And now, the Starstruck Kids

On March 20, Saturday, GMA 7 will finally air the pilot episode of Starstruck Kids. To be able to put up this grand search, the network conducted several auditions and during all these tryouts, we discovered some very interesting stories. Here are some statistics and facts during the auditions for Starstruck Kids.

Auditions were held in various SM malls (SM Centerpoint in Sta. Mesa, SM Manila, SM Marilao and SM Pampanga), Robinsons East, Best Child Learning Center in Mandaluyong and the GMA holding area (the front area of the new GMA 7 with the Castrillo sculpture), GMA Studios A and B and basement for walk-in aspirants.

Auditions were held for one week and there were days when there were as many as 1,000 applicants. I couldn’t get the exact figures, but the rough estimate is that there were a total of 10,000 applicants, which had been trimmed down to 60, then 30 and then to the final 14.

There was one day when there were so many applicants, a stampede occurred and a Starstruck female staff member was pounced on by the kids’ parents. (She fainted and had to be carried away.)

A Starstruck male staff member got involved in a boxing match with a young applicant’s arrogant father who lost his temper because of the long line ahead of them.

Lines began forming as early as 1 a.m. – just like in the US embassy when Pinoy applicants were still lining up for visas in the old days.

Some families brought picnic baskets with them and even laid out blankets for lunch. What a mess the place was after that.

Some enterprising hooligans tried to make money by selling for P30 apiece Xeroxed copies of Starstruck Kids application forms. Luckily, they were immediately apprehended.

An aspirant – young as she was – already knew the value of good public relations. She went to the Starstruck staff members conducting the auditions and asked them if they were already hungry and if they were, would they care to have some sandwiches? She asked them, "Ilan ba kayo?" Then, turning to her father, she said, "Dad, damihan mo na ‘yung bibilhin mo." But to that, the Starstruck staffers politely said no and said, "Bawal sa amin ‘yan."

The first round of the audition was the question and answer portion, which carried a lot of weight. Then came the talent portion.

Most of the applicant danced the Spageti. Out of 100 applicants, 90 percent danced to the tune of Spageti. As one Starstruck staffer quipped: "Parang may Spageti convention."

After Spageti, the next most popular tune was the Viva Hot Babes’ Bulaklak. Yes, even young boys were dancing to the tune of Bulaklak. But really, a lot of the male applicants danced to the Masculados’ Lagot Ka – and, of course, Otso-otso and Mr. Suave.

Other talents rapped, declaimed, while a few others played the drums.

There was one child applicant who enumerated the capitals of all the countries in the world.

About 30 percent of the kid applicants admitted that it was really their parents who wanted them to join the contest and not them.

Sometimes, the lines were so long and by the time the kids got the chance to show off their talents, they were no longer in the mood to perform.

There was an instance when the kid refused to recite the Starstruck mantra: Dream. Believe. Survive. In the end, it was applicant’s mother who took the floor and recited "Dream, believe, survive."

One of the applicants was five-year old Andrew Muhlach, son of Cheng Muhlach and half-brother of Aga.

Other applicants were the dancing kid in the Bibo Hotdog commercial, the boy with Sharon Cuneta in the Colgate ad and still another hotdog endorser (the one with Ai-Ai de las Alas).

One promising applicant is practically an exact duplicate of Aiza Seguerra when she was just starting out in the Little Miss Philippines contest in Eat Bulaga.

During all these auditions, it was proven that for all parents, their children are the best-looking, the brightest and the most intelligent.