Curtain-raisers:
* Fanny Serrano finally underwent a delicate open-heart surgery yesterday morning at the St. Luke's Medical Center to check a hole in his heart. He should be up and about before long, with a new heart still as pure as the old one. Say a little prayer for his speedy recovery.
* The latest word about Geneva Cruz and Paco Arespacochaga: An annulment case is now pending in court. One of them is required to undergo a psychiatric test but Funfare is not saying who. Your guess is as good as anybody's.
* Jun Lalin, Ruffa Gutierrez's Boy Friday, left two precious Beta tapes of Ruffa's goings-on in the States at a Nissan taxi which he took from his home in Las Piñas to Megamall yesterday. The taxi driver or any passenger coming after Jun is requested to call up Jun through his pager 781-88-88/7722527. A P5,000 reward awaits the finder.
There's a new rapper in movietown and he's none other than Carlos Agassi. You see him rap with all his might and all his heart on ABS-CBN's A.S.A.P., don't you?
The good news is that Carlos will soon come up with his maiden rap album for Star Records which is building him up as the company's home rapper. Should we say, "Move over, Andrew E. and Francis M.?"
In all modesty, Carlos said, "Actually, FrancisM. is one of my idols. The other one is Will Smith. In Dec. 12 last year during my birthday, my dream came true when I rapped with Francis M."
Carlos said he likes Smith because, unlike most rappers who curse and who seem to promote violence, Smith raps about positive values, family togetherness, love for parents and goodwill towards fellowmen.
In fact, Carlos has written a poem dedicated to his mother, the former Rowena Tagle Damaso, which Carlos will include in his debut rap album. Entitled For Mom, the poem is about a mother (Rowena) and her son (Carlos) singing praises to each other, touching in a childlike way.
"I wish I could convince Zsa Zsa Padilla to sing the 'Mom' portions of my poem-rap," said Carlos, keeping his fingers crossed. "I pray to God that Zsa Zsa will agree."
You'll have the chance to watch Carlos rap "live" when he performs with Roselle Nava and JM Rodiguez (both also Star Records contract artists) in First Night, Rosalle's first major concert, at the Music Museum on April 14 (a Friday).
"My style is different (from those of other rappers, that is)," according to Carlos whose real name, Amir, means Prince in Arabic. (No wonder he fits to a T the title Star Records is giving him -- Prince of Rap, what else!) "It's parang LFO, light na may groove. My kind of rap is about fun things -- girls, dating, parties, dance and feelings of love, so I'm sure people, especially those my age, can readily relate to it."
Okay, Carlos, rap on!
Wowie de Guzman is out of Judy Ann Santos' reel life, definitely. And so is Rico Yan (who denied that he and Claudine Barretto have broken up).
Star Cinema is deadest in building up Judy Ann with new, more fresh and better leading men in the persons of Leandro Muñoz and Piolo Pascual who are her partners in Maalaala Mo Kaya The Movie Part 2 (tentative title) which starts grinding any day now, with Gilbert Perez as director (his movie-directorial debut).
Leandro was Judy Ann's love interest in last year's blockbuster FPJ starrer Isusumbong Kita sa Tatay Ko and they clicked (the chemistry between them is good, maybe because they're at ease with each other having been schoolmates at Mt. Carmel High School).
Piolo (whose launching "bold" movie Lagarista has been put "on hold"), who has beautifully survived a "smear campaign" against him (you know, gay issue, etc.), was Judy Ann's love interest in Esperanza The Movie, Star Cinema's Metro Filmfest entry in December last year.
If the Leandro-Judy Ann-Piolo "love triangle" clicks (and chances are that it would), fans can expect more Star Cinema flicks featuring them.
Jolina Magdangal will leave for the US the end of the month for a big concert at the Queen's College Hall in New York. She will then fly to Los Angeles to shoot a telemovie which will be aired in the US and possibly in the Philippines.
Jolina will attend a dinner-social to be hosted by the officers of her California-based fans club, the JLC. The group conducted a fund-raising project whose proceeds will be donated to the Jolina's Little Angels Foundation and will be turned over to her during the affair.
JLC is a 1,500-member international fans club made up of Jolina's followers from the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, Japan and other parts of Asia.
Jolina is excited about the concert because joining her in the event are her friend Roselle Nava and another colleague, Angelika de la Cruz. Jolina's current film with Robin Padilla, Tunay na Tunay, Gets Mo, Gets Ko, was a big success, and so is her TV special Very Jolina, aired a few days ago over Channel 2. Requests have been coming in for a replay and another episode.
Her revival album, Jolina on Memory Lane, has been certified quadruple platinum.
Negotiations are underway for a series of concerts in the Middle East.
The Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Foundation has recently award Jolina the twin honors of being the Most Popular Singer and Entertainer of the Year.