The end of soap operas?

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Dream Factory

WILL reality shows be the next big thing after teleseryes and telefantasyas? We recorded the ratings generated by ABS-CBN’s primetime shows from Monday to Friday last week and there’s no doubt that their highest-rating programs now are "The Singing Bee" and "Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Plus Edition," which are definitely less expensive to produce than their two fantaseryes, "Lobo" and "Maligno," for which they spend quite a lot on the computer effects alone.

Here are the ratings: Monday (May 5): "Singing Bee" - 24.7%, "Lobo" - 21.8%, "PBB Teens" - 24.6%, "Maligno" - 19.2%

Tuesday – "Singing Bee" - 22.7%, "Lobo" - 21.6%, "PBB Teens" - 23.4%, "Maligno" – 17%

Wednesday – "Singing Bee" -21.9%, "Lobo" - 18.6%, "PBB Teens" - 22.7%, "Maligno" - 18.7%

Thursday – "Singing Bee" - 23.3%, "Lobo" – 20%, "PBB Teens" - 21.6%, "Maligno" - 16.8%

Friday (May 9) – "Singing Bee" - 25.6%, "Lobo" - 20.4%, "PBB Teens" - 24.7%, "Maligno" - 16.8%

This does not augur well for actors as it means a show can feature lesser-know celebrities (like "Singing Bee" with their contestants) or total uknowns (like "PBB Teens" with their housemates) and it will rate even higher than serialized stories featuring big-name stars like Piolo Pascual or Claudine Barretto. If the trend continues (with GMA-7 launching "Survivor Philippines") soon, then we might be seeing the waning days of soap serials on primetime.

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Mylene Dizon is now more active in GMA-7 than in her home studio, ABS-CBN. She plays the villainous Reyna Diyangga who torments Marian Rivera in "Dyesebel." "Wala kaming taping na hindi ko pinahihirapan siMarian kaya inaasahan ko nang maraming fans ng ‘Dyesebel’ ang galit sa akin," she says. "Pero after the take, friends kami’tsuper chikahan kasi nakatrabaho ko na rin si Marian noon sa TAPE in the afternoon soap na ‘Agawin Mo Man ang Lahat sa Akin.’ Bago pa lang siya noon kaya ‘Dyesebel’ is our reunion. I’m really happy for her that her career is doing so good. Sana magtuloy-tuloy."

Doesn’t she get tired of playing villain roles? "Ngayon pa ba ako mag-iinarte, e meron akong baby boy na binubuhay, ano? At sa panahon ngayon, you should just be thankful na patuloy kang may trabaho.Let’s be realistic, ang daming artistang bakante, ‘di ba? So, we have no right to be choosy. Ako nga, I just feel so blessed na nakakapagtrabaho ako in both networks. Meron pa rin naman akong showsa ABS-CBN. I’m hosting ‘My Space,’ a weekly show every Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Cinema One. Ang role ko naman as Reyna Diyangga in ‘Dyesebel’ is not an ordinary one. Bonggang reyna ako ng underwater kingdom of Sirenea rito. Super ganda ang costume ko, lalo buntot ko, atsuper inggitera rin ako rito kay Dyesebel. First time kong gumanap na sirena at enjoy ang lola n’yo. Pati nga anak kong si Tomas, aliw na aliw sa show."

This week, people will be shocked at how ugly Dyesebel has become after she got a pair of legs. She goes to Manila to look for the love of her life, Fredo. She sees his billboard and climbs it until guards stop her. She lives with Aling Melba, a fish vendor, and meets Betty (Bianca King) by chance in the market. They get into a fight. Dyesebel is about to be arrested by cops but the bystanders defend her.

Dyangga learns that Dyesebel has chosen to be human and orders that Banak be punished for this. Berbola gets inside the cave Amanfura and sees the treasure boxes there where she recognizes Lucia, the former queen of Sirenea who’s Dyesebel’s real mom. She asks Dyangga about it and Dyangga gets mad.

Dyesebel sees Fredo riding a white stallion. Fredo has become the president of their company and he’s doing a commercial. She follows Fredo inside his building and finds work as janitress. She is so happy to learn that she’s cleaning Fredo’s room. She falls while cleaning and Fredo helps her. They see each other again.

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We attended the healing mass for Rudy Fernandez at Christ the King last Saturday and we know that with so many people praying for him, God will clear him of his ailment. Among the first to arrive were veteran stars Gloria Romero, Susan Roces, Perla Bautista, Armida Siguion Reyna, and Luz Valdez. Boots Anson Roa acted as the lector. We also saw Laurice Guillen and Johnny Delgado, Robin Padilla and daughters Queen and Kylie with Ai Ai de las Alas, Ricky Davao, Glydel Mercado (who did the first reading) and Tonton Gutierrez, Paolo Contis and Isabel Oli, Tirso Cruz III and wife Lyn Ynchausti, Iza Calzado, Diana Zubiri, Phillip Salvador, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Lloyd Samartino, Rez Cortez, Leo Martinez, Conrad Poe, Roy Alvarez, Andeng Bautista and husband Gov. Junjun Ynares, Boots Plata and Dolor Guevarra, Lolit Solis, Nora Calderon, Ronald Constantino, Mario Hernando, Ricky Calderon, Jojo Gabinete, and many more. Daboy’s sons, Mark Anthony, Ralph and Renz, delivered messages of appreciation from their family. Let’s all continue to pray for Daboy’s full recovery.

