A round-up of V-Day gigs

Times are hard and it sometimes costs a fortune to indulge one’s desire to watch shows featuring big name stars. But trust those out there who want to celebrate the Valentine season by catching a show or two so that for a few hours they may enjoy seeing the stars sing their favorite, and fittingly most of romantic, songs live. Here now is a list of possible choices.

Trini Lopez at the Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 10 with special guests Pilita Corrales and Ramon RJ Jacinto. The guy is Latin so there must be a lot of romance in him but then he is best known for happy songs and that is mostly what the audience will get from Trini. Think Lemon Tree, America, If I Had A Hammer, La Bamba and others. You can get the romance from the gorgeous Pilita who can be very romantic when she sings in Spanish and you can get a lot of rocking from the ageless RJ.

Have you had enough of concerts and want something different? Then check out the komedya Orosman At Zafira at the SM Mall of Asia Centerstage on Feb. 11 to 13, 18 to 20 and 25 to 26 at 8 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday matinees featuring the talented members of Dulaang UP. This is a reworking of the Francisco Balagtas original by choreographer Dexter Santos featuring indigenous dance abstractions and neo-ethnic music. Should be interesting. Besides, it will not hurt for us to find out what a komedya is.

Stephen Bishop, Dan Hill and Yvonne Elliman in Love Rocks also at the Araneta on Feb. 11. It is not only love that rocks in this one but also the hits. Brace yourselves for a romantic waterfall of memorable sounds like It Might Be You, On And On, Something New In My Life, Separate Lives, Sometimes When We Touch, In Your Eyes, I Don’t Know How To Love Him, If I Can’t Have You and many more.

Martin Nievera and Sarah Geronimo at the Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 12 in What Love Is. This show is the hottest ticket of the week. With a huge catalogue of big hits between them Martin and Sarah can be expected to fill the Big Dome with gorgeous singing and beautiful songs. You Are My Song, Forever’s Not Enough, Be My Lady, Ikaw, Forever, Ikaw Ang Aking Pangarap, To Love You More, and many others.

A musical, especially one as romantic and tragic as Jonathan Larson’s Rent is also a nice Valentine’s treat. A restaging of the successful local version of the Pulitzer Prize winner, is scheduled at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium of the RCBC Plaza in Makati on Feb. 12 to 13, 18 to 20, 25 to 27 and March 4 to 6. Directed by Robbie Guevarra, Rent stars Gian Magdangal Sheree Bautista, Ciara Sotto, Job Bautista and Carla Guevara Laforteza.

Kuh Ledesma and The Hitmakers which is made up of Rico Puno, Nonoy Zuñiga, Marco Sison and Rey Valera at the PICC Plenary Hall on Feb. 13 in The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time. I do not see this concert’s title as mere hype. Kuh and her gentlemen are really going to perform the greatest love songs of all time and a number of them are Filipino originals that are their very own. I Think I’m In Love, Kapalaran, Never Ever Say Goodbye, My Love Will See You Through, Maging Sino Ka Man and many more.

Fra Lippo Lippi: The Greatest Hits featuring Per Sorensen at the NBC Tent on Feb. 14. The Norwegian New Wave Band exploded in the charts with a succession of hits in the ‘80s. Its songs remain big favorites up to now and those are what Fra Lippo Lippi lead singer Sorensen will do in this show. Treat yourselves to Everytime I See You, Beauty And Madness, Light And Shade, The Distance Between Us, Some People and Stitches And Burns among others.

The Balladeers On Valentine’s Day starring Erik Santos, Mark Bautista and Danita Paner with special guests Pilita Corrales, Carmen Pateña and Carmen Soriano at the Fiesta Pavillion of the Manila Hotel on Feb. 14. While the other Champions are commemorating V-Day on their own, Erik and Mark have joined forces for this special treat. These two guys can really dish out love songs. Danita does not only sing, she is also pretty and you all know what fantastic performers Carmen P., Carmen S. and Pilita, as the Golden Divas are. It should be fun to watch.