"It’s final," said Gretchen Barretto, perhaps the hottest and most controversial actress today. "It’s a no! I’m not doing the movie."
The movie was (take note: past tense) the romance-comedy entitled Pusong Pusoy and it would have been Gretchen and Bong Revilla’s re-teamup after many years (their first starrer together was Seiko Films’ Akin ang Katarungan), to be produced by the Revillas’ own company Imus Productions.
Everything was set. Gretchen had already gotten the consent of her beloved Tony Cojuangco. The director would have been Wenn Deramas (who directed Gretchen in the ABS-CBN soap Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan), also co-starring Ai-Ai delas Alas and Eugene Domingo (who was also in Walang Hanggan and is a scene-stealer in the forthcoming Star Cinema romance-comedy D’Lucky Ones). Start of the shooting was set for Aug. 8.
And then, pfft! In the wink of an eye, the well-laid plan vanished into thin air, all because of a text message which, Gretchen said she discovered, was sent by Bong’s wife Lani Mercado to her six close friends, saying, "Kung ikaw si Lani, ipagkakatiwala mo ba ang asawa mong si Sen. Bong Revilla kay Gretchen na gumawa ng pelikula?" Unfortunately, one of Lani’s (supposedly) "close" friends didn’t just forward the text message but showed it to Gretchen. (With a "friend" like whoever she is, Lani doesn’t need any enemy, does she?)
It turned out that Lani last week saw Gretchen’s ambush interview on GMA’s 24 Oras where Gretchen revealed that she was starring with Bong in her comeback movie. Gretchen believed that Lani sent the "offensive" text message after watching the newscast. (Gretchen and Bong were romantically linked to each other years back while shooting Akin ang Katarungan in Bicol. That was before Tonyboy came into Gretchen’s life.)
"That’s when I realized that contrary to what Bong told me," Gretchen added, "he failed pala to get Lani’s consent, samantalang ako, I got Tony’s consent na." (Bong’s sister Andeng assured Funfare that Lani has no objection at all to the project.) "So I changed my mind and said no. You see, I don’t want to make a comeback hurting anybody in the process, especially not Lani whom I respect. Lani is a good wife and has raised her family well. I could never be one-tenth of what she is. Ayoko naman guluhin ‘yon just for a movie."
So, stalemate.
A Funfare DPA said that Bong has been trying to call Gretchen but she isn’t taking his calls, one time turning off her cellphone to stop its persistent ringing.
Such a good project gone to waste, ‘no?
Will Gretchen again change her mind and change her "no" to "yes?"
Gretchen was firm. "I don’t think so. After he learned about Lani’s text message, Tony has advised me to just drop the movie; it’s not worth all the trouble."
Now, can Bong’s "powers" work magic and soften the heart of Gretchen whom, undoubtedly, he still considers a "dear, dear friend?"
Sen. Bong, the ball is in your hands!
(Note: For more of Gretchen, watch for Conversations with Ricky Lo on Sunday, April 9 and watch GMA’s Showbiz Stripped Saturday night, April 8, starting at 11:30, featuring Gretchen as solo guest.)
The Four Aces is now composed of charismastic tenor Fred Diodati, outstanding guitarist and vocalist Joe Giglio, bass and trumpet player Harry Heisler and Frank Sinatra impersonator Joe Amato.
The quartet is behind such enduring hits as Love is a Many-Splendored Thing, Three Coins in the Fountain, Tell Me Why, Stranger in Paradise, Woman in Love, Sincerely, Shangri-La, Malagueña, Dream, My Way and many others, all of which (plus new numbers) are included in the Big Dome repertoire.
More on the Four Aces in a future issue.
(Note: For ticket inquiries, call Ticketnet at 911-5555. Prices are P3,500, P2,500, P2,000, P1,500, P800 and P300.)
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)