Simply Ai Ai

Despite being the undisputed Comedy Concert Queen for years now, Ai Ai delas Alas remains simple with her choices in life.

While many diversify once they achieve stardom, Ai Ai still focuses on her roots---comedy. This is apparent in her projects such as the M3 sitcom with Aga Muhlach, and her forthcoming Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry, Ang Tanging Ina Mo Rin.

“Kailangan sa buhay ang katatawanan. Masarap sa pakiramdam ang tawa ka ng tawa, mas madali mong nadadala ang problema,” she says.

She returned to school this semester, taking up Public Administration at the University of the Philippines. Though Ai Ai already has a degree in Mass Communication, the new one is in preparation for her plans to run for public office in Batangas in the near future.

Ai Ai said that she herself does her assignments. She gets inspiration from one of her classmates whom she refers to playfully as “my crush.” She jokes that whenever she is made to report about a topic, she “bribes” her classmates with food so they don’t grill her after her presentation.

The comedienne believes in such basic virtues as pakikisama and patience. She recalls Regine Velasquez’s father, Mang Gerry, telling her that getting along with everyone and all kinds of people is as important as talent in order to make it in show business.

“Marunong ka dapat makisama at rumespeto. And be happy sa success ng iba para maging happy din sila sa success mo.”

She is a firm believer in cultivating real friendships. She says that in the end, friends see each other through. She proves so by enumerating her guests in her 20th anniversary concert, all of whom are close to her such as Sharon Cuneta and Regine Velasquez.

Even with her business ventures, Ai Ai opts to be practical. Realizing that food is a basic necessity, she once had a fast-food restaurant. She is set to open her Gal’s Bakery franchise in Malabon in the coming weeks.

According to Gal’s owners, Jose Antonio Soler and wife Azun, they chose Ai Ai to endorse the brand because she is the epitome of a hardworking and family-oriented mother. During the contract signing for her endorsement, the comedienne sampled the different bread variants being sold at Gal’s including donuts, ensaymada and pan de coco.

“Dapat may Pan de Ai Ai din na ang korte ay pahaba,” she jokes, referring to the shape of her face. “Lahat ng tao kumakain ng tinapay, mayaman ka man o mahirap.”  

Ai Ai is sending some of her relatives to school to learn about managing a bakery. Unlike others that don’t want to work with family because they might end up fighting over money, Ai Ai is all for the idea since her “blood-mates,” as she calls them, are trustworthy and loyal.

“Besides, we have to share your blessings para more would come,” she says. Ai Ai celebrates her birthday next month. She will have a concert at the Araneta Colisuem on November 19, billed Akin Ang Tronong ‘To. It is produced by Ambient Media in partnership with ABS CBN and ASAP. Director is Floy Quintos with Homer Flores as musical director, costumes by Maxie Cinco, choreography by Georcelle Dapat Sy. (For tickets, call Ticketnet at 911-5555.)

The music of Niño Rota

The music of award-winning Italian composer Niño Rota will accompany the performance of Compagnia Artemis Danza as the group stages I Bislacchi Omaggio a Fellini (Eccentrics, Homage to Fellini) on Oct. 27, 8 p.m. at the CCP Main Theater. 

Niño Rota is a world-renowned Italian composer and academic who is best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti. He also composed the music for two of Franco Zeffirelli’s Shakespeare films, and for the first two films of Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy, receiving for the latter the Academy Award for Best original Score in 1974.

During his long career, he wrote more than 150 scores for Italian and international productions from the 1930s until his death in 1979. Alongside this great body film work, he composed ten operas, five ballets and dozens of other orchestral, choral and chamber works, the best known being his string concerto. He also composed the music for many theatre productions by Visconti, Zeffirelli and Eduardo de Filippo. He also taught at  as at the Liceo Musicale in Bari, Italy, where he was the director for almost 30 years.

(For details, call the CCP Box Office at 832-1125 local 3704 or 832-1125 local 1409.)