Ogie back on the bar scene

Ogie Alcasid

Ogie Alcasid is ecstatic to be back on the bar scene. “I have missed performing in small venues,” he told us. “My gigs are mostly major concerts. But, there’s something about singing for an audience who can see me up close. The vibe is different compared to shows in a coliseum.”

Catch Ogie on March 3, 10 p.m. at Historia (on Sgt. Esguerra in Quezon City), with special guests, Davey Langit and Klarisse (call 0937 373-5506). Considering Ogie’s stature, he can just rest on his laurels, but the OPM icon never runs out of ways to make us fall in love even more with his music.

Not quite ‘Significant’

Lovi Poe outshone Erich Gonzales in “The Significant Other,” especially in their confrontation scenes. But the plot of the movie is quite contrived and predictable. The first scene where Lovi causes a commotion in a fashion show preempts everything. Contrary to its title, that scene makes the rest of the story insignificant.

Relevant ‘advoca-serye’

What will Filipino viewers’ afternoons be without a daily dose of drama on TV? GMA 7 adds a twist to the usual soap by coming up with the “advoca-serye,” “Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka,” on the network’s afternoon block. It stars Yasmien Kurdi, Martin del Rosario, Mike Tan and Jackie Rice.

The series aims to raise HIV awareness by way of an intriguing drama that brings to light the struggles of a woman who is HIV-positive, and how she battles her own demons and frailties.

Here’s my chat with Yasmien:

What makes your marriage work? We make sure that God is at the center of our marriage. We still go out on dates like when we were still boyfriend and girlfriend. When we make a decision, it always has to be mutual. We never fight about money—that’s a no-no.

When your daughter is of age, what advice would you give her about love and men? Be financially ready first before getting married. Do not trust men right away.

What if you find out that your husband has a mistress, how will you handle it? Honestly, I cannot even imagine it. I pray it won’t happen. I trust my husband, I know he’s a good man. He’s God-fearing.

What has your new drama series made you realize about HIV? It’s heartbreaking to know that stigma and discrimination persist against people with HIV. People should step forward and move past old thinking of how people with the virus should be treated.

Do you ever watch rival shows from ABS-CBN? I usually watch one episode on YouTube, out of curiosity.