Martin & Gary one more time in US

US Filipinos just can’t get enough of Martin Nievera and Gary Valenciano, thanks largely to rave reviews and word of mouth.

By popular demand, the critically-acclaimed and commercially hit As 1 back-to-back concert of the Concert King and Mr. Pure Energy will have a one-time only repeat staging in the US East Coast on Feb. 28 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Showtime is 4 p.m.

According to Edmund Silvestre, Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent, “As 1 is the highest-grossing Filipino concert in the US in 2009. The US tour was sold out, including the Oct. 25 performance at the Mark Etess Arena of Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, produced by Group Ole and Lemar International.”

The return engagement will be produced this time by the newly-formed Di Ba Entertainment, Inc., a group of Fil-Am nurses in CT in their first concert venture, with Carousel Pinoy as line producer.

“Martin and Gary gave a superb show that everyone kept talking about it, prompting these nurses (producers) to bring them back to the East Coast and this time in Connecticut,” Edmund quoted Terry Badiola of Carousel Pinoy as saying.

Di Ba Entertainment says it is restaging the “concert event of the year” in response to strong public clamor to fly back the reigning kings of Philippine music.

The staging of Martin and Gary’s show at Mohegan Sun Arena (located within the luxurious Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort) will come one day after the Black Eyed Peas take center stage in the same venue.

Reminded Edmund, “Black Eyed Peas, of course, is one of the world’s most popular bands, with one of its members a true-blooded Filipino, Allan Pineda (a.k.a. apl.de.ap). Its song Boom Boom Pow is the most downloaded single in 2009.”

[Ticket prices for As 1 at Mohegan Sun Areana are $150 (VIP), $98, $78 and $58 and may be obtained by calling (203) 300-9830, (203) 407-9421, (203) 530-8711, (646) 912-3896, (718) 470-0181, (401) 943-3710, (508) 476-0009, (917) 691-2335, (908) 265-1430, or (201) 886-1705.]

Melason taking the US by storm

Here’s another report from Edmund Silvestre:

If you think only Filipinos back home are going crazy about the real-life loveteam of the year, well, think again.

The funny and sometimes melodramatic love story of Pinoy Big Brother Double Up housemates Melissa “Melai” Cantiveros and Jason Francisco, more popularly known as Melason, has also taken the homes of America’s TFC subscribers by storm — coast to coast!

Their interesting friendship that blossomed into something more special (and helped pushed PBB’s TV ratings) has also caught the imagination of many loyal TFC viewers since Day 1.

The story of a pretty boy known in the PBB as “Astig ng Mindoro” (think of Robin Padilla) falling for a not-so-pretty but obviously funny and adorable girl known as “Kenkay ng GenSan” (think of Pokwang) is something that rarely happens in real life and usually only on the silver screen.

But to see their remarkable love unfold before our very eyes can be considered a unique event on Philippine television. Indeed, Kuya knows how to tickle the viewers, and tune in.

“Melason is giving not only great entertainment, but also hope sa mga hindi kagandahan o kaguwapuhan,” said Grace Yago Tiburcio, a young mother of two from Nashville, Tennessee. “But Melissa is a different case. Her ginintuang puso, sunny disposition in life, at ‘yung pagiging nakakatawa niya talaga help her shine through. Gumaganda talaga siya at makakalimutan mong hindi siya stunning like other housemates.”

Rolly Montemayor of Las Vegas, Nevada, said he’s too old to watch PBB, but he makes it a point to catch it every now and then especially if Melason is the focus of the day.

“Walang ngang nakakaalam dito na sinusubaybayan ko ‘yang Melason na ‘yan until I discovered na ‘yung ilang kakilala ko eh nakikiloko rin kasi pinapanood daw ng mga misis nila,” laughed Rolly, a former IBC 13 cameraman. Nakakatuwa kasi sila eh, nakaka-relax panoorin.”

Lily Rosana, a registered nurse from Carteret, N.J. and a mother of three boys, said she follows the latest season of PBB the same way she got glued before to her most favorite teleserye of all time, Tayong Dalawa.

“Sa hospital nga we talk about Melason and we have a nurse there who’s really updated at siya ang nagkukuwento pag nami-miss namin ang isang episode,” she said. “I really love Melai and I hope sila talaga ang magkatuluyan ni Jason. Ayoko lang ‘yung kinakawawa nila ngayon si Jason kapalit ng tricycle. Nakaka-worried lang kasi baka akalain ng iba eh okay lang na kawawain o paglaruan ang kasambahay. I just thought it’s a wrong message kaya dapat i-clear na tine-test lang si Jason. Alam mo naman marami sa atin nang-aapi ng katulong.”

“I love the part when they kidnapped Melissa, it was so sweet of Jason and his friends,” said Baby Lantin, a new grandmother from Queens, New York. “Mukha ngang na-inlove talaga ‘yung lalaki.”

Although Melason is a smash hit on PBB, there’s no guarantee Melissa and Jason can sustain their new-found fame outside Big Brother’s house, unless ABS-CBN is willing to push and mold the two housemates into important stars by giving them acting workshops, personality development, and good projects, among other things.

It will be recalled that a couple of years ago, escort girl-turned-actress Keanna Reeves won the hearts of millions of PBB Celebrity Edition viewers with her funny antics and genuine warmth inside the PBB house. Her victory as that season’s Pinoy Big Winner was sealed when the former Rustom Padilla (now BB Gandanghari) chose the kind-hearted Keanna, among the many housemates, to reveal his biggest secret.

Many predicted that Keanna was destined to stardom in the league of Ai-Ai de las Alas. She was given a major TV show (Aalog-alog) and two major motion pictures (Reyna and Binibining K), not to mention guestings, but for whatever reason, Keanna failed to sustain her popularity outside the PBB house.

But for now, everyone sees Melissa and Jason as ABS-CBN’s newest goldmine.

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