Rex Smith to take your breath away

Curtain-raiser:

• Congratulations to ABS-CBN’s The Correspondents for making it to the Official Selection of the Moscow International Mountaineering and Adventure Film Festival, slated in March, with its docu-episode entitled Mt. Cook Chronicles: The Road to Everest, hosted by Abner Mercado. It’s the only Asian entry from a tropical country. The rest of the entries are from Europe and South America.

* * *

The parade of foreign acts at the Big Dome continues.

After The Lettermen, The Zombies and Andy Williams (and Sergio Mendes & Brasil 2006 on March 18, but before Pat Boone on April 7), guess who’s having a concert on April Fool’s Day (April 1), with another show on April 2 at Hard Rock Café – yes, Rex Smith no less!

I don’t know what to say

You take my breath away

You’re every song I sing

You’re the music that I bring

You take my breath away

These opening lines from Smith’s hit song You Take My Breath Away must aptly describe the ecstatic feeling of music buffs when they troop to the Big Dome for Smith’s comeback concert entitled Rex Smith: Forever Rex to be mounted by Steve O’Neal Productions (the same company that brought here The Cascades, Peter and Gordon, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Pat Upton of Spiral Staircase and The Zombies).

Personally, I will watch Smith’s concert if only to hear him sing "live" one of my favorite songs, Simply Jessie (which holds sweet memories for me). I’ll walk out if he doesn’t, if he won’t, sing that song. I’m not kidding!

In this, his second concert in Manila (the first was in 2000 when he did a Valentine show also at the Big Dome), Smith is expected to include in his repertoire (besides Simply Jessie, that is) such well-loved hits of his as Forever, Let’s Make A Memory, Foolish Heart, Everlasting Love, Could It Be Magic and, of course, You Take My Breath Away.

Again, for the benefit of the younger generation of music lovers, here’s a backgrounder on Smith:

Smith is an internationally-acclaimed multi-talented artist – a teen-idol recording artist, a Gilbert and Sullivan musical leading man, a TV superhero, a soap-opera star, a lead actor on Broadway musicals, a movie leading man and a topbiller in a series of national tours.

Starting out as a rock ‘n roll singer in the ’70s, Smith had stints in a band simply called Rex and with Ted Bugent, and toured with groups like Foreigner, Boston, AC/DC and Tom Petty.

After his Broadway debut as Danny Zuko in the original production of Grease!, he received the Theater World Award for his portrayal of Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance on Broadway, a role he reprised in the movie adaptation.

His other starring roles on Broadway include The Human Comedy, Grand Hotel, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Annie Get Your Gun and Kiss Me Kate.

He also topbilled Lincoln Center’s Anything Goes, the Kennedy Center’s West Side Story and the Canadian production of Sunset Boulevard.

His national tours include Grease!, Joseph and His Technicolor Coat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, They’re Playing Our Song and Kiss Me Kate.

On TV, Smith hosted Solid Gold, starred in NBC’s Street Hawk and Daytime’s As The World Turns (in which Lea Salonga also appeared); while his movies include Sooner Or Later (also the title of his platinum album featuring You Take My Breath Away), Daredevil and Once in a Lifetime (based on a Danielle Steel novel). He also guested on the primetime series Norm, JAG, Caroline in the City, The Sentinel, Baywatch and Pacific Blue.

His body of work alone is enough to take your breath away, isn’t it?

(Note: Tickets for the Rex Smith: Forever Rex concert – priced at Pl,600, P1,200, P800, P500, P300 and P100 – are available at Ticketnet outlets at all SM stores and at the Araneta Coliseum box office. Or you may call Ticketnet at 911-5555. For the Hard Rock Café show, call 893-4661 to 64.)

Fr. Joey Faller’s healing sked

Fr. Joey Faller has scheduled a healing Mass tonight at 6 at the Asilo de San Vicente, UN Ave., Manila.

His regular healing Masses are as follows:

• Every Monday and Saturday, 9 a.m., healing Mass; and every Sunday, 4 p.m., Mass and blessing of the sick, both at Kamay ni Hesus Healing Church in Barangay Tinamnan, Lucban, Quezon.

• Every third Tuesday of the month, 9 a.m., healing Mass at the Buklod ng Pag-ibig Chapel, #97 Balete Drive Ext., QC.

• Every first Wednesday of the month, 12 noon, healing Mass at the Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.

• Every second Friday of the month, 5 p.m., healing Mass at the St. Francis of Assisi Church, Sariaya, Quezon.

• Every third Friday of the month, 7 p.m., healing Mass at St. Joseph The Patriarch Church, Mabolo, Cebu City.

• Every fourth Friday of the month, 1 p.m., healing Mass at the Shrine of Divine Mercy, Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong City.

• Every first Sunday of the month, 9 a.m., Sunday Mass at SM North EDSA.

• Every third Sunday of the month, 9:30 a.m., Sunday Mass at Circle-C Mall, Congressional Ave., QC.

• Every first, third and fifth Sunday, 8 a.m., Sunday healing Mass at NBN Channel 4, Visayas Ave., QC.

• Every second and fourth Sunday, 9 a.m., Sunday Mass at SM Bacoor, Cavite City.

• Every fourth Sunday of the month, 7 p.m., Sunday Mass at St. Louise Parish Church, Lucban, Quezon.

(Note: Schedules are subject to change without prior notice. For inquiries, prayer requests and invitations, call (042) 540-3085, (02) 929-0333, or mobile phone 0917-853-6267.)

(E-mail reactions at [email protected])