Ogie Alcasid—from Dingdong’s front act to Regine’s main event

Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid —Facebook

For Christmas this year, allow us to indulge in a bit of nostalgia: We love catching up with friends we hardly see anymore because of our hectic work schedule at the Inquirer. So, we were only too happy to at least chat with Mr. Songwriter himself, Ogie Alcasid, with whom we acted in two original Filipino musicals: Nonoy Gallardo’s “Sino Ka Ba, Jose Rizal?” (in the late ’90s) and Ryan Cayabyab’s “Birhen ng Caysasay” (mid-2000s), both helmed by director (and Inquirer Entertainment columnist) Nestor U. Torre.

Other than Ogie, “Rizal’s” stellar cast included Mikee Cojuangco, Rachel Alejandro, Joy Virata, Lou Veloso, Tex Ordoñez, Andy Bais, Roeder Camañag and Bituin Escalante in her first professional stage production. The cast of “Caysasay” also featured Cocoy Laurel, Tommy Abuel, Ivy Violan, Veloso, Bais and visual artist Cheloy Dans.

The Rizal play was particularly significant for us because it was one of our earliest lead roles in theater: In the stage musical, after the teenage Pepe, our character, longingly sings his tribute to his hometown (“Calamba”), he goes around a balete (ficus or strangler fig) tree and “magically” re-emerges as the adult Jose, now played by Ogie. (A year later, we played the adult Jose Rizal in an abridged restaging at the Shangri-La Plaza.)

More than the moments we shared with Ogie onstage, we were impressed by his kindness, openness and accessibility—and he was a quick study! NUT has always been a very demanding director, but Ogie was always quick on the draw and took Nestor’s complex and uncompromising directions in stride.

It’s been a while since we last chatted with Ogie, but we finally got our chance via Facebook Messenger last Dec. 22, after he posted his photo with his wife, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez, sharing a loving smooch to mark their sixth anniversary as a married couple—they tied the knot on Dec. 22, 2010.

After he told us how thrilled he was about the Jan. 7 opening of the kiddie edition of “Your Face Sounds Familiar,” where he sits with fellow OPM icons, Megastar Sharon Cuneta and Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano, in the judges’ panel, we inquired about his FB post and asked what his impression was of Reg the first time he met her.

“I was a front act of Dingdong Avanzado at the time,” Ogie recalled. “I was always a fan of Regine. But, when I met her, she was so down to earth. She told me that I sang well after she heard me rehearsing. She’s still the same humble and unassuming person I have always known—and that’s coming from a totally unbiased husband (laughs).”

What makes their marriage tick and click? Ogie said, “We’re both passionate about our faith. We aren’t perfect and we’ll never be, but we support each other in wanting to learn more about our relationship with Jesus. That may sound corny to many, but that is truly how we click.”

To all our dear readers, Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!