‘Surprise factor’ boosts stellar careers

LEDESMA. Well-received exhibit.

Stars and starlets live exciting but insecure lives, because they don’t know when viewers will get bored with what they have to offer, and choose to favor newer luminaries whose performances are still relatively fresh and dynamic.

That’s why veteran stars who manage to remain popular for decades advise their colleagues to never rest on their laurels and take their fabulous fame and fortune for granted.

It’s a gift given to only a few lucky and plucky people, so stars have to be constantly grateful—and work hard to keep delighting their fans.

Aside from coming up with unexpectedly edgy portrayals, stars can also surprise their fans by unveiling unexpected layers to their stellar personas. This season, the “surprise factor” has occasionally revealed itself in some stars’ heretofore unappreciated ability—as visual artists.

A few months ago, Heart Evangelista impressed art buffs when she was able to get her works exhibited at the Ayala Museum—and promptly had a sell-out show! For her part, singer Kuh Ledesma also unveiled her visual artistry in a well-received exhibit.

What’s up next for Kuh? Still bent on surprising her fans with another unexpected salvo, she’s writing her autobiography.  In addition, she hopes to mount a reunion concert topbilling her and her Music and Magic band and back-up singers, some of whom also became stars in their own right!

Recollections

We hope that other stars will also gift us with their autobiographies this year. Dolphy and Pilar Pilapil set the ball rolling some years ago, but other luminaries need to put their career recollections between covers—not to provide gossip fodder, but to detail the production of significant movies and shows, for future generations to benefit from.

Other stars are adding to their resumes by turning producers or directors. Recently, Christopher de Leon produced the religious musical, “Lorenzo,” for Oasis of Love. And ace actor Ricky Davao has turned TV director, with a number of drama series already tucked in his belt, including a new show, “Dading,” about a surrogate father who is gay.