Cherie Gil plays Vogue editor in one-woman play

MANILA -- Veteran actress Cherie Gil takes on the role of a fashion icon in a one-woman play which will be staged next month.

Gil is the star of My Own Mann Productions' "Full Gallop," a play that focuses on noted fashion columnist and editor Diana Vreeland of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar magazines.

The play is set in New York in 1971, when Vreeland was just fired from Vogue and is figuring out what to do with her life.

In a press conference for "Full Gallop" on Tuesday, Gil recalled being offered to do the play by director Bart Guingona.

"On my birthday, Bart came and I think he just dumped it on my lap and he said, 'Here is the script.' And though I browsed through the script I really didn't delve into it yet… Then I thought to myself, she (Vreeland) is the woman that I wanted to become, even just for a few nights," she said. "Everything fell into place quite effortlessly."

Noting how she sees herself in Vreeland, Gil said: "I find that we have a lot in common. First of all, she's crazy. She has a lot of things going on at the same time, may pagka-bipolar. And at the same time, she sees the world in a different light. She is more than just fashion and outfits. She can never remember names. She loves the tango and I love the tango. She's a wonderful mother and I'd like to think I'm a wonderful mother. She stays on track and she loves what she does. Nothing stops her from wanting to keep on going."

Gil, who has been studying Vreeland's character for the past six months, admitted that it is quite a challenge to portray the fashion icon's vivacious and larger-than-life character.

"I'm still preparing. I'm not quite there yet… Nobody speaks like Diana. And what also made her iconic is her vernacular, the way she spoke: marvelous, divine, ghastly and all those kinds of kabaklaan. I would love to say all that. My gay friends would love it as well," she said.

"But beyond the fashion, the glamour and maybe even the superficiality of it… I want to emanate the human side of her with the help of Bart (Guingona). It's actually quite poignant. It all starts with who she is, but then, she is one of those iconic women symbolizing those strong forces of nature. And I'm only given a few nights to put my heart and soul for that past six months that I have been doing," she added.

"Full Gallop" will open a the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Plaza in Makati City with a gala night on March 14. Regular performances will be on March 15 and 21 at 8 p.m., and March 16 and 23 at 4 p.m.

Homage to fashion, beauty industry

While it is a one-woman play, "Full Gallop" will have the special participation of actress G Tongi and will feature the creations of top designers Rajo Laurel (costume), Joey Mendoza (set) and John Batalla (lighting). Ruben Nazareth, meanwhile, will be in charge of Gil's hair and makeup during the play's short run.

According to Gil, "Full Gallop" serves as an homage not only to Vreeland, but also to all the fashion and beauty experts that she has worked with over the past decades.

"I could not have done it on my own, being stylized and being basically created to have this sort of fashion image without the friends I've had in the fashion industry and beauty industry from the get-go… This is the perfect time to give them an homage, so to speak. They've been there to support me and speak of fashion and beauty and how they influence everyday life," she said.

Guingona, for his part, said they will do their best to make "Full Gallop" their own "without losing the spirit of Diana Vreeland."

Noting how the play has been presented differently on Broadway and in London, he said: "In the first place, very few people here know Diana Vreeland so there's no need to be so boxed into what she really looked like. What we need to do is to be true to the spirit of Diana Vreeland rather than to the letter. Everything we do here, Rajo is going to give us designs that are inspired by Diana."

"It will be a beautiful stylized set that captures [Diana's] spirit," he added. "Why would you do it the way they did it? We're doing it here so might as well rethink and redefine it and make it our own."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Boots Anson-Roa to marry again at 69

MANILA— "Providence" is the word that veteran actress Boots Anson-Roa used to describe how she found love again at 68 years old.

Widowed for six years, Anson-Roa just got engaged with 74-year-old lawyer Francisco Rodrigo Jr., and will be married again on June 14, 2014.

The newly engaged couple plans to do the traditional "pamamanhikan" to their children on Anson-Roa's 69th birthday on January 20, 2014.

Since both of their spouses passed away a few years back, the couple visited the graves of their former partners first to ask for blessings before they got engaged.

At her age, Anson-Roa said the experience of being engaged is still new to her, since she and her late husband, Pete Roa, eloped before they got married.

