with his alaga Aubrey Miles? Since she got into ABS-CBN (MTB, etc.), Aubrey has begun entertaining the illusion (delusion?) that she’s now a big star, giving Dondon the run-around when he schedules her for other engagements. That’s the usual "ailment" of starlets making a little name – even a semblance of stardom goes to their heads. Wait till she falls with a loud thud and Aubrey will wake up to painful reality (ouch!).

• The handsome, non-showbiz boyfriend of a sexy starlet was reportedly detained last week by the immigration people of a US port of entry. The Funfare DPA didn’t say for what reason. Will his detention affect his and the sexy starlet’s wedding plans abroad? Let’s hope that he’s now, yes, off the hook.

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"Shame On You, Romeo!"

That must have been the unscripted dialogue in the mind of Juliet during a crucial bed scene with her Romeo in a presentation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet where Lance Raymundo played the dashing Romeo.

In that play, Lance bared his butt fleetingly – and more! During his bed scene with his Juliet (I’m not sure now who played Juliet), Lance got so carried away that his little member stood up to be, ehem, recognized. He was wearing loose shorts, with nothing underneath it, so that "rising" incident was very visible to the audience which gasped in utter disbelief that soon dissolved into good-humored amusement. The curtain had to fall for a few minutes to give Lance enough time to, ehem, cool off and to jump into tights.

"When I returned onstage," Lance recalled that funny, not-really-so-embarrassing incident beyond his control, "the audience gave me an approving applause. I was just human, you know, and I was reacting to the bed scene the way any red-blooded male would."

Rest assured, though, that since then, Lance has learned how to control himself even in such "arousing" onstage situations without lessening the degree of realism he injects into his acting.

"I’ve played a few other plays after that," added Lance who was named Most Promising Male Performer of 2003 by the Aliw Awards last Aug. 8. "But Romeo and Juliet is by far the most memorable because of that single incident. If there was an award for Best Actor in a Single Most Embarrassing Performance," he added in jest, "I’m sure I would have won hands down."

Discovered, groomed and nurtured by Angie Magbanua, his manager-mentor-adviser-shock absorber-etcetera, Lance is happy with the way his career (recording and mostly theater – so far) is going. He’s currently working on his upcoming album. He has lost his Amboy twang when talking in Filipino and it’s a plus factor for Lance who must be getting some pointers from his kuya Rannie Raymundo (but only as far as singing and acting are concerned, not tricks with women).

The truth is that Lance has broken up with his long-time girlfriend to concentrate on his career. It seems that the girl was ready to settle down but Lance begged off, so they broke up last year. When last heard from, the girl has gotten married to somebody else. Lance could only wish her well.

The Latest On Thalia

Remember Thalia?

Of course, we do, don’t we?

You may not know it but dozens of Thalia fan clubs all over the country are as active as ever.

Here’s some news about Thalia who is now Mrs. Tommy Mottola (former head of Sony Music), courtesy of Thalia follower Leo Udtohan who is reminding Thalia fans that their idol is celebrating her birthday today:

Born on August 26, Thalia is turning 32 and has achieved many things as a diva and actress. She has been in the entertainment industry since her toddler years and doesn’t look to achieve any kind of stardom level; she simply wants to be in the hearts of the people.

However, the most memorable thing that came to her life was her marriage to Tommy Mottola on Dec. 2, 2000. The press has charted every single event of her love life. Who could forget her gown worth US$350,000, which made it difficult for her to get out of the black limousine due to its enermous size that took 18 months to finish? "A lot of happiness, a lot of stability. It’s like when something is missing in your life, then you find it, and you’re happy, very happy," Thalia described her marriage to Tommy.

She dreamed of having her own line of clothes, shoes, bags and household stuff. It turned real when she established her Thalia Sodi mark in K-mart. "I am very excited for this collection which is inspired by the Latino culture," she said.

What are her future plans? She wants to travel around the world and climb the Himalayas. This sexy vixen revealed that, "I’m involved in rock climbing. I want to go to places where I can encounter myself with nature."

She is busy promoting her new album. She is also planning on doing telenovelas. "I am just waiting to find the right character. I want to do something special. I take my time to choose what I should do and not to make a mistake," she quipped.

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