Victor comes out of his shell

Author: Edgar Cruz
Column: BuzzStation

Victor Basa has denied that he’s the naked hunk with the pixelized mid-body shot now the hot hit in the Net. The gorgeous guy looks like him, but he says it’s not him. Victor celebrated his 23rd birthday (June 6) along with other Star Magic members born in June like Gretchen Fullido (June 4), Aldred Gatchalian (June 14), Andi Eigenmann (June 23), Gemmae Custodio, Zaira dela Pena (June 10), Sophia Baars (June 12), Katrina “Hopia” Legaspi (June 13) and Arno Morales (June 14). When Buzzstation met Victor more than two years ago, he was a quiet guy who calculated the other person before opening up. Now he warms up faster, has learned the art of sharing and knows where he stands. The actor is a workaholic, with gigs as an MTV VJ, events host for ASAP 08, member of Coverboys and go-kart racer. He has clearly come out of his shell. He showed some emotion when he explained why he called PJ Valerio gay. The latter had courted Valeen Montenegro while he was inside Big Brother house knowing they were boyfriend/girlfriend.

An ABS-CBN victory at the Star Awards

One More Chance, director Cathy Garcia-Molina’s breakthrough romance feature film starring John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo, Derek Ramsey and Maja Salvador, won for her a Movie Director of the Year and for producer Star Cinema the Movie of the Year at the Star Awards for Movies. Cinema One Originals’ Confessional swept this year’s awards with five trophies (Best Digital Movie for Creative Programs Inc. and Oddfield Productions, Best Digital Directors for Jerrold Tarog and Ruel Antipuesto, Best Screenplay for a Digital Movie for Jerrold, Best Digital Sound Engineer for Jerrold and Best Editing in a Digital Movie for Jerrold). Star Awards for Movies is an annual award given out by the Philippine Movie Press Club, a group of entertainment writers and publicists.

Breaking buzz: Confessional will be screened at Robinson Galeria’s IndieSine starting Aug 13. Before this, Tambolista will screen at the same cinema on Aug. 2.

Dingdong, Karylle partner with Angelica, Christian

While Christian Bautista and Karylle were launching the West Side Story musical at Centerstage, Dingdong Dantes and Angelica Panganiban were being launched as Mario D’ Boro shoe endorsers at Annabel’s. Both launchings featured a Kapuso and Kapamilya star each. Dingdong and Karylle being real-life boyfriend/girlfriend made it more interesting. For an hour or two, it looked like the channel war had ended, and it took a commercial collaboration of stars from both networks to melt it down. There was no tell-tale signs of the cold war. Christian did a convincing romantic duet with Karylle from West while Dingdong and Angelica sat side by side, smiling at each other as the open forum progressed. It looks like it will be the stars of each network who will end the stiff competition between GMA and ABS-CBN. KC Concepcion and Richard Gutierrez took the lead. The rest must follow. Tickets to West Side Story from P500 to P1,200 are now sold at TicketWorld (891-9999) and Stages (818 1111 loc. 225), while Mario D’ Boro footwear are sold in 121 outlets all over the country.

Lea meets her Prince Charming

While viewing Kitty Tanaguchi’s intriguing murals at the CCP mezzanine hallway, I heard a woman, unmistakably Lea Salonga, launch into a beautiful song accompanied only by a pianist. A duet followed this, what I recognized as “Ten Minutes Ago.” Lea was scheduled to give a press conference that day for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at the cultural hub’s lobby. Curious, I looked down on the ledge and there was this tall foreigner with an extraordinary voice rehearsing the song with her. They went through it only once. His voice was spectacular. The man turned to be Peter Saide, the handsome and charming Australian, who is playing Prince Charming to Lea’s Cinderella.

Cinderella is a lavish production. Its opulent design is created by a team led by globally acclaimed couturier Renato Ballestra. Produced by Broadway Asia Entertainment, it will stage at CCP’s Main Theater from July 29 to Aug. 24. This launches a 30-week Asian tour of the Emmy award-winning production. Songs for Act I are “The Prince Is Giving A Ball,” “In My Little Corner,” “Your Majesties,” “Loneliness of Evening,” “Boy and Girls Like You and Me.” And for Act II, “Stepsisters’ Lament,” “Impossible,” “When You Are Driving Through the Moonlight,” “A Lovely Night,” “There’s Music In You,” and “The Wedding.” Tickets from P500 to P7,000 are available at all TicketWorld outlets (891-9999).

