Maine Mendoza —ARANETA CENTER
At the recent launch of the beloved animatronics showcase Christmas on Display (COD), television host-actress Maine Mendoza took the stage looking bubbly and comfortable as she delighted her throng of supporters at the Times Square Food Park in Araneta Center Cubao with a song number.
She performed “Last Christmas”—Ariana Grande’s electronic beat-laden version— “for the millennials out there,” she said.
But what does Maine think about the idea of releasing her own original Christmas song? “Probably not this holiday season because it’s already too late—it would be difficult [to find time] to record at all,” Maine, who signed with Universal Records earlier this year, told the Inquirer in a brief chat after the event.
“But let’s see, maybe next year,” the 22-year-old star added.
Christmas for Maine is usually spent at home with her mother’s side of the family. “We organize a get-together—we eat a lot and catch up with each other,” she said. “It’s a simple but very happy celebration.”
But since entering show biz in 2015, Maine has also experienced spending the holiday season at the cinemas as part of the Metro Manila Film Festival. She was part of the comedy flick “My Bebe Love #KiligPaMore” in 2015, and is now one of the lead stars of this year’s entry “Jack Em Popoy: The Puliscredibles.”
“I will be busy working, promoting the movie this Christmas,” related Maine, who’s teaming up with Vic Sotto and Coco Martin for the said film.
Christmas on Display, which features heartwarming family-oriented stories that are told by way of moving mannequins, is back this year in Araneta Center, where it debuted in 1966 as Manila COD. The shows are set to run until Jan. 6.
What’s her wish this coming Christmas? Maine said she can’t ask for anything more. “If I do make a wish, it wouldn’t be for myself,” she stressed. “I just hope that everyone going through hardships in life—whatever they may be—get through them.”
Adorable performance
Aside from Maine, the event was also attended by “Eat Bulaga!” cohost Baeby Baste, who delivered an adorable performance of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” while some of his fans blew bubbles in the air.
But it wasn’t just the song that won the audience over. The 6-year-old child star showed professionalism when his minus one track stopped midway through the number. Baste was seemingly unfazed by the technical mishap and simply continued to sing—a cappella.
“Thank you for joining and singing along with me, because my music disappeared!” he told the crowd.