After her eye-popping guestings on Ellen and Oprah, and live performances with the likes of Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Alicia Keys and Michael Bublé, what’s next for Charice?
A lot, according to Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre.
“Charice will join Hannah Montana megastar Miley Cyrus and American Idol runner-up David Archuleta as headliners of this year’s Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Nov. 27,” said Edmund in a special report. “The event, presented by Macy’s, the world’s largest retail store, is one of America’s most lavish celebrations seen by over 3.5 million live spectators and over 44 million televiewers across the US. Aside from famed celebrities, the event’s notable attractions are its inflated giant balloons in the shape of well-loved cartoon or comic book characters.”
Macy’s is also the sponsor of the annual Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular in NYC which featured the pre-recorded song of Lea Salonga (Just Beyond The Dream) in its magnificent fireworks display last year, also seen by millions.
Charice, Miley and David will ride on different colorful floats and will perform separately along with other notable artists such as James Taylor, Andy Williams, The Cheetah Girls, Broadway superstars Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth, the cast of Broadway musical Hairspray, the muppets cast of Sesame Street, plus Miss USA Crystle Stewart.
Edmund added that the NBC telecast of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be hosted by Today Show’s Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira and Al Roker (three of America’s most famous TV personalities). It will be aired on NBC network from 9 a.m. to noon (US East Coast time) in each of the four time zones in the continental US.
“Fil-Ams Oliver and Chona Cajanding of Society Hill, Jersey City, N.J. said they will watch the parade along with their teenage son, Gerald, and brave the freezing temperature just to see Charice up close.
“Oliver said that they already saw Charice in person at the Philippine Independence Day celebration in Manhattan last June, and they became instant fans. Oliver noted how cute Charice is and that she looked younger than her age (16). ‘She’s down-to-earth and always smiling,’ said Oliver. ‘Hindi nga nagagalit kahit ang kukulit ng fans na nagpapa-picture’.”
Last Oct. 28, Charice was also in the Big Apple to grace the celebration of Macy’s 150th anniversary at Gotham Hall, with Sean “Diddy” Combs, Eva Mendes, Jessica Simpson, Martha Stewart, Tommy Hilfiger, Clinton Kelly, Kenneth Cole, and celebrity chefs Ming Tsai, Tyler Florence and Todd English.
On Oct. 29, she sang at David Foster’s birthday dinner event at Bon Appetit Supper Club in Manhattan in front of guests who included Donald Trump, Gayle King, Clay Aiken and Dr. Phil. The next day, she was in Beverly Hills, California’s Hilton Hotel for The Big Bash, the annual Rising Stars Gala organized by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles.
Charice is also part of David Foster’s newly-released album titled Hitman: David Foster & Friends which hit the stores last Nov. 11. Her track is included in the album together with songs from music icons Kenny G., Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Brian McKnight, Katharine McPhee, Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion.
Said Edmund, “On Nov. 19, Charice will promote the new album on Good Morning America on ABC, broadcast live from the Times Square in Manhattan.”
It will be Charice’s second time to promote on a US TV show, the first having been on CBS New York.
Media insiders said Foster is now in the process of looking for the right album material for Charice, who is backed by Oprah Winfrey no less.
“They want to release an album by Charice while she’s very hot in her guestings and appearances,” an insider said. “All eyes are on this girl, everyone wants to meet her and the industry is watching how far will this girl go.”
With David Foster and Oprah Winfrey behind her, how can Charice go wrong?
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)