Ogie delivers no-frills night of music, laughs

With a new album and a third baby on the way, Ogie Alcasid has every reason to celebrate. Recently, at Resorts World’s Newport Performing Arts Theater, he did just that with “Celebration,” a birthday concert.

With no big production numbers, gimmicks, or elaborate stage designs, Alcasid delivered a no-frills night of music, laughter, and mush.

At 44, the singer has kept abreast with the hip generation. Backed up by the Hotlegs dancers, he started with contemporary hits “Sing” by My Chemical Romance, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele and “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera.

The night wouldn’t be complete without Alcasid’s original compositions. Keeping things fresh, he added reggae beats to the otherwise over-performed ballad “Nandito Ako.”

As he continued with “Mahal Kita, Walang Iba” and “Sa Kanya,” Alcasid made his way down the stage. He walked around, smacking high fives, hugging audience members, stopping mid-song as women sought photo ops.

Music-wise, the show leaned toward retro in various genres, illustrating Alcasid’s versatility. He whipped out his cha-cha-cha moves for the Latin-flavored “All Night Long” by Lionel Richie and “Rhythm of the Night” by DeBarge. He swaggered into a bit of Prince and crooned a James Moody with best friend Janno Gibbs, before suffusing the theater with a booming duet on the Neapolitan staple “O Sole Mio” with neophyte Derrick Monasterio.

The towering Solenn Heusaff joined Alcasid for a hefty dose of Motown. Heussaff packed on the heat in a sexy black dress, but the performance left us a bit cold. She seemed nervous; her singing, tentative.

Hands down, Alcasid’s OPM rock medley with the “Party Pilipinas” girls was the strongest part. He and Jaya, Kyla, Frencheska Farr, and La Diva rendered an electrifying performance of Bamboo’s anthemic “Hallelujah.”

Proud hubby

Alcasid looked thoroughly smitten as he escorted wife Regine Velasquez to center stage, where he serenaded her with a song he composed for their wedding. After proudly showing 4D images of their unborn son Nathaniel James, Velasquez surprised the crowd when she willed herself to perform “Hanggang Ngayon” with Alcasid. Everyone held their breath for the high notes and runs… which Regine hit impressively, though not as effortlessly as before.

Alcasid returned to the laughs with his D’Wonder Boys comembers Michael V., Antonio Aquitaña, and Boy2 Quizon. Dressed in garish Korean-style garb, the “Bubble Gang”-grown K-Pop parody group tickled the crowds with riotous skits and songs.

To end the night, Alcasid invited fellow Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-Aawit officers Noel Cabangon, Dingdong Avanzado and Mitch Valdes to render with him an infectious mash-up of disco hits from the VST Company and Earth, Wind and Fire. Before we knew it, a sizable crowd had gathered around the stage, dancing!