‘Varekai’ makes stars kids again

Gary V kept whistling throughout the show.

Beauty queen Precious Lara Quigaman was spotted biting her nails, while boyfriend Marco Alcaraz giggled and gasped in turns.

“Varekai,” Cirque du Soleil’s touring show ongoing at the Quirino Grandstand grounds until July 24, allowed the country’s celebs to re-experience childhood during the by-invitational gala premiere last Wednesday.

Paolo Valenciano, son of Gary V and a singer himself, told the Inquirer: “It was like being in a fairy tale.”

Paolo’s mom, talent manager Angeli Pangilinan, added: “Every person in any form of art or sport should watch this show.” Gary was “dumfounded,” she said, and related that at the cast party later on, “Gary had a very intense conversation with the differently abled dancer (Dergin Tokmak).”

Gary, who has battled diabetes for 32 years, found Dergin inspiring for going beyond disability to achieve his dreams, Angeli said.

Gary was bowled over by the finale number, too. He recounted: “Bodies flying in the air with such precision, it was astonishing. The circus has always been tagged as the greatest show on earth. Cirque du Soleil went beyond that.”

GMA 7 star Iza Calzado was just as ecstatic. “It was awesome. The performances, the costumes, the music were all impressive. I’m looking forward to catching other Cirque shows.”

Fellow Kapuso Marco agreed: “At first, I didn’t know what to expect, but as the show progressed, I felt like a kid again, screaming and laughing. Lara, my fiancée, and I want to see it again soon.”

Lara said, “I was thrilled to see the tent (the Grand Chapiteau) from afar and was thrilled some more as I watched the show. It was enchanting.”

TV host Daphne Oseña relived her youth as well. “I first saw Cirque in the 1980s in Canada, just when the troupe was starting. I was in awe then and still in awe now. The show was magical.”

IC Mendoza revealed that, as a kid, he dreamt of joining the circus. “Watching ‘Varekai’ was such a vicarious thrill for me. I love being transported to a different realm of excitement. Plus, I have a new crush: one of the French acrobats.”

Christine Bersola-Babao hailed the show as a visual feast. “The circus is a lot like life,” she mused, “action-packed, jaw-dropping, spell-binding… sometimes you have to hang by a thread.”

E-mail [email protected].