After you, Cherie!

Curtain-raisers:

• Dayanara Torres, who’s arriving this weekend as endorser of a new beauty clinic, has been picked by Wal-Mart (one of USA’s biggest stores) as the face of its fashion-forward clothing brand Metro 7.

• Here’s a reaction to Funfare’s recent item about the rich and famous’ epitaphs, from reader Dr. Albert Ramos of Virignia Beach, USA: It reminded me of the late comedian-director Ading Fernando’s own tombstone in Himlayang Pilipino which I fondly remember seeing when I visited my father and grandfather’s graves just a few meters away. Ading’s epitaph reads: Herein my body lies/I hope I succumbed to death/Not because I ran out of jokes/But because I ran out of breath.

• From Bing Manalo (a Susanian like yours truly), who’s with the program-analysis office of the president of GMA 7 Network, Inc.: A few days ago, QTV Channel 11’s Ang Pinaka... Top 10 Shocking Horror Films of All Time placed two Susan Roces starrers No. 1 (Patayin Mo Sa Sindak si Barbara) and No. 9 (Gumising Ka, Maruja) respectively. The panelists were all praises for Susan. It crossed my mind that Susan is very effective in horror films. She even got two FAMAS Best Actress trophies for this kind of genre. In Gumising Ka, Maruja, Susan as Niña Concepcion survived the terror and is supposed to be alive at present. In the tradition of the Maruja series, maybe a sequel can be made. Susan can reprise her role as Niña, a retired film producer and actress, with the story set at present time and with Maruja’s restless soul still haunting everyone she crosses paths with. Clips of the 1977 Lino Brocka film can be used as flashback, maybe in sepia format to emphasize its time. On another note, one of Bette Davis’ great films, Whales of August, is also a fitting role for Susan – a blind woman being taken care of by her sister (Gloria Romero is perfect for this role). There’s also the 1960 hits Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? for which Davis got a Best Actress Oscar for her performance as an aging child star burdened with taking care of her disabled sister (played by Joan Crawford) whose disability is being blamed on Davis. Susan can play Davis’ role and Amalia Fuentes Crawford’s role.

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When yet another staging of Roger & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music opens on Nov. 11 (with a press night set for Nov. 10) at Onstage in Greenbelt (Makati) for a series of weekend performances until second week of December, we will be seeing the spectacle of beautiful and talented mothers and daughters in the stellar cast (with no less than the Baby Barredo directing).

There’s Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and daughter Nicole playing Maria (Julie Andrews in the movie version) and Liezl (one of the Von Trapp daughters) respectively; Menchu actually played Liezl years ago when the musical was first staged here. There’s also Rina Reyes (an alternate for the role of the Baroness, memorably played by Eleanor Parker in the movie) and daughter Sofia (also one of the Von Trapp children).

And there’s Cherie Gil and daughter Bianca, as the Baroness and Luisa (one of the Von Trapp children) respectively, who are both newcomers (like Rina Reyes) in the play. (Audie Gemora, who played Liezl’s boyfriend Rolf in the earlier staging, now plays the patriarch Von Trapp, played with a chilling power by Christopher Plummer.)

"Nakaka-tense," Cherie said about acting with her daughter in an exclusive interview with Funfare. "I have acted with my mom (Rosemarie Gil) and my brothers (Michael de Mesa and Mark Gil) but it’s the first time I’m doing it with my daughter."

Bianca first told Cherie about her intention to go into showbiz three years ago when she was eight years old.

"My first reaction was, ‘Oh no, not one more in the family!’ When I was Bianca’s age, I never told my mom that I wanted to be in showbiz; it just happened. Bianca told me straight, ‘Mom, I’ve decided to be a singer and an actress.’ Talagang desidido siya! Then she told me, ‘You can call your producer tomorrow and tell him that!’ I said, ‘Okay, if that’s what you want...’"

But it was only several weeks ago when auditions for The Sound of Music were held that Bianca had the chance. More than 200 girls showed up, as beautiful and talented as those who were chosen. The number was trimmed down to 80 and then to 21, until the final cast was chosen. The girls were asked to sing So Long, Farewell (from the musical) and to introduce themselves – you know, "My name is Luisa; I am 11 years old!" – before nanny Maria.

"Initially," said Cherie, "Bianca wanted to play the Brigida role but, although she’s only 11, she’s too big for it. But later on, she was glad that she was cast as Luisa because the role calls for fewer lines. Being a first-timer, Bianca was worried she might get nervous memorizing so much dialogue (for the Brigida role)."

From hereon, there’s no more stopping Bianca. Cherie had her trained at Trumpets. When the family was on vacation in New York recently, Cherie made Bianca sign up with the Lee Strasberg School of Acting. Cherie’s husband, Roni Rogoff, personally talked to Lee’s widow when he visited the school with Cherie.

"I told Mrs. Strasberg that it has been my long-time dream to study at their school," said Cherie. "And they gladly gave me three passes to observe some of the classes. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time so I passed the chance."

Ciello sings for Bantay Bata

Here for a brief visit is New York-based singer Ciello who recently raised $3,000 in a fund-raising show she herself organized for her favorite charity, the Bantay Bata Foundation, Inc. Accompanied by her parents, Amy and Fitzgerald Tuazon, Ciello (who doesn’t use a surname in her professional name) will turn over the amount to Bantay Bata’s Tina Monzon-Palma on Thursday, Nov. 9.

"Why Bantay Bata?" asked Ciello. "Because it’s the first foundation for children that I came to know through the TFC (The Filipino Channel). I love kids, so..."

Now 18 and an advertising communications sophomore at the Pace University in New York, Ciello migrated to the US at age five with her parents. She started singing when she was eight (with her style enhanced by voice lessons she’s taking).

In New York, Ciello has been winning singing/talent contests, emerging as champion in the Apollo Amateur Night and Pinoy Popstar East Coast search and in the Asia Idol competition (beating more than 85 contestants also of Asian heritage).

Ciello has also been front-acting for Filipino artists performing in the US, recently with Gary Valenciano last Sept. 15 in Las Vegas. She plans to organize more fund-raising shows, encouraged by the last one which attracted more than 600 patrons.

Asked if she would consider a career here, Ciello (who puts school as top priority) thought for a while.

"If there’s an opportunity," she smiled, "why not?"

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