Star sloshed

There’s something about red carpet affairs in places, ranging from the Kodak Theater to the PICC complex, which somehow always attracts the attention of the celebrity- hungry public.
For someone who actually walked on that bright red carpet for the Kapamilya, ABS-CBN’s 50th anniversary last Friday, my attention didn’t really focus on the onslaught of paparazzi or the tango of facial and shoulder poses that the celebrities threw. Rather, I attempted to capture the strange intricacies that gave real life to such a reel event.

Tantalizing Tent

  The tent that served as the waiting hall of both the stars and the starry-eyed was minimal compared to other gaudy events but assembled in an extremely upscale manner which reflected the good taste of the Lopez family. Under a white dome and sandwiched between two bar stations, the guests had to pocket their very limited event invitations for some triple A-rated schmoozing and boozing. The heavyweight triumvirate of Bench’s main man Ben Chan, PR giant Keren Pascual, and the spiffy Miguel Pastor were as well-dressed as their celebrity endorsers including Diether Ocampo, Luis Manzano, Aubrey Miles, and Kristine Hermosa. On different ends of the hall, designer-about-town Rhett Eala and the designer’s designer Inno Sotto were caught simply enjoying their hors d’oeuvres, analyzing the gowns and girls who waltzed and curtsied in front of them while Metro Magazine’s white tux man Carlo Tadiar was overheard refreshing his conversational French over some logically French-derived wine.

Backstage Blackout

While the rest of the live and home audience waited and watched the performance from the flood-lit front end, I tagged along with STAR’s Philip Cu-unjieng to check out the real production that happened backstage. Past the live orchestra section and the heavily guarded door, the back end was a surreal mix of dark-lit halls, production sets on wheels, and entertainers-in-waiting of every shape and size. Zigzagging through a maze of the feather and leather dressed dancers and plagued with the fear of being physically caught in the middle of a live production number, we luckily found our way to the side entrance of the platform itself to get the best view in the house. Right after their performance, matinee idol Miko Palanca said a quick and surprised hello with a sigh of relief while showbiz royalty Ciara Sotto, still holding the microphone from her song number, exchanged some familiar words and smiles with the rest of the backstage gang. Moving from the big set to the smaller dressing rooms, we somehow found ourselves in the same powder room, making ordinary conversation with extraordinary stars such as Sharon Cuneta and Zsa-Zsa Padilla. Meanwhile, a few feet away, the always photogenic Aga Mulach graciously smiled several times for my digital camera despite the uncooperative discharged battery.

The After Performance

Although the more-than-hyper Hyperbeat band was the designated entertainer for the party, the main microphone was ceded several times to the celebrity audience below. Celebrity chorus lines formed and dispersed throughout the night with the energetic Gary Valenciano playing first fiddle, followed by the most popular crew of noontime celebrities. Descending to the densely populated dance floor, I found myself swinging a swing dance or two with femme fatale Jackie Castillejo while stylish stylist Jenni Epperson was putting the groove in the night together with her celebrity friends. As the celebrities hopped from one table to the next in an attempt to socialize over the loud music, I found myself ending the night in some casual conversation with TV mogul Monchet Olives who amicably responded with an even more amicable glass of champagne.

 Leaving the hall at a not-so-godly hour and walking on that bright synthetic flooring for the second and last time, one goes through a weird kind of withdrawal unlike any other. With the absence of the paparazzi cameras, TV crews, barricaded crowds, and of course, supposedly the most beautiful faces in the the country, the red carpet just looks like a red carpet and nothing more. I guess that's the end of the show.

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E-mail the author at mybubbleboy@hotmail.com.