Escape

As I write, New Year’s Eve is just a few days away. I’ll be honest; it isn’t always my favorite time of the year, for very selfish, self-centered reasons.

In Angeles City (where we lived until 1977), I don’t recall any New Year’s Eve (NYE) that wasn’t peaceful and quiet. Uneventful would be one way I could describe each one.

January 1. It wasn’t ever a date of great significance in my little existence in that little corner of the world. It was just another date to cross off on the calendar.

Once we moved to Manila, it was a different story. Throughout our growing-up years, we had to endure the firecrackers’ onslaught on our eardrums. My brother Gerard was especially sensitive to the noise, opting to wear a pair of Koss over-the-ear headphones to try and block it out. Unfortunately it didn’t really work. We weren’t into fireworks much, either, especially after seeing schoolmates missing a hand or other digits.

Now that we’re older, we’ve found ways of blocking out the noise.

Get away… far away

I’ve spent quite a few NYEs in NYC (New York City), at work in a show or just hanging out with family and friends. Times Square is a happening place that gets incredibly packed with people wanting to watch the legendary ball drop, counting down the last seconds of the year in the process.

If you’re not into standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of humanity in the blistering winter chill for the sake of revelry, it would be best to avoid the area and opt for a more quiet part of the city in which to usher in the new year.

Just check in

It also works to just check into a hotel.

Whenever we’re in Manila, my mother treats us all to “staycations” at one of her favorite places. The kids get the run of the buffet, and the grownups get some sleep, not to mention quiet. However, if there’s a show nearby, I’ll want to see what’s going on, especially if one of my friends happens to be performing.

During one such staycation on NYE, we looked out onto the city from our room’s large picture windows. Once midnight hit, it looked like war had broken out. The window vibrated with each boom and bang, and the air filled with black smoke. Once all was said and done, the skyline became nonexistent. It was quite a scary sight.

Do a show

On a few occasions, we’ve been asked to do a show. In one case, we welcomed the new millennium with a concert at the Westin (now Sofitel) Philippine Plaza. Gerard was my musical director and he was conducting a full orchestra.

I guess we battled the noise outside by making musical noise of our own.

The Broadway community remains open for business when the rest of the world is on a break. I’ve performed in “Miss Saigon” on New Year’s Eve, and was so relieved that my apartment was only a stone’s throw away from Broadway (trying to get transportation on this day of days is next to impossible… and if the weather turned terrible, leaving lots of snow on the ground, your best bet is your own two feet).

If you can’t beat ’em…

On one New Year’s Eve with family many years ago, right at the moment of truth, the kids ran amuck in the garden armed with sparklers. There were some fireworks (all manned by the adults, of course) and lots of noisemakers, but the best part of the night was being able to spend this evening with lots of happy people. We all greeted one another a hearty “Happy New Year!” at midnight, our spirits drowning out whatever sounds anyone else outside this garden was making.

Every family celebrates the new year’s arrival in their own unique way. However you decide to ring it in, please stay safe.

To you and yours, wherever you are, HAVE A GREAT START TO 2014!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!