Triple treat from Ogie Alcasid

ALCASID. Puts his theatrical flair to good use in “The Gift.”

We were happy to run into Ogie Alcasid when we watched Gary Valenciano’s acclaimed concert series, “Tuesdays With Gary,” at Teatrino recently. Truth is, we feel a special kinship with the versatile performer because we acted with him years ago in two stage musicals that are dear to us, both directed by NUT.

“Sino Ka Ba, Jose Rizal?” was memorable because we loved singing Nonoy Gallardo’s “Calamba,” the memorable tune assigned to our character, the teenage Pepe, just before he transforms into the adult Jose Rizal, played by Ogie. Yes, the generous performer is known more for his singing/songwriting skills and comic flair, but he can also act up a storm onstage!

More than six years thereafter, another gorgeous tune landed on our lap: As fisherman Juan Maningcad in the “Birhen ng Caysasay” musical, we were tasked to sing Ryan Cayabyab’s “Hulog ng Langit,” another fortuitous experience that had us working alongside many artists we admire, including Ogie.

Diverse projects

In both productions, we saw how hard Ogie worked to “vanish” into two larger-than-life characters. —This is why we’re thrilled to share the singer-actor’s excitement about his diverse projects with TV5 that enable him to showcase his versatility and underutilized dramatic chops!

He shares, “I enjoy doing ‘The Mega and the Songwriter,’ because it allows me to do some real singing—and it’s with Sharon Cuneta!” For viewers who can’t do without Ogie, the comedian, they can have their fill of his comic antics on “Tropa Mo ‘Ko Unli,” his gag show with Gelli de Belen, Edgar Allan Guzman, Alwyn Uytingco and Jasmine Curtis-Smith.

Biggest draw

But, the biggest draw for us is Ogie’s upcoming teleserye, “The Gift,” about a musician who unwittingly becomes the father figure of an orphan, portrayed by Joshen Bernardo. The exciting, new show, which begins its telecast on Oct. 14, puts the actor’s theatrical flair to good use. He explains, “It’s easy to fall in love with the story—and playing a singer-musician is right up my alley!”

Is Ogie open to the possibility of showcasing his long list of hit songs in a theatrical production like “Mamma Mia” or a screen musical like “I Do Bidoo Bidoo”? He quickly replies, “Why not? Yes, there have been offers, but I’ll wait until the proposals are something I can take seriously.”

Nate, his son with songbird Regine Velasquez, will turn 2 next month. The singer told us that the young tot is shaping up to be a fine singer, like his celebrated parents. Does he sound like his father more than his mom? The self-effacing dad beams, “He takes after Regine—dun sa mas magaling (laughs)!”