Il Divo (finally!) coming for concert

This piece of good news should make Il Divo fans (among them Wilma Galvante, GMA 7’s SVP for Entertainment) jump with joy:

The dropdead gorgeous quartet is (finally, finally!) coming for a concert on Jan. 20 next year.

I saw the Il Divo perform "live" at the inauguration of the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong in October last year and I must say that they didn’t only look good, they also sounded good. I first saw them at the Miss World contest in 2004 where they sang Toni Braxton’s Unbreak My Heart. It was heart-breaking! You should listen to more songs of the quartet, such as their passionate version of Unchained Melody and their haunting rendition of O Holy Night (the best I’ve heard, bar none).

Now firmly established on the world stage while breaking all the rules and records in the process, Il Divo’s phenomenal album sales and concerts are testaments to their amazing success story.

Currently on a North American tour with the legendary Barbra Streisand, the quartet – composed of David Miller (23, Tenor) from Denver, Colorado; Sebastien Izambard (23, Vox Populi) from Paris, France; Urs Buhler (25, Tenor) from Switzerland and Carlos Marin (38, Baritone) from Germany/Spain – was originally conceived in 2001 by no less than the Simon Cowell of American Idol fame, with the intention of taking popular songs, old and new, to a whole new level. Il Divo finally came together in December 2003 after a worldwide search and the rest, as they say, is history.

Their self-titled debut album has sold over five million copies, smashing Led Zeppelin’s 25-year-old record of being the only band to achieve a No. 1 album without a single release! They have hit the No. 1 slot in 13 countries and achieved Top 5 placing in 25 countries.

Their 2006 World Tour has just finished in the UK after six months, 72 dates in 18 countries and 58 cities, including sold-out performances at prestigious venues such as New York’s Radio City Music Hall, Wembley Arena in London, The Point in Dublin and Sydney’s State Theater in Australia.

Their classic debut album features standout tracks like Nella Fantasia, Regresa A Mi and A Mi Manera. Likewise, their highly-anticipated second album, Ancora, takes original music and well-known tracks and turns them into masterpieces. Modern classics such as Mariah Carey’s Hero and Unchained Melody are given a classical twist while I Believe in You is a stunning duet performed with Celine Dion.

Il Divo’s Manila concert, made possible by Music Management International and presented by SMART Infinity, in cooperation with Sun Life Financial, RADO Watches of Switzerland, Philippine Tatler and 92.3 Joey, will be held at the PICC Plenary Hall, 8 p.m.

(Note: Find out how to get your hands on these very exclusive invites by contacting the sponsors. For further details, call Concertus, Inc. at 813-2612 or 813-2617.)

Are Ogie and Michelle ‘patching things up’?

I just got the "breaking news" from Funfare’s Down Under DPA that Ogie Alcasid and his wife Michelle van Eimeren are trying to "patch things up." That’s, of course, presuming that there are some things to be "patched up" as some columnists (this one included) have been hinting at these past few years, starting when Michelle left the country with their two daughters to live permanently in her native Australia.

Funfare’s Down Under DPA said that when Ogie was in Australia recently for the birthday of one of his daughters, he and Michelle had a "heart-to-heart talk" which could lead toward, as the DPA put it, "living (again) happily ever after" even if Ogie continues to work in the Philippines and his family to continue living in Australia.

Good news, isn’t it?

I’m sure that those close to the couple and those who love them will be happy with this development. There’s no better reason for rejoicing than for a rumored "breaking up" family to get back together again, never mind if Ogie was reported to be contemplating on filing a petition for "separation of property" (and not yet an "annulment" as Funfare hastily concluded a few months ago).

If and when Ogie and Michelle "patched things up," it should also be good for Regine Velasquez and "exonerate" her from the accusation that she figured prominently in the Ogie-Michelle case. But both Ogie and Regine insist that they are "just friends" and "business partners," although not many people, already conditioned by the persistent nasty rumor, believe them.

Even Regine’s confession (during a presscon for Till I Met You, her and Robin Padilla’s second team-up currently drawing crowds in several theaters nationwide) that she has a boyfriend these past four years (but whose identity she refused to divulge) only made people’s eyebrows soar. You know, don’t tell us...

When Robin jokingly asked Regine if he could "court" her, Regine said no, also joking of course, because she said she wanted her boyfriend, if ever, to be hers and hers alone. Walang ka-share, walang kasalo. That should give us a clue to what’s in Regine’s heart (which keeps the identity of what she called "my boyfriend of four years").

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that everything will end up happily for Ogie, for Michelle, for Ogie and Michelle, and for Regine.

Congrats, Donna Villa!

As Funfare reported last Monday, Golden Lions lady producer Donna Villa was given the Dr. Jose R. Perez Memorial Award by the 55th Maria Clara Awards (the original FAMAS Awards) at "discreet" (unheralded, unpublicized) ceremonies a few days ago. Donna, one half of Golden Lions Films (the other half being her husband, Carlo J. Caparas), was cited for her "unparalleled achievement as a box-office film producer, star-builder and job provider with exemplary vision for cinema as exemplified by the late film magnate of Philippine history, Dr. Jose R. Perez."

Said Donna, "It felt great because the award was handed to me by no less than National Artist Dr. Alejandro Roces, one of the founders of the Maria Clara Awards, forerunner of the FAMAS Awards."

The subdued ceremonies were graced, according to Donna, by past FAMAS presidents like Chit Sambile, Charlie Arcega, Joe Lad Santos and present FAMAS president Col. Jimmy Tiu; FAP president Leo Martinez; PCSO’s Manoling Morato; multi-awarded scriptwriter Ricky Lee; and PETA founder Ramon Magsaysay awardee Cecille Guidote-Alvarez.

In that same event, Donna was cited as Star of the Night.

"First time napili akong Star of the Night," said Donna. "I’m overwhelmed."

* * *

E-mail reactions at [email protected]