A resounding thank you

The Gawad Urian is over – at last! – and now, my life is slowly going back to normal.

It’s the period before the Urian, you see, that is the most stressful in my life and around this time, I get quarrelsome and irritable because of the pressure and the so many things I have to do for the awards program.

Mercifully, there were also people who make this phase in my life easy for me by helping out and giving their full cooperation in making the Urian show a success. (The reviews of the 26th Gaward Urian were mostly positive – modesty aside.) And now, please allow me thank them here.

Thank you to APT Entertainment, Inc. and the man behind it, Mr. Antonio Tuviera who also produces Eat Bulaga), for mounting the Urian show a second time. (Mr. Tuviera also published the second Urian anthology – a handsome coffee table book that is still available in National Bookstore outlets).

When I met with Mr. Tuviera’s group early this year regarding the Urian awards presentation, I pleaded with them not to overspend on the show so that they’d still end up with a little profit. (The Urian show at the Araneta Coliseum, which they put up last year went way over budget, but what a spectacular show that was – with special effects, a live band and dancers hanging from the ceiling with the aid of harnesses.)

I don’t think they listened to me this time and this is strange because all producers would always cut corners even if you don’t tell them. But not the group of Mr. Tuviera. They must have spent a fortune again on those live musicians (they’re so expensive), the costumes and special effects used in the Regine Velasquez opening number and even on those mechanical wagons that were used to bring in and out the performers and band members from the side of the stage. To Mr. Tuviera, thank you, and all your efforts were appreciated by all the Manunuri member.

Thank you to Ms. Poochie Rivera, who directed the Urian show. Usually, some two weeks before the Urian Awards, there is always panic among the people working on the program. But I didn’t feel it this time because Ms. Rivera’s production staff was always so cool even up to the end of the program. I guess this is due to the fact that Ms. Rivera and her group are so used to handling Eat Bulaga six days a week (with a big show every Saturday) for the past 24 years and putting up an awards show is really just peanuts for them. As for Poochie Rivera’s wonderful direction, I suppose it’s part of her never-ending process of perfecting her craft. Thank you Poochie for an excellent show.

Thank you to supervising producer Malou Choa-Fagar for being so efficient and so patient with the Manunuri requirements. (I have to admit that my fellow Manunuri members are not the easiest to please). Thank you for always being on top of things.

Thank you to head writer Noel Ferrer for the brilliant script. Noel, by the way, also writes for Sharon – and so, whoever said that Eat Bulaga and the ABS-CBN people can’t work together? Thank you also to his assistant writers, Ian Reyno and Romer Gonzales.

Thank you to musical director Eloisa Matias for the wonderful arrangements and for putting all these together in the production numbers.

Thank you to segment director Ruel Bayani for locating all those so-difficult-to find video clips and arranging them.

Thank you executive producer Herman Escueta and his people, production manager Josie Tolentino and Annabelle Macauba and all the PA’s and floor directors.

Thank you to casting directors Josie Manago and Jojo Gabinete for providing us with some of the most talented performers and most glamorous presenters this side of show business. For a change, there were no bold stars in an awards show. No, I have nothing against them, except that they always end up getting the attention away from the main event – which is the handing out of honors to outstanding achievements in film.

Thank you to Mr. Joey de Leon (yes, the Joey de Leon) for writing the script of the hilarious spoof that featured Michael V. and Ogie Alcasid.

Thank you to Mother Lily Monteverde for lending us Ara Mina’s dress in Mano Po (the cheongsam with the low-cut back), which Michael V. actually used in the spoof – although I have to say that the dress really looked much better on Ara.

Thank you to Regine Velasquez for doing the difficult, but sensational opening number, which required one shooting day – plus her live appearance during the program.

Thank you to Janno Gibbs, Gina Alajar, Dina Bonnevie, Anna Fegi, Michael Santana, Jose Llana, Arnee Hidalgo, Tex Ordonez, Jay-Ar, Aiza Seguerra, Ciara Sotto, Piolo Pascual, Michael V., Ogie Alcasid, Marissa Sanchez, Ruffa Mae Quinto, the Sex Bomb Dancers, percussionist Michael Alba, Tiples de Sto. Domingo, 604, 728 and the other performers and musicians who lent their talent to the Urian program.

Thank you to Vilma Santos, Maricel Soriano, Rudy Fernandez, Cherie Gil, Assunta de Rossi, Angelu de Leon, Judy Ann Santos (thank you, Mr. Alfie Lorenzo, for lending her to us), Richard Gomez, Lucy Torres (who wore a P90,000 Joe Salazar gown), Dingdong Dantes, James Blanco, Izza Calzado, Danica Sotto, Jeffrey Quizon, G. Toengi, Tanya Gomez, Vhong Navarro and the other presenters who lent their glamour to the show.

Thank you to Sharon Cuneta for lending her time to do the Ricky Lee video clip.

Thank you to Nora Aunor (and manager Norie Sayo) for agreeing to do a VTR for the Urian program even if it ran smack against her own concert at the Araneta Coliseum last Saturday night.

Thank you to host Edu Manzano for entertaining everyone with his wit even during commercial gaps.

Most of all, thank you to all the nominees and winners who showed up to personally collect their trophies and certificates on the night of the show. And to Lualhati Bautista who staged a walkout when she was not nominated in the Metro Filmfest but did not bother to show up when she was declared winner in the Urian (ano ba talaga?), thank you anyway (and sorry for having raised my voice on the phone) – at least for that Dekada material which made this year’s Urian a truly exciting race to cap the awards season.