Charice: To all the girls I’ve loved before

Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” blasts from a speaker inside the G-Force Dance Studios. Charice goes over the choreography for her dance numbers in the concert withAiza Seguerra at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Saturday.

G-Force member Ram Julianda patiently takes the singer through the steps, making sure that she not only gets them, but projects the right attitude at the same time.

Charice admits she’s not the best dancer there is, “But I pick things up quickly.” Sure enough, after five or six tries, she has the choreography down pat. Ram asks if Charice wants to take a break. “No,” she says, “let’s finish this.”

Titled “The Power of Two,” this concert with Aiza is Charice’s first major show after coming out as a lesbian earlier this year. That’s why, Charice says, she’s determined to give her

CHARICE says her relationship with Alyssa is relatively stress-free. ARNOLD ALMACEN

all—not only because two openly gay women will be fronting it, but also because of the great music they’ll be sharing . “This is a big deal for me,” she says.

What’s the biggest challenge that this concert poses?

Definitely, singing and dancing at the same time. But the good thing is that there are two of us in the show, so I don’t have to perform like 27 songs.

You and Aiza first performed together in her concert with Noel Cabangon.

That’s where it all started.  It was just meant to be a jamming session. We didn’t expect that video would become so popular. But since coming out, I’ve always thought about working with her … I thought, that would be epic!

What was it like, singing with her?

It made me nervous, but there was a feeling of freedom. Aiza’s been in the biz for so long. She’s an inspiration.

Have you and Aiza had the chance to bond?

We’re both so busy and focused on the concert that we haven’t had the time to talk. After the show … we’re thinking of dinner.

What are you most excited about? Do you and Aiza have dance production numbers together?

I’m pretty sure we have some. That’s what I’m excited about—seeing Aiza dance! But really, I’m just thrilled to share the stage with her. We’re both kalog, so I think the show will be funny.

Will this be one cohesive concert or like two concerts in one?

It’s like two different shows, but we’ll have numbers together. We have our own musical directors and bands. We also sing different genres of music. Aiza is about rock and acoustic, while I’m more R&B and pop.

How involved are you in the song choices and arrangements?

It’s my first time to have a say in everything. In the past, I was used to having  people tell me what to do. So it feels great that I can now do things as I want them, and express  my ideas.

What do you admire most about Aiza?

She’s very funny and talented.

Aiza has said in interviews that the best advice she could give you was to keep things private.

I agree with her. But sometimes, that is hard  in show biz. As much as you want to keep things private… there will come a time when you’ll have to say something, especially when other people are meddling and making things worse. Anyway, I know what to keep to myself… and what I can share.

The theme of the concert is empowerment.

I want people to leave the Big Dome feeling that it’s okay to be yourself. It’s about empowering everyone—not just women.

So when do you feel most powerful?

I would have to say when I’m on stage. I feel in control.

Are you worried that some people might watch your show—not necessarily for the music, but just to see two gay women in a concert?

You can’t avoid that. I myself thought the same thing. They will surely be curious. And it’s fine with me …But once they start listening to our music, they’ll hopefully appreciate us more.

You and girlfriend Alyssa Quijano are celebrating your first anniversary together. How does it feel?

It feels so much longer than that. I feel like we’ve been in a relationship for five years, because so many things happened this past year. We’ve experienced a lot, grow a lot.

You said you’d like to marry Alyssa someday.

Who wouldn’t want to get married? Years from now, yes. People may have doubts, but they don’t know what we’ve been through. I’ve been in a lot of relationships. I want to thank all those women because they made me more mature; I gained experience.

How many relationships have you been in, exactly?

I won’t say!

But can you still count them using your fingers?

Oo naman! Hahaha! I can’t pretend Alyssa’s my first girlfriend.

Do you sing better when you’re in love?

Yes, of course. Honestly, there were relationships that were stressful. This is the first time I’ve felt that being in a relationship is doing me good. I’m constantly inspired.

What are your plans for your anniversary?

I want to take a break next month because so many things have been going on. We’d like to go out of town—somewhere private. It’s going to be somewhere in the country; my local trips are usually work-related.

(“The Power of Two” is presented by Wilbros Live and ETalent Entertainment. Tickets are available at TicketNet outlets and www.ticketnet.com.ph.)