The stuff of legends

MANILA, Philippines - In the erratic and oftentimes unpredictable realm of show business, where it’s highly plausible for an artist to plummet to the D-List as fast as she is catapulted to the A-List, one is bound to wonder: what is the driving force that elevates an artist towards a coveted iconic status that almost every denizen of the industry aspires to achieve? Is it the mania that she elicits in every public appearance? Or could it be the pomp and pageantry associated with her for so many years? Is the success of an artist attributed to chance or is there a divine power at work behind the great blessing of having such immense staying power in the business?

The late poetess and academician Ophelia Alcantara-Dimalanta encapsulated the very strict and discriminating benchmarks in which the craft of every artist is measured with by means of three standards that unquestionably surpass the endurance of time: aesthetically appealing, intellectually stimulating, and spiritually uplifting!

2011 marks a myriad of milestones in the extraordinary life of Divine Diva Zsa Zsa Padilla! Zsa Zsa is currently celebrating her 28th year in show business. Her noontime variety show ASAP Rocks is soaring high and mighty in the stratosphere in ratings with millions of loyal and solid viewership not only the Philippines but across the world via TFC. She recently bagged the Best Supporting Actress award from Entertainment Press Society, Inc.’s 8th Golden Screen Awards for her unforgettable and powerful performance in Joel Lamanagan’s Sigwa and she is up for nomination in other major award-giving bodies for outstanding accomplishment in the same film. Her children are doing very well in their respective and chosen careers, a testament on how well she raised them. Very recently, her petition for annulment has been granted after so many years, making her single and yes, a free woman... free enough to entertain the possibility of finally marrying the love of her life, Comedy King Dolphy! And she turns a year older this 2011, on May 28 to be exact!

The announcement of Zsa Zsa’s back-to-back concert opposite balladeer Basil Valdez at the Newport Performing Arts Theater achieved its desired effect: clamor and excitement from fans and loyal disciples of OPM. An eclectic crowd of fans, music aficionados and high rollers banded together and flocked the venue as they willingly allowed themselves to be mesmerized and enthralled by the seemingly magical spell cast by Zsa Zsa and Basil through the immortal and romantic love songs that they each breathed life into on stage!

Clad in a fabulous collection of Rajo Laurel gowns especially designed for her just for the show, a stunning Herve Leger black gown, Christian Louboutins and a sparkling array of fine jewellery courtesy of Vic Vic Gonzalez of Gold & Gems — essential battle armor of every diva, Zsa Zsa is pitch perfect as she sang her hits such as Hiram, Kahit Na and Mula Sa Puso.

The audiences gladly anticipated Zsa Zsa’s every appearance on stage as she showcased not only her electrifying showmanship, stunning stage presence, and superb vocals but also the sophistication of her style and sense of fashion! Zsa Zsa is larger than life as she sang her original composition All Cried Out, an acoustic masterpiece that centers on the distinctly feminine experience of falling in and out of love which she promises to be part of her upcoming, full-length studio album under Polyeast Records.

Her vocal power is showcased in her Barbra Streisand medley and the preciseness of her vocal control is apparent in her Diana Ross and Donna Summer medleys which drove the crowd to a frantic frenzy fueled by the nostalgia the songs educed.

Her production numbers with Basil Valdez, from their ’70s ballad medleys to their stirring Legrand medley triggered the infectious scent of romance in the venue, contaminating the audience with the awesome and healing power of love!

The bravura of her performance in her very first indie film Sigwa as student activist turned NPA leader Cita is anchored on her realistic reading of her character which is the polar opposite of her Divine Diva persona which was seen by the audiences in her recent concert.

... and in a duet with Basil Valdez.

Collectively Lamangan, Zsa Zsa, her co-actors and the entire production crew and staff of Sigwa opened the eyes and minds of moviegoers by simulating the bittersweet and extremely relative realities of those who passionately fought for national ideology and identity during the turbulent era of the First Quarter Storm: some were able to move on and better their lives but some, as the character of Cita remained steadfastly adherent to the cause of their activism. 

The dazzling brilliance of Zsa Zsa’s status as an A-List celebrity may have been bolstered by her fabulous, larger-than-life public persona: traits that have always associated with her for the past 28 years. However, upon close inspection, one will ultimately realize that Zsa Zsa has been around and has been consistently on the top of her game not because of the temporality and frivolity of outside appearances. Zsa Zsa is a multi-faceted artist whose life is centered on her immense faith in The Lord.

Her faith is strengthened through the years as she successfully weathered countless storms in her life...storms which granted her wisdom and humility: two values that are so scarce in the entertainment industry today!

Zsa Zsa acknowledges that whatever talent she has is merely on loan by her Creator and she consciously decided to utilize her gifts to affect positive change to the very best of her capacity as a daughter, sister, friend, mother, and yes, hopefully very soon as a wife who is legally and spiritually bound by Holy Matrimony with her beloved Dolphy.

Zsa Zsa’s dedication and love for her craft emanates from her faith and her life’s journey is far from over. It is through her faith that she will be able to continue on with her legacy of excellence and countless more will be inspired by her. And through her craft she will be able to carry on in spreading the good news that life is beautiful and love is worth living for in many years to come. That is the stuff of true legends!

(Basil Valdez and Zsa Zsa Padilla at the Newport Performing Arts Theater is directed by Roxanne Lapus with musical direction by Homer Flores. The concert airs on ABS-CBN’s Sunday’s Best tonight at 10:45)