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Polo Ravales is amused by reports that he and Jean Garcia have broken up. "Nakakatawa talaga kasi nagkalabuan na raw kami at hiwalay na," he says. "Paano kaming magbe-break e hindi naman naging kami? Did we ever admit na kami na nga?"

It’s said that they just won’t admit it in public because Jean’s daughter, Jennica, is against him and Jean doesn’t want to hurt her daughter’s feelings. "O, saan na naman galing ‘yan? Jennica and I are okay and I don’t think kung kami nga ng mommy niya, makikialam siya, kasi si Ms. Jean naman, hindi rin nakikialam sa lovelife ng anak niya. They respect each other as mother and daughter kaya huwag na sanang isama si Jennica sa ganyang mga intriga."

So will Jean be watching his concert, "Rubirubiat@Boyz.com" at Metro Bar, West Avenue this Friday, 9 p.m.? "Nanood na siya noong first concert namin sa Zirkoh and Jennica was with her, pati ‘yung ka-love team nitong si Mart Escudero, so I don’t know if she’d watch again. But I will surely invite her. Dapat lang na manood siya kasi hindi basta replayito. Marami kaming new and better acts dito at guests pa namin sina Rufa Mae Quinto, Jan Nieto at Hazel Ann Mendoza."

If Jean wouldn’t show up at Metro Bar, then that means she’s boycotting the show and they’re really off by now. "Talaga? May ganun?" Polo laughs.

For tickets to "Rubirubi@Boyz.com," call DMV at 415-0373 to 74, Metro Bar at 412-6514, Ticketnet at 911-5555.

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Douglas Nierras founded the country’s top dance company, PowerDance, on May 27, 1987. Now, they’re holding their 21st anniversary concert, "PowerDance @ 21: Licensed to Thrill," their first at the Araneta Coliseum on May 27, Tuesday. As a treat to the public, this will be a free concert and you can get your free tickets from Araneta and Gateway.

"It will be a visual spectacle as it will show our dancers fly and weave magic in mid-air," says Douglas, who’s known to be a super taray dance teacher in "Star Struck." "Our dancers are dedicated artists who view their involvement with dance as a serious career, honing their craft to a high degree of technical competence and artistry."

PowerDance has represented our county in various international events, like "Festival International de Jazz (Mexico)" in 1990, "Asean Festival of Songs" (Singapore) from 1989 to 94, "Asia Dancefest" (Tokyo) in 1996. It also performed at the Lincoln Center New York City in 1998 and won the grand prize for Modern Dance Choreography in the10th Saitama International Creative Dance Concourse in Yono City, Japan in 1999, besting 73 other countries who competed.

Their 21st snniversary show will feature their most applauded piece likes "Buhay," "Hapis at Pagibig," "Ngayon at Kailanman," "Sayaw ng Puso at Kaluluwa." It will also feature an all-prayer dance repertoire, "Panalangin," that’s now touring the country. The special guests are Boy Abunda and KC Concepcion as hosts, Gary Valenciano and with Arnell Ignacio conducting a choir of 70 people led by the Madrigals to interpret "An Email from Liverpool," a compilation of music from The Beatles.

"I first met Douglas when I did ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ for Repertory Philippines exactly 20 years ago," says Arnell. "Boyfriend ko kasi yung isang dancer doon, so join din ako as dancer. Douglas was our choreographer at sabi ko, sino ba tong mestisang baklang itong sobrang taray? But when he started to dance, I was dumbfounded. Noon lang ako nakakita ng ganun kagaling mag-move. Tapos, pinapagaya sa’kin ng hindi na uulitin at pinagka-cartwheel ba naman ako! Nang hindi ko magawa, binato ako ng monobloc. That’s how our friendship started."

Douglas also choreographed KC Concepcion’s stunning dance number in her mom Sharon Cuneta’s birthday celebration last January. "Akala ni Sharon, she’ll just sing. She didn’t have any idea that it’ll be a complex dance number with KC flying on harness. For that, we trained KC for one month muna sa gym, then another month sa dance and gym, and two weeks aerial training na lumilipad siya. Bilib ako kay KC as she has drive, discipline, sense and intelligence. She’s very well put together and I must congratulate Sharon for bringing up a young woman who’s so refreshing to work with."

Douglas is also convincing Aga Muhlach to guest in the show. :"Aga is a good dancer," said Douglas. "But he says he’s still conditioning himself to do a dance number with the PowerDance dahil matagal na raw siyang hindi nagsasayaw."

Source: Malaya

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