Fun, unusual, enviable family vacation for Alcasids and Murrows

REGINE Velasquez (left) and Michelle van Eimeren enjoyed the Bali trip.

Ogie and Regine Alcasid took a much-needed family vacation with their adorable baby boy Nate and the entire Alcasid clan in Bali, Indonesia, where they met up with Ogie’s two daughters, Leila and Sarah, their mom Michelle van Eimeren and her hubby Mark Murrow.

Theirs is an unusual yet enviable setup. If only all ex-couples could be as cool as Ogie and Michelle. And if only all future spouses could be as open-minded as Regine and Mark.  Being happier partners has made them even better parents.

It gave Ogie enough time to unwind before he gets busy again. Ogie has his hands full  with the TV5 game show “Ask Pilipinas” (Monday to Friday, 11:15 a.m.) and his birthday concert, “Throwback Thursday with Ogie A.,” on Aug. 28, 8 p.m., at the Music Museum.

Amid his frenzied schedule, Ogie is never too busy to spend quality time with his loved ones.

As a friend, Ogs is that way, too. I was so touched when he gave me a rare edition of Rolling Stone magazine devoted to my idol Michael Jackson. He always finds a way to leave his mark.

That’s the Alcasid charisma!

Ogs shares his “Betcha by Bali Wow” story with us:

“The Bali trip was a real reunion for the entire Alcasid and Murrow families. It was also the first time  that my parents got to see  my three kids (Leila, Sarah and Nate) together. We first stayed at the Shanti, Nusa Dua, a beautiful five-bedroom villa with its own staff. We saw the Kecak dance at Uluwatu Temple and Garuda Wisnu Ken Sana Temple. After four days, we moved to Villa de Suma in Seminyak, which has a four-bedroom villa. It was an eating and shopping adventure. We had a great time at the Waterbom park.

“Our family makes sure that, aside from the Christmas get-togethers, we see each other midyear so that we can really catch up and bond.

“Nate calls Sarah ‘Ate Sawah’ and Leila, ‘Ate Leila.’ Nate speaks only Tagalog but now tries to speak English with his sisters. So adorable! ”

From one Engineer to another

LEO TAVARRO VALDEZ

Since the newest sensation in the hit revival of “Miss Saigon” in London is Filipino actor Jon Jon Briones as The Engineer, I asked my good friend, Leo Tavarro Valdez (whose portrayal of The Engineer also got rave reviews) for his thoughts on his heir apparent.

Bravo to both Leo and Jon for showing that there are no limits to Filipino artistry in the West End (and beyond).

Says Leo: “Jon Jon Briones, The Engineer in the 25th year revival of ‘Miss Saigon,’ is a perfect example of a talented actor whose time has finally come and whose patience, discipline and hard work have paid off wonderfully. While playing the role of ‘The Engineer’ in  London, I had the pleasure of working with him at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 1998 to 1999. In the ‘Miss Saigon’ Manila-Hong Kong-Singapore tour in 2000, he had his own distinct take on the role as my alternate.

“I am very happy for Jon Jon as well as for everyone in the cast who will benefit as I did from the direction of the gifted Lawrence Connor. Many of the Filipinos in this batch are personal friends. I know that they will continue to carry on the tradition of showing the world how blessed Filipino artists truly are.”

Bonding with James, Mic

I immensely enjoyed watching the PBA Governor’s Cup Championship Series (Game 3) last Saturday with ma cherie amie, the fab girlfriend of my amigo James Yap, Michela “Mic” Cazzola.

As we entered the Big Dome, fans mobbed Mic for selfie shots. I teased Mic that she should join show biz. But Mic would rather stay with Asian Development Bank.

We were seated right behind the bench of James’ team, San Mig Coffee Mixers. It made the game all the more exciting, since we could feel the intensity of the competition.

Although James and Mic shared details on James’ firstborn, they requested to keep it off the record—out of respect for the child and James’ ex. As far as James and Mic are concerned, that’s old news. That chapter in James’ life is history. Now, they are living their own beautiful story.