Ai-Ai's Christmas wish

Curtain-raisers: I don’t know why some people are making a big deal out of ABS-CBN boss Charo Santos-Concio (photo) having remained seated during a standing ovation for Nora Aunor at a recent awards night. Charo, who was with TV exec Cory Vidanes, was just being true to herself; she was not being plastic. Why should Charo acknowledge Nora whose first move when she returned to the Philippines was to throw potshots at most everybody, sparing nobody, in an interview with Yes! magazine, calling Charo “ingrate?” If people in showbiz followed Charo’s gesture, there would be less plastic people and more real people in the industry.

• The “damage control” using Maricar Reyes (photo) to protect Piolo Pascual’s ruined image after his former girlfriend KC Concepcion’s damning revelation on national television rings as hollow as the “Codename: Put the Little Girl to Sleep” alleged plot to do away with the ailing former president. Maricar is being peddled as the “third party” in the break-up of Piolo and KC. Poor Maricar! After her involvement in the sex-video scandal (from which she has hardly recovered), she’s being dragged into another unsavory issue. Whoever cooked up that fairy tale should be, uhm, “put to sleep.”

• Anytime now, the lawyer of Rhian Ramos (photo) will file a libel suit against Rhian’s former boyfriend Mo Twister for insinuating in his Twitter account that Rhian (whom he didn’t really identify) has had an abortion in Singapore. Rhian’s family claimed that that very damaging claim has traumatized not only Rhian but the whole family. The GMA Network is also filing charges against Mo for “the malicious and false imputations against the network in his video posted on the YouTube.” Mo said that he has sold his belongings preparatory to his leaving for New York (presumably to mend his broken heart), including his laptop(?) in which he wrote his diary. He said he would delay his departure a few days to find out who posted the libelous entry on the YouTube. But shouldn’t he have erased everything in his laptop(?) before he sold it?

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Last year, Ai-Ai de las Alas got her Christmas wish: To win a Best Actress award for Star Cinema’s Tanging Ina Mo, Last Na ‘To.

Asked if she’s making the same wish this Christmas, Ai-Ai told Funfare Update: “Iba naman. Wish ko lang na mag-top grosser ang movie namin ni Boss Vic.”

The movie is Enteng ng Ina Mo, first team-up of Ai-Ai and Vic Sotto whose company M-ZET Productions is co-producing it with Star Cinema for the Metro Filmfest this month.

The formula is reminiscent of Si Agimat at si Enteng Kabisote, one of last year’s Metro Filmfest’s top three grossers, combining the star/box-office power of Vic (Enteng Kabisote) and Bong Revilla (Agimat).

Both the Enteng Kabisote and Tanging Ina franchises are money-makers. Put one and one together and you can just imagine how much it will rake in at the tills.

I think Ai-Ai might get her wish.

Incidentally, Ai-Ai has just scored a double victory in the recent Star Awards for TV of the Philippine Movie Press Clubs — Best Single Performance By An Actress for the Krus episode on Maalaala Mo Kaya and Best Comedy Actress for Malay Mo Ma-Develop (her short-lived ABS-CBN sitcom with Aga Muhlach).

Kean’s successful solo flight

I missed Kean Cipriano’s first solo concert at Aliw Theater two Saturdays ago due to the treachery of holidays deadlines. I envied Nap Gutierrez, a Kean fan since his days as vocalist of Calla Lily, to whom I gave my two complimentary tickets.

“I’ve seen a lot of Calla Lily’s concerts but this is the first time I really got to appreciate the talent of Kean,” reported Nap. “Kean made hundreds of girls (and even boys) scream their hearts out. He had no big guest super singers, no scripted spiels, but he finished the night with flying colors, making those who filled the venue enjoy every minute of his acts. He was so natural, and the people loved him for that.”

Nap and, I’m sure the rest of the audience, like it that there were no prepared spiels, not much production drama, with Kean making sure that the crowd had no dull moments as he delivered one hit song after another.

Added Nap, “He performed as if there was no tomorrow and, at one point of the concert, said, ‘This is the best day of my life!’ Indeed, it was.”

Maybe Kean couldn’t believe seeing the big crowd that braved (and survived) the heavy Saturday night traffic around nearby Star City.

“He had at least seven costume changes, changed his pants three times, and changed his shoes thrice,” Nap counted. “And when he took off his shirt towards the end of the show, the girls just couldn’t resist rushing nearer the stage, clicking their digicams and videocams, hoping to get better and closer shots of Kean who was just oozing with so much sex  appeal that night. He played the drums, the guitar, and was on vocals the whole night. He never got tired running from left to right of the big Aliw Theater stage, and his energy was just awesome.”

Kean is turning out to be multi-faceted. He was a good actor in Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, a good TV host (in the Kapatid Network), and, according to Nap, “now a looming concert prince or king, whatever you wanna call it.”

Kean’s concert was under BBS (Big Band Syndicate) Project and was conceptualized by Rye Sarmiento of 6Cyclemind and Darwin Hernandez. Musical directors were Ronnie Dizon and Rye while director was Elmer Lapena. Among those who performed with Kean were Jay Durias of South Border, Buddy Zabala of Eraserheads, Mike D of Sandwich, Raims M of Eraserheads, Herbert Hernandez of 6Cyclemind, Bob Canamo of 6Cyclemind, and Wendell Garcia of Pupil, indeed a collaboration of the best in the music industry. Also lending support were members of Calla Lily — Eunice (gracenote), Otep (drums), Berns Cuevas (bass), Ronnie Dizon (keyboards) and Jay Macalincag (acoustic guitar). Concert producer is Josh Uy.

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What a lovey-dovey couple!

Even if Zia Quizon claimed that she is ‘loveless,’ those close to her said that her love life is actually going great. The lucky guy is Christopher Michael Perlas, 22, a Business student at La Salle where Zia graduated with a degree in Literature. If the surname sounds familiar, it’s because Christopher is the son of Nicanor Perlas who ran for president in the 2010 elections. ‘Christopher is accepted by Zia’s parents, Dolphy and Zsa Zsa Padilla,’ said the Funfare Update source. ‘In fact, one time he even went with the Quizons on a family trip to Singapore.’ Now, if you see a good-looking guy who is artistahin cheering Zia right on during her concert, that’s him.

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Andi’s daughter baptized in Feb.

Andi Eigenmann’s daughter Adrianna Gabrielle, nicknamed Elli, born last Nov. 23, will be baptized in February next year yet, the same month Andi started conceiving. Among the godparents are Coco Martin and Megan Young. Andi hasn’t completed the list yet. But for sure, Elli’s father, Albie Casiño, won’t be invited to the event. Why, he hasn’t even seen the baby yet. It might take years before he does because Andi (and her mom, Jaclyn Jose) have imposed a ‘ban’ on Albie. But when Elli grows older, I think she will start looking for her father. Andi’s case is similar to that of Jennylyn Mercado who kept her son from Patrick Garcia after Patrick expressed doubt if he was the father. Jennylyn has relented. All’s well that ends well.

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