Lea Salonga. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
It’s a strange thing, my line of work … it’s kind of necessary to be nocturnal (I find myself peaking at night rather than during the day, which works great for concerts, but not always in real life), the workdays include whole weekends, and the holidays make me smile, but not for the same reasons as most people.
You see, when the Christmas or Valentine season comes, that means more work for many performers and musicians, not to mention stage managers and crew, and whoever gets to work on concerts, holiday parties, and corporate gigs.
This Valentine’s season is no different for me … I shall be heading over to Hong Kong for the HK Philharmonic’s yearly fundraiser, “HK Phil & Friends,” at the Hong Kong Cultural Center (HKCC). Gerard Salonga will be conducting, and I can’t wait to start working on this show. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
I remember being in Hong Kong two years ago for this very same fundraiser, but only as a member of the audience (Rob and I traveled just to watch, along with Gerard’s wife DJ). We got dressed in our snazzy duds and headed over to the HKCC. Settled into our seats, programs in hand, we readied ourselves for the performances.
Now, what makes this fundraiser special is that the performers aren’t professional singers from the worlds of opera, theater or pop music. They are doctors, lawyers, businessmen and real-estate moguls among others, people who would not ordinarily step onto a stage, grab a microphone and sing. Each brave soul who was on the bill that night was a donor, who has given a significant amount of money for just one shot with the orchestra (rehearsals are absolutely necessary; you can’t just step on stage without a rehearsal and expect to be perfect). Each donor pays per song, and it is not cheap. I remember one performer who did at least four songs, complete with costume changes for each number. Fabulous!
While watching, I was pleasantly surprised. A few of the singers sounded like they could tread the boards professionally and do very well. I let out quite a few whoops and hollers throughout the night in appreciation of the fun evening we were all having.
And now, at this year’s fundraiser, I’m going to experience the fun onstage.
I have been assigned two solos (both of which I’ve done in previous concerts with Gerard at the helm) and two duets, each with a donor. To be honest, I have no idea what my duet partners are going to sound like, or if their voices will be right for the songs they’ve chosen to sing with me. However, this is all in the spirit of fun and fundraising for this wonderful orchestra, and the good people that comprise it.
So if you’re not doing anything on Feb. 15, head on over to the HKCC and check it out. If nothing else, the evening will put a big smile on your face from watching these people summon the courage to get up on stage and perform. Trust me, it’ll be a lot of fun.
Yep, not a bad way to spend Valentine weekend. And no, I won’t mind putting in the hours of work for a guaranteed great time. Come to think of it, this is not a bad idea, either, for raising funds for our national orchestras. What say you?
‘Playlist’ on TV
We’ve obviously not yet come down from our “Playlist” high! It started last December with two live performances … was resurrected last month for one more show … and now, we’ll all get to relive the night by watching the concert on television.
“Playlist” airs on ABS-CBN this Sunday, Feb. 16, after “Gandang Gabi Vice.”
We had a myriad of guest performers spread over the three live shows—some were planned while others were surprises. It’s anybody’s guess which ones made it to the telecast, which has a 90-minute time limit. I have no idea which songs made it and which ones ended up on the proverbial cutting room floor. I guess we’ll all find out together!
I’m planning to watch the show and live tweet as it airs, and do an “Ask Lea Q&A” session during the commercial breaks. So keep me company on Sunday and, if you have a question, use the hashtag #AskCoachLea (might as well keep it alive, especially since “The Voice of the Philippines” will be returning soon).
Oh yeah, regarding “The Voice” … in case you haven’t heard, I’m definitely coming back. Let the games begin.