How Ogie, Regine see the entertainment biz transitioning amid pandemic

Ogie Alcasid (left) and Regine Velasquez

With the government prohibiting mass gathering and forcing many to simply stay at home because of the pandemic, singers Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid both said they “miss the thrill of live performances.”

“Doing a live concert, with people watching and singing along with us, it gives us a different high. I can’t wait to go back onstage and sing for everyone again,” declared Regine, whose recent online birthday concert/fundraiser, titled “One Night With Regine,” had been a smashing success.

“In a live concert, there’s instant gratification. If you hit a high note, you’d hear people go crazy. I miss that. Doing an online show isn’t anything like that at all. I miss the ‘rah! rah!’ of my supporters. Iba ang adrenalin ’pag live,” she pointed out.

Regine, however, said she liked performing online, too. “It was very convenient for me. There wasn’t much fuss. I was just in the house. I got dressed in my room and fixed myself a little, then I went down and sang. I also had the perfect excuse to just sit down [while singing],” she recalled. “I enjoyed it so much that I want to keep doing it.”

“I think the digital platform plays a huge role these days,” Ogie observed, “and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Consumers are happy that they have YouTube, Netflix and Amazon. You get what you want with just a tap of a finger, right when you want it, wherever you are.”

The couple was interviewed last Tuesday for the online talk show “Actor’s Cue,” a segment of the “#ExtendTheLove” initiative to raise funds for film workers displaced by the pandemic.

“I think we’re merely transitioning to [a setup] that’s more convenient for everyone at the moment,” Ogie pointed out. “To attend a live show or any kind of event, there are so many things to consider, like commuting and then going to the venue. While these experiential events are important in our lives, we have to choose which ones we want to experience, [especially since a vaccine for Covid-19 has yet to be developed].”

The singer-composer is convinced that “things will go back to the way they used to be. I just don’t think they’re going to be the same.”

Regine predicted that the entertainment industry would be the last to recover from this economic blow, “because we’re not regarded as essential by the government. This is a sad thing. Our community is important because we give hope and make people laugh; we inspire them to work on achieving their dreams. We do this with the stories we tell, sing and dance to.”

As for Ogie’s predictions, he said: “Filmmaking, be it mainstream or indie, will continue to thrive. It will find its way, for sure,” he said. “I really hope this transition doesn’t take too long. A lot of people are losing jobs and are going hungry. Pero may awa ang Diyos.”