A sparkling little lounge act

The opening night of Kuh Ledesma’s latest concert, Songs That Made The Movies, took place at the posh Captain’s Bar located in Mandarin Oriental. This shindig was highlighted by the presence of outstanding artists from the local creative circuit, with well-known names spotted in the crowd.

It was an evening of extreme talent both onstage and among the audience, as accomplished, celebrated artists contributed to the light chatter while the crowd patiently awaited the start of the concert. Robbie Guevarra, Raul Montessa, Lynn Sherman, Monique Wilson and Leo Valdes were in the audience.

A hush fell all around, as the band gave out a gripping rock sound, and Kuh Ledesma opened the concert with a calculated and naughty little number from the James Bond series of films.

There she was, The Ultimate Golden Goddess, decked in a figure-hugging metallic catsuit that showed off her svelte figure.

The opening number quickly and smoothly moved into the theme song from A Shark’s Tale, as Kuh’s four other singers trooped in, bouncing and swaying beautifully to the energetic beat.

The show featured many beautiful and familiar songs. After all, as the theme goes, this was a show designed to celebrate those great songs that gave certain movies their identity.

You could hear the audience gushing each time another familiar tune came on. Visuals helped bring everyone back to yesterday, as they watched clips from various movies like Dirty Dancing. This was a number gorgeously performed by Kuh Ledesma and Jake Macapagal, whose chemistry on stage was electrifying.

It was a neat surprise to find that the four singers backing up Kuh had several meaty solo numbers and duets themselves, and it was pleasant change to see veteran theater actors taking on heart-stopping melodies of the concert kind.

Particularly outstanding was the performance of Lana Jalosjos, as she serenaded the audience with a beautiful selection of songs. Jake Macapagal had impeccable stage presence as well as a caramel-coated sound. The crisp, clear performances of Sheila Valderrama and Topper Fabregas had just the right ingredients to keep rivet everyone’s attention.

As for Kuh — well, what can anyone really say, but that she never fails to surprise and delight? She’s a beautiful woman, with a body well-taken care of. She looked like she owned that stage, as if she was born to it.

Her remarkable showmanship is nothing short of impressive. She takes you to a place where you just enjoy the music with her and have a fabulous evening. It’s like frolicking into musical neverland everytime she holds that microphone and belts out a tune, or whispers soft notes of silvery ecstasy for everyone.

This performance is a must see if you enjoy lounge acts. Any jaded audience can look forward to that creative twist as the line-up of songs takes you down memory lane in a very romantic way.

Songs That Made The Movies is directed by Leo Rialp, with Rey Cristobal as musical director and Yogee de Jesus as vocal director. The five-piece ensemble includes Lorrie Ilustre on second keyboards, Roger Herrera on bass guitar, Janu Villanueva on guitar, Jun Regalado on drums and Rey Cristobal on first keyboard.

You can still catch the show on weekends at Captain’s Bar, Ground Floor of the Mandarin Oriental until mid-June.