YES! pays tribute to Star Magic

MANILA, Philippines - Piolo Pascual, John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo, Angelica Panganiban, Coco Martin and Kim Chiu are some of the most bankable stars of ABS-CBN today. They are among the network’s most prized talents, whose presence can be felt in TV series, commercials, movies and magazines.

This month, YES! looks back on their road to stardom, and pays tribute to 20 years of Star Magic, showbiz’s biggest star maker.

YES! offers a comprehensive account of Star Magic’s humble beginnings, its history and the science behind its star-making process. It sat down with Star Magic’s chairman emeritus Johnny Manahan, also known as “Mr. M,” who recounted how the formerly known Talent Center was built from scratch two decades ago.

To resolve the network’s reliance on big stars controlled by big film companies, Manahan pioneered its creation, to which he discovered and developed ABS-CBN’s own homegrown talents.

Auditions are held where a thousand of aspirants were narrowed down to only 12 or less. The hopefuls will undergo a series of training and workshops, which cover singing, acting, dancing, even makeovers, and styling. Every year, one group is formed and called Star Circle Batch.

Piolo, member of Star Circle Batch 3, recalls his audition 16 years ago. “I remember I was the only one wearing shorts. And I thought I wasn’t gonna get in because I was too casual and I wasn’t in, parang, my best element. I was 18, 19 then, and kind of unsure and insecure.”

This is where a keen eye for discovering talents comes in. A person who does the screening should be able to visualize what a shy aspirant could become. Mr. M. says, “I can see three years in advance or four years in advance... I don’t know why, but I got it, you know.”

These stars must be able to showcase their talents to ensure that they don’t vanish from the public eye. This is what Mariole Alberto, the current head of Star Magic, calls the “succession plan.”

Although the creation of stars is a business for Star Magic, the people behind ABS-CBN’s talent management arm make sure they take care of their talents and treat them like family. Kim relates, “Sina Mr. M and Ms. Mariole… sila na ‘yong family adviser ko talaga. Since wala naman akong mommy and daddy and I live alone dito sa Manila, sila na ‘yong mom and dad ko.”

Star Magic also helps in managing their talents’ finances. A portion of the stars’ income goes to a bank account, which will become their fallback once a showbiz career is no longer lucrative.

Manahan also gives his two cents’ worth on how a star is made, the rise and fall of talents, and dealing with piracy and negative publicity.

YES! also shares trivia about your favorite stars, and stories about the most memorable love teams.

Also on the special gatefold cover are Shaina Magdayao, Gerald Anderson, Maja Salvador, Erich Gonzales and Enchong Dee.

YES! is available in all newsstands, bookstores and supermarkets nationwide for only P100.