Romance in Sharon’s eyes

As you must have surely noticed, Sharon Cuneta’s three wonderful girls are very much in the news these days. So much so that one cannot really help but think or talk about KC, Kakie and the oh-so adorable Miely in the most casual terms, just like the way you would about a beloved niece or grandchild. And what people usually say is that they are all beautiful, smart and talented and oozing with star quality.

Now we still have to find out if another singer or actress or TV personality inside any of Sharon’s girls. And from the way I see it, nobody is in a hurry to find out because Mommy Sharon is very much around and still without question the Megastar. In fact, without lifting a finger she was pleasantly surprised last week to be told that she just won another award and an Asian one at that!

This came from the Asian Television Awards (ATA) 2006. Organized in 1996 by Television Asia, it honors the Best Entertainment Presenter of the Year from all over Asia. The Megastar was cited as Highly Commended for her work in the ABS-CBN show Sharon. Would you believe that the ATA received over a thousand submissions from 15 countries in 2006. It really feels good for all of us Pinoys to know that Sharon is indeed one of the best TV hosts ever.

Then tomorrow, Feb. 10, Sharon will be back at the Araneta Coliseum for another My Mega Valentine concert. She had two of these shows at the Big Dome last year and she also took it on a tour of the provinces. The series was so successful, that she agreed to do another one for 2007. Take note though that while it is also called My Mega Valentine, this is an entirely different show from the previous ones. All that were retained were Sharon and the title, plus because it is the Valentine season, there will be lots of love songs.

I am sure that a number of Sharon’s songs in the show will come from her latest album Isn’t It Romantic. One of last year’s most successful releases, the CD is made up entirely of old love songs that Sharon herself chose from those that she and her friends would choose to do during impromptu sing-alongs. A volume two is in the works and those songs might do well for My Mega Valentine in 2008. For now though we will be content with the make out sounds from volume one.

Aside from the title cut, the album also boasts of Sometimes a Love Goes Wrong, It Takes a Man and a Woman, How Deep is Your Love, I Have to Say I Love You in a Song, Laughter in the Rain, Terminal, Simply Jessie, Birthday Song, If I Keep My Heart Out of Sight, Heaven Knows, With a Little Help from My Friends and the best of the lot, I Don’t Want You to Go.

Guesting in My Mega Valentine 2 are Pops Fernandez in what will be her first ever concert performance with Sharon and the ageless trio from the Manila Sound era, the Apo Hiking Society. The show is an Artist House production with Johnny Manahan as director and Louie Ocampo as musical director. It is presented by McDonald’s, Globe, Alaska, Sony Wega and ABS-CBN in cooperation with Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Bench, Crowne Plaza Hotels and XY White Toothpaste.

Other sponsors are Coca-Cola, DXC’s Catering, Flowers and Butterflies Catering and Aquahealth. Radio Partners are Wrock 96.3, Yes FM 101.1 and WRR 101.9. Tickets are priced at P5,000, P3,000, P1,500, P700, P500 and P150 and available at Ticketnet outlets with tel. no. 911-5555, Artists House, 817-4660 and 815-1953 and the Araneta Coliseum box-office.

More Valentine shows

If you are still interested in watching other shows after My Mega Valentine 2, here are some suggestions you might want to check out. Former Bagets Raymond Lauchengco stars in Classic Romance 2: Walking on Sunshine at the Teatrino in Greenhills on Feb. 13 and 14. Talks have it that aside from his usual romantic ballads, the show will introduce Raymond with his new big band sound.

Power singer Ivy Violan celebrates 25 years in the music business with Easy to Love at the Peninsula Manila’s Rigodon Ballroom on Feb. 14. The show promises to be a night of great performances with Nonoy Zuñiga and Nanette Inventor.

Lovebirds Rachelle Ann Go and Christian Bautista headline You and Me on Feb. 13 at the Aliw Theater and A Valentine to Remember on Feb. 14 at the Manila Hotel’s Fiesta Pavilion.