It was certainly not a typical birthday celebration by Danny Dolor at the Grand Hyatt ballroom. Although the invite, which had vintage photos of Dolor’s Pharmacy plus industrialists Leon and Soledad Dolor holding a baby (guess who !), gave a hint that it would be nostalgic.
Byeong-In Park, Rachelle Gerodias, Liza Cabahug, Lemuel dela Cruz
For starters, a Mass was concelebrated in the afternoon by two bishops and 18 priests (“I counted them,” said my amused and amazed tablemate Jullie Yap Daza.) And then came the musical treats: Harana sa Dapit Hapon No.11 with the country’s premier soprano Rachelle Gerodias, Korean baritone Byeong-In Park, soprano Lisa Cabahug and tenor Lemuel dela Cruz delivering stirring songs of yesteryear.
The singing Grand Hyatt kitchen crew
Then came “September Serenade “with tenor Ivan Neri, mezzo soprano Krissan Manikan Tan and even businessman-tenor George Yang himself, joining in. Think favorites like Webber’s Think of Me and All I Ask of You (from Phantom of the Opera), Rodgers’ Climb Every Mountain and Bernstein’s Tonight (from West Side Story), Bizet’s Carmen, Puccini’s Turandot and Foster’s The Prayer — and you get the picture. The Manila Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jeffrey Solares completed the treat for the more than 300 guests.
Jose Mari Chan, Mary Ann Chan, Danny Dolor, Letty Syquia, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, Ambassador Tita de Villa, Susana Cheung of the Manila Cathedral Foundation
In between, guests were surprised that a portion of the ballroom was actually the huge chef’s open kitchen which was bared by a folding wall, revealing the service crew singing and dancing with gleaming pots and pans! The Tagala Brothers led by violin virtuoso Jimmy Tagala soothed ears while eyes feasted on the many sumptuous buffet tables thoughtfully laid out so that there was no need for queues.
Leo de Leon, Larry de Leon, Tanini de Leon, Danny Dolor, Kevin de Leon, Alwin de Leon
Julie and I had fun keeping track of the culturati and the not-often-seen personages from real high society that were present. Taking advantage of the venerable guests who came to greet the 80-year-old celebrant, I asked some for my Instagram stories: What is your secret to long life? The most amusing answer came from Batangas businessman Tony Pastor: “The secret to long life? No wife!”
Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista, Fr. Toti Mandanas, Fr. Chito Bautista, Fr. Tom Villafranco, Fr. Gabby Gonzales, Danny Dolor, Fr. Cecilio Arce, Fr. Ilde Dimaano, Fr. Conrado Castillo, Fr. Dong Rosales
There you go. Everything near and dear to Danny Dolor: prayers, music, humor and sparkling conversations. The things which keep him young at 80.