Piolo Pascual
The reaction is instantaneous,” said Piolo Pascual as to why he still likes performing in front of a live audience once in a while.
Piolo will have a series of concerts in select cities in Canada and the United States starting in November with fellow Kapamilya actor Jericho Rosales.
The two, along with Carlo Agassi, Bernard Palanca and Diether Ocampo, were members of the all-male musical group called “The Hunks” in 2000. “I will never neglect this aspect of my show biz career. I enjoy the immediate reaction of the audience during concerts. It’s a different experience compared to acting in front of the camera. It’s also one way to connect with our ‘kababayan’ around the world,” Piolo pointed out.
Sold-out
“It’s kind of sad that I will just be touring with Jericho and not with the others. It’s just that we’re the only people who carried on with performing and singing. Jericho also did a couple of albums a few years back. As for me, I just had a US tour with Sam Milby in May this year. The inquiry to do something with Jericho was back in 2021, and it’s only now that our schedules met. Hopefully, this will not be the last,” Piolo told reporters who attended the grand opening of the first drive-thru branch (located in White Plains, Quezon City) of the sandwich brand Turks, of which he is an ambassador. “Jericho will be directing the show so he is the one fixing everything, including the song lineup. He is being very thorough about it. We have a full band,” Piolo reported. “And since this is a first for both of us, we’ve been collaborating. He’s been sending me music that we can do together. I’m also happy to report that in some cities, like Houston, there are some sections of the venue that are already sold-out. This is really a good reunion project for us.”
Speaking of reunions, Piolo said he missed attending the ABS-CBN Ball, which is an annual get-together of Kapamilya artists that was discontinued for two years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, originally scheduled this Oct. 2, was once again postponed by ABS-CBN management “given current circumstances.”
“I’m always a social butterfly during our past parties because, for me, it’s a chance to see friends and everyone I work with in show biz. I always get excited when that happens,” he said. “As for my outfit, I leave everything up to the stylist. I just made sure to say that it’s important for me to do Filipino. I already wore a couple of Filipino designs over the years.”
Proud dad
Piolo then said he was especially proud of his son, Iñigo, who is trying to pursue an international show biz career. Iñigo is a major cast member of the American musical drama series “Monarch,” which is currently streaming in the United States on Fox.
“They filmed it for a year. Hopefully, it becomes well-received so they can still make Season 2. He’s been auditioning for a lot of international productions. I claim it—we both do—that he’s going to have a good career in Hollywood. ‘Monarch’ is his first big break. He’s lucky that at his age, he gets to do this role. I hope he lands more Hollywood gigs in the coming year,” said the proud dad.
As for updates on Piolo’s own TV projects, the local adaptation of the Korean drama thriller “Flower of Evil” is airing its last four weeks, he reported. “I’m enjoying watching the show as much as I enjoyed taping it. It’s nice to do something different from what my audience is used to seeing,” he pointed out. “After this, I will start another season of (Cathy Garcia Molina’s situational comedy) ‘My Papa Pi.’”
Piolo is set to do another soap series in 2023, he added. “These days, it’s a blessing to have work, to do something that my mom is able to watch and enjoy. We proudly survived the pandemic, despite the challenges we’ve faced. I’m glad I stuck to being a Kapamilya.”