In a family of seven – Fernando, Antonio, Ditas, Terri, Laly, Bing Bong and himself, it was only the three of them who went into entertainment.
We bumped into Gus two years ago at the wedding of his good friend Raymond Lauchengco to Mia Rocha where he pitched in as production designer. Even then, Gus was all excited over what he was doing in his corporate events management company GA Productions.
He is still at it and more. Sharing with many difficulties of surviving in an industry that has shrunk considerably with too many practitioners dividing the proverbial pie, Gus says, "I see a downward trend in our entertainment industry. Movie and recording companies blame it on piracy. We see a syndication in the TV networks (blacklisting entertainers who appear on their competitors’ channel), the influx of foreign has-been concert artists in the concert scene, the over pricing of our local concert artists (charging on a per song basis). Honestly, I don’t know what would be the developments in the future. But the way things are, it appears bleak and uncertain."
Yet being an optimistic at heart even when there is very little to be optimistic about, Gus goes on to relate the things that make his efforts worth their while despite the bad times.
Eschewing opportunities to follow his mom and sisters to the US, Gus continues, "I considered it for a while but then I have invested too much already here. I also like it here. People don’t seem to realize that it’s a hard life over there in America, holding three jobs at the same time for many, having no help, etc.
He is happy for the success of his sisters in putting up the Aldeguer Sisters Performing Arts Center with students from all over California. The students learn to sing, dance and act. Two of them, the Bañares Brothers, EJ and Brendon, recently launched their debut album, Aking Ina, in Manila.
He tells us an interesting story of how his mom and sisters came to settle in America. "About eight years ago when we went to the States on a leisure trip, mom just refused to come home. She said: ‘Sell the house, everything. I will stay here.’ We were astounded but there was no budging her. We were all on tourist visas and so Terri had to work out visas to make themselves legal. It was fortunate that she was on an OI visa which is given to people with extraordinary skills and after a while was able to get an immigrant visa for themselves and our mom. You have to understand that the comforts of living in the States appealed to my mom. She liked the fact that things were orderly, that there was security for citizens and all that."
Gus’ career has spanned three decades, beginning in the ’70s as a folk singer with his own group, The Butterfly Singers (with whom he did a reunion show at Concert at the Park five years ago), venturing into nightclub acts and putting out his first single under the Gemini label. He then discovered theater and acted in many plays, most of them musicals under directors Fr. James Reuter and Roxanne Lapus.
They were gratifying years, with Gus appearing in Showboat, 13 Daughters, Oklahoma, West Side Story, Finian’s Rainbow for Reuter, and in the highly-successful dinner-theater shows Love Nest for Three, Wives and Lovers, How about Now Darling, I Can’t Hear You When, My Husband Doesn’t Function, Paper Moon, The Wedding Night, Once Upon a Time, Shut Your Eyes and Do it.
"Fr. Reuter instilled in me the love for theater," he recalls. "It was fun, interesting. I met a lot of people. It also gave me self- gratification. With Roxanne, I learned techniques and principles which made me take a serious and more professional look at theater. With that, I became a better and more consistent actor because I could actually explain academically what I was doing on stage. With Fr. Reuter, it was more instinctive acting."
The concept of dinner-theater has never been revived due to the high costs involved, Gus says. Likewise, the market in Philippine theater has become smaller for the same reasons. "The Philippines is basically still on the Star system. It is not the show that counts but who is in the show. You need to rehearse a play for at least two months. A concert needs only a week of rehearsals and is a lot easier to sell, especially if you have a Star celebrity as your concert artist."
However, the lessons have remained with him. Today, he is into directing more than performing. "I am more effective as a director since I have actually experienced being a dancer, singer and actor. I enjoy teaching things that I have learned. My greatest happiness is when I am able to mold someone and see him blossom into a much better performer on stage."
Refusing to be daunted by hard times, Gus talks of his upcoming show at the Music Museum on Sept. 23 billed Private Lessons reminiscent of the highly successful Lace and Stockings in 1984.
"I remember watching a film as a kid entitled America By Night which featured a strip tease number that stuck with me because it was artistically done," Gus recalls. "When I produced and directed Lace and Stockings, I actually billed it as a ‘Striptease Revue.’ We ran for 32 performances at Light and Sound. I capitalized more on the tease and not the strip. Although I had bold stars in it including Maribel Lopez, the show’s approach was classy and sophisticated. The show was called harang... bitin... but we were packed every night. That was because I refused to show any nudity at all. In fact Lace and Stockings brought audiences which included the men and their wives. There was a night when an entire table was reserved by the Catholic’s Women’s League and they enjoyed the show tremendously."
"Private Lessons will be more ala Chicago and Moulin Rouge type of approach. Musical... Sexy ... Broadwayish! Since we expect an older or mature crowd to watch the show, I will use mostly old songs as soundtracks of most of the production numbers."
Decrying the prevalence of flesh-baring shows done in poor taste, Gus continues, "There is really a thin line between vulgarity and artistry. Because the focus has been the ‘flesh-baring.’ it is silly to have a female fashion show with an all-male audience, where the purpose is not to sell clothes or show the latest in fashion, but an excuse to bare flesh."
Another project that excites Gus is his new show on RJTV (Mondays to Thursdays, 11 p.m. to 12 midnight, Fridays, replay, 7 to 8 a.m.) billed Gimme a Break. It is a format he has toyed with for sometime, offering talented Filipinos a chance to showcase their skills when no other shows will give them the chance. When Ramon Jacinto asked him to host a show on RJTV, Gus offered the format. That’s how the TV show came about.
Gus is also excited over the response he has been getting, especially when the little exposure on his show results in gigs for singers, bands and dancers. It is one of the many reasons why Gus is happy to still be around.
(Gus can be reached through 525-4384; 0917-8543381 or 0917-5391355.)