Wishful thinking

MUHLACH. Should appear more often on TV and in the movies.

The local show biz scene need not be as boringly predictable as it often is, if producers and directors think up innovative ways to entertain and inform viewers.

Sometimes, this need not involve brilliantly original concepts, just the belated realization that we have a lot of fine talents who have been forgotten—or “unremembered”—in the course of the years, as younger but less gifted faves distract us from the overlooked and under-utilized talents in our midst.

For instance, we’re glad that Aiza Seguerra and other former child stars are still performing on the tube—but Niño Muhlach, one of the very best child wonders of them all, hasn’t been heard from in quite a while. We know that, some years ago, Niño tried his hand at stage acting, but we need to see him on TV, so that more people will benefit from his talent and experience.

Comedy series

It would be great if, like Aiza, who’s a regular on the popular teleserye, “Be Careful with My Heart,” Niño is included in the cast of another daily drama or comedy series.

We are also a fan of the veteran singer-comedienne, Nikki Ross, so we hope that producers will also include her in their list of prospects when it’s time for them to cast their new shows.

Some years ago, we were privileged to enjoy an impromptu one-person “show” put on by Nikki for the delectation of our barkada, which included her good friend, Tita Muñoz. All by her lonesome, Nikki held us in thrall for more than two hours—and, we were hooked!

She’s been around for decades, but Perla Bautista’s love for acting hasn’t waned. She’s become an even better thespian through the years, so we hope that we see her more often on the small and big screens this year.

As for Ali Sotto, we hear that she could be seen regularly on a morning TV show. That would be really wonderful, since Ali can handle all sorts of topics, from the usual “light” stuff to more relevant and significant subject matter.

Docu-drama

Also good news is the fact that Epy Quizon has been asked to meg a docu-drama on Jesse Robredo. It’s a challenging assignment, but Epy is fully up to the task at hand.

Our advice to Epy is that he should take great pains to look for an actor who looks and sounds like Robredo to play the key role in his production. If no stage actor can be found who convincingly looks the part, why not call for an open audition, so that the best possible choices can be enticed out of anonymity? Here’s wishing Epy’s Robredo project the very best!

Other proven talents we should see much more often on TV, in stage plays and in the movies include Lou Veloso, Lollie Mara, Alfred Vargas, Francine Prieto, Mitch Valdes, Debraliz Valasote, Vivian Velez, Cherie Gil, Juno Henares, Jograd dela Torre, Marvin Agustin, Ina Feleo and Daria Ramirez!