Turning up the heat
“The Voice” coaches (from left): the author, Sharon Cuneta, Sarah Geronimo, Bamboo
EDMOND, Oklahoma—Our little touring party has just landed in Edmond, OK, home to Oklahoma Central University. It’s early Tuesday morning here, and I have a concert tonight at the Mitchell Hall Theatre on the university campus.
The following day, I have another master class to teach for the musical theater majors, which should be a good time. After Edmond, we have only one more tour stop: Phoenix, AZ, for two performances this weekend at the Orpheum Theatre with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra.
After that, we head back to New York City to start my return engagement at Feinstein’s/54 Below. I can’t ever consider New York a tour stop, as I consider this city my second home.
It has been an interesting month and a half, what with having to pack for all four seasons: winter in Winnipeg, summer in Arizona, springtime in California and (by one resident’s own admission) schizophrenic weather conditions here in Oklahoma.
Nicole has shorts and T-shirts, as well as shearling-lined vests and sweaters.
I’m aware that the end of my current stay in the US is imminent, which means that I’ll be going home very soon, hitting the ground running for “The Voice Teens.”
Speaking of which, this week we have added even more young artists to our rosters: Kamp Kawayan has added Jem Macatuno, Queenie Ugdiman and Emarjhun de Guzman; Team Sarah now has Jona Marie Soquite and Sophia Ramos; Team Sharon brought in Mike Escutin; and FamiLea’s new recruits are Brandon Ungab and Erica Ladiza.
Keep tuning in to meet more incredibly talented teens! Even though I know the outcome of each Blind Audition, it’s still fun watching it unfold.
Once I arrive in Manila, I’ll get together with my team members to prepare them for the next round of competition, the Battle Round. Instead of three-way battles like on “The Voice Kids,” it’s head-to-head competition between two team members.
Each coach is then left with seven team members, but for the Knockouts, each team must have nine members. Hence, the Steals are back! All of us will get two steals each, so watching each battle round intently is very important.
If my most favorite part of “The Voice” is the Blind Audition, my least favorite is the Battles, because that means cutting my team in half. And truth be told, the decisions made are very painful.
There are times where I’m second-guessing each decision made. Did I pick the right person to move forward?
Because of the caliber of talent this season, we’re going to make some excruciating cuts—meaning, we’ll be making some fans terribly upset with the decisions we’ll make. I’ve read fans’ responses to our choices, and I’ve been called some unsavory names for choosing one kid over another.
Oh, dear fan, trust me when I say that we end up even more upset than you. Bamboo and Sharon Cuneta have cried their share of tears over battles they have presided. I’ve seen Sarah Geronimo take ages and ages before finally making up her mind.
As for me, as stoic as I often am, my stomach is tied in knots in the seconds just before I have to deliver my verdict. And yes, there have been those few times that I’ve also been moved to tears.
That’s the nature of the beast that is our show. And that is part of what makes it so exciting. The unpredictability is real.
But, before anything else, I’ll need a barrel of caffeine just to get through my first day back at work. We have a lot to do, and not a whole lot of time to do it in. Hooh boy, good luck to us all.
