What it's like watching It's Showtime live

MANILA, Philippines - There’s no doubt noontime shows still dominate the midday to afternoon TV block for an exciting, fun and thrilling TV viewing habit. Watching them on TV in the comfort of your sala is enough reason to keep your energy high and dump the habit of taking siesta.

But it’s far different when you go to the studio and watch the show live. That, I recently found out when the invite came to watch ABS-CBN’s It’s Showtime right inside the Studio 3 of the Kapamilya network one Saturday afternoon.

Although it’s funny watching Anne Curtis’ “shameless” acts on TV or hearing Vhong Navarro’s simple yet belly-aching punchlines, a number of differences started to unfold the moment I settled on the designated area for the invited members of the entertainment press. Here are some of them:

Everyone has an active participation. The audience automatically becomes part of the three-hour show especially in the opening portion where everyone is required to get up, sway hands in the air and do the signature dance moves. There’s a dance rehearsal and some briefings minutes before the show goes on air.

Watching It’s Showtime live doesn’t have the limits that TV has. While waiting for the cue, you witness everything first-hand that is happening like how Kim Atienza goes onstage, requests for a moment of silence and leads a prayer. In one corner, the floor director gives the green light for Anne, Vhong, Karylle, Billy Crawford, Jhong Hilario, Teddy Corpuz, Jugs Jugueta, Coleen Garcia, Eric Tai, Ryan Bang and Vice Ganda to greet televiewers as the show begins. One can also truly feel the delight of singing the show’s anthem along with the hosts especially the so infectious chorus lines, “Tayo’y tumalon (heyy), tayo’y sumigaw (wooh), maghawak-hawak tayo’y sumayaw. This is your show, this is your time, magpasikat na, it’s Showtime!”

With co-hosts Vice Ganda, Jhong Hilario, Kim Atienza, hurado Zanjoe Marudo and the sampolistas

The emotional effect of seeing celebrity hosts in the flesh is different. While televiewers get a glimpse of the hosts’ physical appearance, studio audience savors every minute of mingling with Kuya Kim, Jugs and Teddy who, most of the time, are in the audience gallery. They, too, are delighted in clicking their cameras away with the welcoming Anne, Vhong, Karylle and Billy.

Long commercial breaks are never boring. TV commercials may be beneficial for the show but sometimes televiewers grow tired waiting for the show to resume. In the studio, the audience gets to hear Anne sing off cam. Last Saturday, she belted out Lady Gaga’s Born This Way without going off key, to the delight of the crowd. During breaks, the makeup artists also get busy doing some retouches on the hosts. Everyone is also allowed to go out to eat or go to the restroom provided they will come back after only a few minutes. The production staff, on the other hand, is preparing for the next segment.

The breathtaking performances of the contestants add a thrilling effect. You can actually measure the contestants’ determination as they swiftly move onstage. On TV, you see their derring-do stunts but you cannot hear and feel that “blag” sound when their feet land on stage.

Comments/scores are welcome. Score cards are given to the crowd for the contestants to know how they fare so you can rate them according to your standard. Kuya Kim also goes around for opinions about the performance.

You get to witness the camaraderie of the hosts. Last Saturday, Anne taught Vice the proper diction of a word in Super Bass that he sang in Singing V.

The segments are exhilarating as you get to join them on stage. The experience of joining in game segments like Arte Mo; Akting Mo, Premyo Mo; and Rock Clock can never happen when you content yourself watching on TV.

It is a personal decision whether to watch It’s Showtime in the studio or on TV. But one thing still remains: Anne and the rest of It’s Showtime gang never fail to bring cheers to drab afternoons.

(It’s Showtime airs weekdays at 11:30 a.m. with simulcast airing on Studio 23 until Feb. 17.)