‘Ang pagdadalaga ni Ryzza Mae’

RYZZA Mae Dizon

Child star Ryzza Mae Dizon isn’t getting any younger—in fact, she’s already budding and blooming physically, and is being eased into a more “tween” projection in the roles she’s being given.

On her last drama series, “Princess in the Palace,” her assigned character started out as childlike as she comes. But, toward the end, she was given a similarly “transitioning” boy actor to go on cute, innocent “puppy love” mode with. Clearly, a sign of even more “crushable” scenes to come!

True enough, on her new show, “Calle Siete,” Ryzza Mae is pushing the tween button even more gigglingly and blushingly, with another child actor who’s also coming along in the years.

Ryzza Mae’s character is also being made to interest herself with “starter” beauty products, pimples, physical changes and other tween concerns. Thus far, her scenes’ treatment has been light and blithe and innocent—and that’s all to the good.

Ryzza Mae’s transition in terms of image is also quite logical because, like her, her fans are growing up, perhaps faster than their parents would prefer.

It’s relevant to note that local viewership is generally youthful, so as they “transition” along with their fave young star, her career prospects will be safe and secure.

In the past, whenever popular child stars got too old to play appropriately juvenile parts, they were generally kept away from the public for a couple of years—while nature inexorably “took its course.”

The boys’ speaking voices cracked and changed, the girls’ bosoms expanded and their waistlines shrank—away from public view and purview.

But, that was when the movies reigned supreme on the local show biz scene, and television wasn’t as popular and dominant as it is today.

With TV’s inexorable demand for much more new material, often on a daily basis, popular child stars can no longer afford to take those long leaves—for fear that, in their absence, other young talents will come along and dislodge them from their stellar perch! That’s why, they tend to remain on-cam these days.

For instance, Zaijian Jaranilla started his career in 2001 and became popular in “May Bukas Pa (2009), as well as other follow-up series. When he hit his adolescent years, his TV appearances did diminish, but he’s still seen from time to time.

Ditto for Janella Salvador, who first made her mark in the 2012 hit, “Be Careful with My Heart,” and stayed on to further heat up her promising career, up to her new series this season, “Born for You,” where she’s been paired with Elmo Magalona.

Ryzza Mae is younger than Zaijian and Janella when they transitioned, but her handlers’ moves are similar.

Expectedly, her own gambit will be successful, provided her directors avoid cringe-inducing and heavy-handed tactics like playing her current show’s romance card too hard. This early in the “tween transition” process, “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Ryzza Mae” should take its natural time. Easy does it.