Serbis is breakthrough movie

Creative director/scriptwriter Armando “Bing” Lao comes closest to his concept of real time in Dante Mendoza’s Serbis. It shows a day in the life of a family operating a rundown cinema, which gays and sex workers have turned into a cavernous free-for-all motel room. Serbis is the most sincere look into the sub-culture. Bing pushed himself to the limit, weaving a story as it happens in real life no matter how ugly. That’s why a lot of insignificant vignettes crop up: the frontal nudity as opening scene, the endless walking (started by Bing in Jeffrey Jeturian’s Kubrador) up and down the circuitous stairs, the ambient sounds, the goat that invades the cinema and, most importantly, the de-glamorized stars. When pieced together with the narrative of a broken family occupied by their own self-interests, it paints a realistic picture of life as not beautiful and a society that is hopeless. Bing has successfully been ditching Hollywood standards of glamour and fiction, which is why American critics made Serbis the burnt toast of the last Cannes International Film Festival.

Direk Cathy uneasy talking about Richard

Buzzstation had an exclusive interview with A Very Special Love director Cathy Garcia-Molina after the first media huddle of the new Star Cinema movie, a John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo starrer. She told me she was uneasy naming Richard Gomez during the open forum when she was asked who she would not like to work with again. She blamed herself for being upfront, which sometimes causes her trouble in the media. She was an assistant director to Olive Lamasan back then when Richard shouted at her in public during a shoot, making her lose face. She was terribly hurt, promising she would not work with him again. They worked together in the full-length features Maalaala Mo Kaya The Movie, Hanggang Kailan Kita Mamahalin and Minsan Minahal Kita, all for Star Cinema. She fears she’ll be accused of using him to promote A Very Special Love, which is not the case.

Christian’s role not a dancing part

Everybody’s concerne when Stages announced Christian Bautista’s role as Tony in West Side Story was if he can dance. Christian has admitted that he is not a dancer. Stages president Audi Gemora explained, “There are singing roles and dancing roles in West Side Story. Christian’s role is a singing role that does not require him to dance.” Karylle is playing Maria, alternating with Joanna Ampil. This new production will be faithful to the original Broadway choreography of Jerome Robbins as Audi revealed to Buzzstation. He said, “We have this book that details every dance movement in the musical.” According to Karylle, Christian has a dancing—nah, swaying—part in a song number. For this part, he took dance lessons. The musical will be staged in Meralco Theater from September to October. West Side Story is directed by Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo with Gerald Salonga conducting the FILharmoniKa orchestra.

Shorties

Ruffa Gutierrez cried when ex-husband Yilmaz Bektas greeted her on her birthday...I told you Ruffa’s suitor Reda Rhalimi is not even boyfriend material. Ruffa told him that all she could offer to him is friendship!...Edu Manzano had a public display of affection (PDA) when he held girlfriend Pinky Webb’s hand on-cam...Kris Aquino and James Yap’s marriage counselor advised them to take time off so they are planning a two-week holiday in the US by themselves, no Josh and Baby James in tow!...Snooky has been thrown out of her condo unit for failure to pay rent and she’s back shacking up with friends. Eldest daughter Sam has decided to live in dad Ricardo Cepeda’s house...Lorna Tolentino has been visiting Rudy Fernandez’s tomb daily and she’s building an air-conditioned mausoleum there so they could spend more time together...Yul Servo and new child actor Fritz Chavez have been cast as the gardener and gay boy, respectively, in Dose. This is debuting director Senedy Que’s official entry to the 4th Cinema One Originals Film Festival in November. Emilio Garcia will play the grown-up kid who meets the gardener 28 years later. Irma Adlawan acts as the boy’s aunt. Alessandra Di Rossi will have a cameo role...Lauren Dyogi dealt with the high production costs of Fear Factor by sending contestants instead of producing it here.

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Source: The Daily Tribune

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