There goes Kiri TE Kanawa! - DIRECT LINE By Boy Abunda

I wanted to weep when I was told that my 20-minute Private Conversations with Dame Kiri TE Kanawa has been cancelled. I looked forward to Oct. 30, 10:30 a.m. Westin Philippine Plaza — my Kiri TE Kanawa interview. I told Nikka Salta-Santos, my executive producer for Private Conversations with Boy Abunda, that I was willing to forego with my rest day on this particular Monday because it is a rare chance that you get to talk to an Opera Diva. With stature of Kiri TE Kanawa, you probably get one chance in a lifetime. And mine is gone. And I’m terribly disappointed. Because I know that I will never get to play Susanna and share the same stage with the venerable Opera Goddess who conquered the opera world with her portrayal of the Countess in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. Susanna is the other woman, I think. But who cares now?

Anyway, here’s the official cancellation notice from Events Planners, Inc. producers of the concert.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, the connect of Kiri TE Kanawa with Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra on October 30 and 31 2000 at the PICC Plenary Hall is cancelled.

All tickets purchased will be refunded. Please prepare official receipt and/or concert tickets to be returned upon remittance of cash refund. Refund will be delivered to the address where the tickets were originally sent.

For inquiries call 7318591 (Nelson Borbon) for San Juan and Pasig areas 7316060 (Bobot Oca) for Manila, Parañaque, Muntinlupa and outside Metro Manila areas, and 7116708 (Nel Garbanzos) for Quezon City, Caloocan, and Valenzuela areas."

I feel bad for Events Planners, I can imagine the losses they would incur with this cancellation. Besides the money, I think they also lost the opportunity of bringing in one of the best opera singers in the world. I am told that this was also going to be the biggest job of Events Planners. Inc.

Kiri TE Kanawa’s last concert leg was supposedly Manila. She had performances in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei. My sources say that New Zealand Ambassador Graeme Waters actually assured the Opera Diva that it is safe to come to Manila. Events Planners said so too. But the assurances were obviously not enough to convince Dame Kiri and her management to visit Manila.

By the way, "unforeseen circumstances" to my mind simply refer to the Juetengate, the P1-billion mansions controversy, the P130-million tobacco excise tax imbroglio, the impeachment move, the much-talked-about snap elections and the proposed coalition Cabinet, the resign movement, the peso plunging down to the pit versus the dollar — and all these are baseless, preposterous allegations and are nothing but political tactics to topple the presidency.

Unforeseen circumstances, indeed!

But this one I’m sure will push through come hell or high waters and unforeseen circumstances.

The search is on for the Best Male Exotic Dancer Manila.

GRAM productions is proud to announce that it has acquired the exclusive rights to produce the exciting international search for the Best Male Exotic Dancer.

A lone representative from the Philippines will be chosen in the pageant to be held on Dec. 28, 2000 at Southern Bulls, Timog, Quezon City. He will receive $1,000 cash prize.

Special guest in the finals night is Victor Farouk Barilas, first runner-up of Mr. Asia-International who represented his country (Egypt) in the 1999 Best Male Exotic Dancer of the World in Los Angeles. Farouk will be arriving in Manila with the producers of the said contest, namely Dr. Lito Manzano, Gene Ciriaco, Ricky Ramos and Cade Guerzon.

Every Filipino male between 18 and 25 years of age is qualified to join. He must possess that beautiful face and body. Terpsichorean talent is a plus factor.

Screenings are scheduled on Nov. 12 and 19 at 1037-B Pablo Ocampo Sr. St. (formerly Vito Cruz St.), Manila.

For inquiries, you can call GRAM Secretariat at 303-05-28 or 303-05-29 and look for KC. Or you can call or text Gorgy at 0918-9016110, pager 141012650.