The Face that Refreshes: A pictorial birthday tribute to Susan

Pilita: The fall that refreshes

BREAKING NEWS: While singing her opening number, Kapantay ay Langit, at her concert last Saturday, July 22, at the Sacramento High School auditorium in Sacramento, California, Pilita Corrales missed the stairs while going down the stage and fell seven feet to the floor, leaving a mostly Pinoy audience stunned.

After 10 minutes, the real trooper that she is, Pilita went back to the stage and resumed the rudely-interrupted show, the third of a series kicked off in Las Vegas and followed by another one in San Francisco.

"A doctor was called and as I lay on the floor, he asked me which part of my body hit the floor," Pilita recalled in an exclusive Funfare interview Wednesday, a day after she came back. "You know, was it my head, my face, my back, etc. I was in unbearable pain but I refused to just sit down. Baka hindi na ako makatayo."

The show had to go on.

It turned out that earlier that day, firemen rushed to the auditorium to check after the fire alarm sounded.

"We didn’t have time for rehearsal," said Pilita, "so I wasn’t able to check the stage. During the show, the spotlight was on me, so I didn’t see where I was going. And then it happened."

Pilita could have sued the school authorities but she opted not to. Before flying home, she was examined by a doctor, x-ray and all, and was declared out of danger.

"Not a bone was broken," said Pilita. "The doctor told me that my bones are strong. Thanks to Anlene (the milk she’s endorsing)."

That fall was refreshing in the sense that Pilita came out of it unscathed, although she was in "unbearable pain." A less sturdy lady could have suffered untold injuries.

Pilita is okay now. Her show called Riot at the Music Museum, with Elizabeth Ramsey, goes on as scheduled.

"I hope I won’t fall again," said Pilita good-humoredly.

A quiet 65th b-day bash for Susan

On Friday, July 28, as The STAR turns 20, Susan Roces – forever The Face That Refreshes – will mark her 65th birthday quietly with her family. They’ll eat out and, why not, take a stroll in the mall. That simple, that quiet.

Tomorrow, as part of the promo for her new sitcom John En Shirley on ABS-CBN (which premieres Saturday night, July 29), Susan (as Encarnacion, En for short) will show up among the audience on Wowowee where her sitcom co-stars Dolphy (as John) and Maricel Soriano (as Shirley) will find her. Bright marketing idea, isn’t it?

"What a blessing to be working with her again," said Maricel (as Susan’s daughter-in-law). "We’ve done a few movies (among them Inday, Inday sa Balitaw) at Regal. On our first taping day, there was no tension at all; everything went on smoothly. At-home kaagad kami sa isa’t-isa.

"On the set," Maricel added, "she is sobrang-bait. She brings food all the time – adobo, etc. We even have a dining table in our dressing room! With her, bawal ang magutom."

On this page, Funfare pays a pictorial birthday tribute to Susan. The old photos were contributed by a UST Susanian and Bing Manalo, a Susanian who works as program analyst at the office of the president at GMA 7.

Bing enclosed an article in which Boots Anson-Roa pays tribute to Susan thus: "Susan’s beauty, then and now, not only has a refreshing appeal, it also evokes sweetness and light almost infused with the essence of delicate roses. Susan’s beauty is a soft and quiet allure that grows on you, enhanced by her cool and confident demeanor. She remains poise personified."

To Susan and The STAR, many happy returns of the day!

* * *

E-mail reactions at [email protected]