"[Nag]Tanan kami ni Pete e, so wala akong engagement ring. Hindi rin ako nakaranas ng formal wedding," Anson-Roa said.

The veteran actress said she never expected to fall in love again, especially with Francisco, who was a high school classmate of her late husband.

A former consul general of the Philippines in the US, Francisco courted Anson-Roa for one year.

"People call it serendipity or fate, but I think it is providence," she said during the formal announcement of their engagement.

Now both at the late stages of their lives, Anson-Roa and Rodrigo found themselves in love more than ever, proving the old saying “age doesn’t matter.”

"As I've been telling you in all this courtship, I love you," Rodrigo told his fiancé who replied: "Madalas akong nag-a-'I love you'. Ngayon, and I sincerely mean it, thank you for your love." -- report from Mario Dumaual, TV Patrol, ABS-CBN

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Maricel can benefit from anger management'

Star Magic defended actor Gerald Anderson against reports that his unprofessionalism was the cause of delay in the taping of the upcoming series "Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin." Veteran actress Maricel Soriano has already left the series and her camp has appealed to public for understanding. Sources from her camp pointed out that Soriano is still in the process of recovering from the death of her mother and broached the idea of undergoing an anger management program. Umagang Kay Ganda, January 23, 2013

For more of Umagang Kay Ganda visit http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/umagangkayganda

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Star Magic backs Gerald's 'professionalism'

MANILA, Philippines – ABS-CBN’s talent management arm Star Magic said actor Gerald Anderson did not do anything that provoked or instigated Maricel Soriano’s removal from their upcoming television series “Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin.”

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Star Magic said it “has the utmost confidence not only in Gerald Anderson's exceptional ability as an actor, but also in his unassailable personal character and professional behavior.”

On Monday, ABS-CBN Head of Corporate Communications Bong Osorio announced that Soriano will no longer be part of the upcoming ABS-CBN series.

“Due to the unfortunate incident between Gerald Anderson and Maricel Soriano that transpired on the first taping day of ‘Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin,’ the ABS-CBN management and the management of Maricel Soriano have agreed that Maricel will no longer be part of the cast,” he said.

Despite this, Osorio stressed that the series, which also features Cristine Reyes, Rayver Cruz and Diana Zubiri, will still proceed as scheduled.

Prior to Monday's statement, it was rumored that Soriano blew her top when she and Anderson were doing a scene together last week.

According to a report published on the Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP), Anderson was reportedly having a hard time with his lines and this allegedly irritated Soriano, causing her to shout at the actor before walking out of the set.

However, another source told the website that footage would prove that there was nothing wrong with Anderson's acting, considering that they were taping a "light" scene.

Anderson allegedly tried to talk to Soriano but he was not able to appease the veteran actress.

According to PEP, Anderson was seen crying after the incident.

Aside from Anderson and Soriano, the upcoming series on the Kapamilya network will also feature Cristine Reyes, Rayver Cruz and Diana Zubiri.

PEP quoted a source saying actress Dawn Zulueta is being considered to replace Soriano in the series.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Maricel Soriano to Dolphy: Daddy I love you so much, I’ll see you soon

MANILA, Philippines - Veteran actress Maricel Soriano, who played Dolphy's on-screen daughter on the popular TV show John en Marsha, said the late actor was the only person who made her feel like she did not come from a broken family.

"Nine years old pa lang ako alam ko I was hopeless. Ang gusto ko ipaalam sa lahat, I may be a product of a broken family in real life but isa at nag-iisa lang yung Dolphy na nakapagparamdam sa akin na ... hindi ka pwedeng product ng isang broken family dahil meron kang Mommy, meron kang Daddy (When I was only nine years old I knew I was hopeless. This, I want to tell everybody, I may be a product of a broken family in real life but Dolphy was the only one who made me feel that … I was not a product of a broken family because I had a Mommy, I had a Daddy)," Soriano said in tears.

She said that Dolphy served as her father both in television and in real life.

When Nida Blanca died, Soriano said she remembered Dolphy consoling her saying, "Iniwan na tayo ng Mommy mo (Your Mommy has left us)."

"Ngayon, walang pwedeng magsabi sa akin na 'Wala na ang Daddy mo (Now, no one can tell me that 'Your Daddy is gone),'" Soriano said.

"Daddy I love you so much and I’ll see you soon," she said.

source: interaksyon.com