A showcase of Filipino talents

I like the way the PR blurb says it. “The concert series is in line with RWM’s aim to raise the profile of Filipino talent to world-class standards.” There is the tacit admission the talent exists and all that it needs to do is to boost its profile to international levels. Nice. The letters RWM stand for Resorts World Manila, the new place to go to for entertainment. The next artists to be featured in the series will be the exciting tandem of the Divine Diva Zsa Zsa Padilla and the ultimate balladeer Basil Valdez. The show will be held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater on April 26 at 8 p.m.

Even the most casual music listener around here knows Basil and Zsa Zsa. They are two of those extraordinary artists who have been providing us with great songs for over three decades. Think Zsa Zsa and you get Kahit Na, We’re All Alone, Hiram, Through The Years, Hindi Magbabago and others running in your head. The same goes for Basil whose recordings of You, Say That You Love Me, Ngayon At Kailanman, Corner Of The Sky, Let The Pain Remain, Lift Up Your Hands, Gaano Kadalas Ang Minsan and many others are considered landmarks of Filipino music. Of course, their live performances are also most enjoyable.

Basil and Zsa Zsa’s one-night stint this month with Homer Flores as musical director, is now the most anticipated event at RWM. They come on the heels of such successes as Asia’s Nightingale Lani Misalucha who kicked off the concert series last January. She was followed by the young romantic balladeer Christian Bautista, who was the Valentine season offering in February and the interesting pairing of Lea Salonga and David Pomeranz last March. Well, Pomeranz is not really Filipino but he spends a lot of time here. So this RWM Concert Series can indeed be considered the best showcase for Filipino talents that we have today.

A showcase indeed is the spectacular Newport Performing Arts Theater. Ultra-modern and comfortably seating 1,500 people, it also boasts of the largest LED screen in the whole of Southeast Asia. At a time when even stars of Basil and Zsa Zsa’s stature are often made to play second fiddle to mediocre foreigners by local promoters, it is heartening to know that there is a place like RWM where their worth as artists can be truly appreciated.

Tickets to the Basil and Zsa Zsa show are available at the Resorts World Manila Box Office and at all TicketWorld outlets. They are priced at P1,500 for Upper Balcony; P2,000 for Balcony; P2,500 for DeLuxe; P3,000 for Premiere; and P4,000 for VIP. Call RWM at 836-6333 or 908-8833 for details. Better yet log on to www.rwmanila.com to learn more about this world-class tourism destination right here in Metro Manila.

Resorts World Manila is located right across the Ninoy International Airport 3. Of world-class standards, it is a lifestyle hub that is the first integrated tourism destination in the Philippines. That means you get lodging, theaters, shopping and dining places and gaming areas all in one complex. For tourists who are not really interested in seeing the Philippine countryside, this means, they can fly in and land at the NIA3, check in into a hotel and then spend a few enjoyable days at RWM without having to endure the heavy traffic on the city streets.

Available lodging choices as of this moment are the Maxim’s Tower, the first all-luxury suite hotel in the Philippines and the Marriot Hotel Manila. Set to open later this year is the Remington Hotel, which to the delight of many will have more affordable rates. RWM is also home to the Newport Mall, where luxury brands from all over the world are available, The Newport Cinema with state-of-the-art movie projectors, and the biggest and most modern gaming facility in the country.

 So I say, come early to RWM on April 26, have a good dinner at any of the good restaurants around, browse the shops at the mall, check out the games and then enjoy the Basil and Zsa Zsa show. Doubtless, happy and energized an hour or two later, you might want to take another tour of the place.