What's Karylle's b-day wish?

Obviously fully recovered from her painful breakup with Dingdong Dantes, Karylle turned 28 yesterday and her fond wish is, contrary to what you may be thinking, not to find a new (better-than-Dingdong) boyfriend but for her estranged parents, Zsa Zsa Padilla and Dr. Modesto Tatlonghari, to have a closure (read: legal and official) in their separation.

You see, the petition for annulment of marriage filed by Zsa Zsa has been pending in court for years, preventing her and her beloved Dolphy from getting married.

“Sana soon,” Karylle said during the presscon for Symphony of Hope, the Side A concert with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) in which she’s guesting, slated for Friday, March 27, 8 p.m. at the CCP. (For tickets, call Ticketworld at 891-9999. Or 892-0664.)

Also during the presscon, the media guys requested Karylle and Side A soloist Joey Generoso for some “samples” and Karylle obliged with two “meaningful” songs, Forevermore (a Side A hit;...you were just a dream that I once knew...) and I’ll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me (...as long as the stars shine down from the heavens, long as the rivers run to the sea; I’ll never get over you getting over me), and then a duet with Joey of I Finally Found Someone (...my life has just begun, I finally found someone...).

These days, Karylle looks sexier. If Dingdong could see her now!

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It will be Valentine in May when Patti Page performs at the Araneta Coliseum on the 8th, starting at 8 p.m., which happens to be Mother’s Day. Another show is scheduled for May 10 at the Grand Pacific Ballroom of the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City.

It’s another trip down Nostalgia Lane when Patti sings again her well-loved songs, such as Tennessee Waltz, Mockingbird Hill, How Much is That Doggie In The Window, You Belong To Me, Changing Partners, This Is My Song and Unchained Melody.

Patti began her career in the ’50s and has sold more than 100 million records. In 1998, she recorded her first live album, Live at Carnegie Hall: The 50th Anniversary Concert, which won for her her first Grammy (for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance) in 1999. In 2000, she released a new album, Brand New Tennessee Waltz, which features harmonies with established country music stars like Alison Kraus and Trisha Yearwood.

(Note: The Patti Page: The Greatest Hits Tour, set for May 8 at the Araneta Coliseum, is produced by All Access Productions. Tickets for the Big Dome show are priced at P4,000 for VIP Limited/Patron A, P3,500 for VIP/Patron B, P3,000 for Lower Box, P1,800 for Upper Box A, P1,000 for Upper B and P600 for General Admission. Call Ticketnet at 911-5555.)

Briefly noted

• Congratulations to Cory Vidanes  on her apppointment as the new head of ABS-CBN Channel 2 Mega Manila effective March 18. She now oversees the total channel programming, artist development, on-air operations, and overall revenue and profit delivery from the area. An Ateneo ComArts graduate, Cory began her career in television with BBC-2 in 1982. Like ABS-CBN head Charo Santos-Concio, she has risen from the ranks. Taking Cory’s place as head of Entertainment Production is Linggit Tan who used to be with Production Development and was the Control Head of TV Production. The network is now ruled by women.

• Meanwhile, Paolo Pineda has been appointed as head of the ABS-CBN Business Development and Connie Nolasco Lopez as ABS-CBN Interactive Managing Director. However, there’s no truth to the rumor that Monchet Olives was fired by ABS-CBN boss Gabby Lopez. “He’s on sabbatical,” said ABS-CBN PR man Bong Osorio. “When he returns, he will relinquish his position as head of the Cable Channels and take on a new job.”

• A welcome addition to the cast of the ABS-CBN tearjerker teleserye May Bukas Pa is Gabby Concepcion (photo with Zaijian Jaranilla who plays Santino). It’s Gabby’s second teleserye for the network, following Iisa Pa Lamang, and his first TV project after that unfortunate incident last year involving his manager.

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)