Sarah wows in Araneta show

Anybody dreaming of becoming the next Sarah Geronimo, or of being better or equal to the Pop Princess should now sit back, take stack of who she is, what she has, what she can do and most of all, what she is willing to do. It will be very hard for anybody to equal let alone surpass what Sarah did in 24/SG at the Big Dome in Cubao, Quezon City last July 7 and again last July 21.

The success of the concert put Sarah in a class by herself and certified her stature as the true music diva of our times. She is now truly a fitting heiress to the stellar traditions set by the great Nora Aunor, Sharon Cuneta and Regine Velasquez. But with a difference, Sarah can dance up a storm.

I was told once that aside from innate grace and hard work, a most important ingredient in dance is trust. You have to trust your partner that he is not going to let you fall; your co-dancers that they are not going to lose their steps or trip you up; your surroundings, that the floor will not be slippery and nothing will fall from the ceiling; and yourself, that you will be sure-footed all the time. Sarah had all these. She was fearless and danced and sang with total abandon.

The show was one of the most entertaining we have seen by a local artist these past months. The music, the sets, the sound, the lighting were all first rate. The clever use of visuals by newbie concert director Paul Basinillo was particularly arresting. This was the best indication that Pinoys are now at par with the demands of a global audience. And how I loved Sarah’s Furne One wardrobe. Such beautiful, well-fitting clothes.

While I can still thrill to listening to plain beautiful singing, it is also a fact that people today now want the shows to integrate sight and sound into a single package. And this happened with seemingly effortless ease in 24/SG. The fans who packed both nights truly got their money’s worth. The only problem I have with this success is how on earth is Sarah going to top something like this next year.

The well-chosen guests also helped make the evenings memorable. I like it that the very witty and funny Jon Santos was there to hold the fairy tale concept together. And he brought along his favorite characters, the fairy godmother, the Pac Mom Mommy D, the feisty lawmaker and the movie star-cum-governor from Batangas. He was a riot as each and the crowd loved him. I was so glad that Sarah’s fans got to find out what a great comedian this guy is.

Filipino pop music stalwarts Basil Valdez, The CompanY and a very dapper Bamboo were also there. There were the newcomers, financial wizard Anton Alvarez, all the way from Paris to sing his duet of Wish with Sarah, her own Dad, Delfin Geronimo for I Will Be Here and Sam Concepcion and Anya Aguilar. These kids did a duet of Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala. They looked good and they sang well but that song was too serious and too dramatic. Basil with You and The CompanY, Now That I Have You and Everlasting Love, sounded younger.

That though is a very minor glitch in the proceedings. The other one I have is that I wanted Sarah to sing more Filipino songs. But you can’t have everything. Maybe next year. I do not know if she feels it but the suspense for the concert of 2013 is beginning to build up.

More shows by Filipino artists

70s and 80s Relived, a long-running concert series starring Ding Mercado, Eugene Villaluz, Pat Castillo and Jacqui Magno, returns to the Music Museum on July 28. Watch these great performers dish out the songs from the past that turned them into stars. I am sure that this show will be a good one and I want to encourage everybody to watch. My only problem is I just found out that tickets are already sold out. See if you can beg the Music Museum for one or two or perhaps just wait for the next one of the series.

Viva Concerts and Events, who by the way also produced 24/SG, is bringing The Greatest Hits to the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila on Aug. 3. One of the most successful and longest-running shows in local showbiz history, this edition stars hitmakers Hajji Alejandro Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika, Marco Sison, My Love Will See You Through and Rico J. Puno, Kapalaran. Tickets are now available at the RWM box office (908-8888) at Viva Concerts, (687-7236) and at Ticketworld (891-9999).