Regine in L.A. Lunar Parade

Curtain-raisers:

• An annulment specialist is giving this unsolicited advice to Parañaque City Mayor Joey Marquez who’s reported to have gone to Las Vegas to file for a divorce against estranged wife Alma Moreno (they got married in that city in late 1989): "Don’t telegraph your punches. Keep things as confidential as possible. Don’t let the other party know what your moves are. In short, shut up already!" Incidentally, Funfare’s L.A. DPA reported yesterday that Mayor Joey is also in the States to sort out papers and documents pertaining to the "settlement of US properties" between him and Alma.

• Starting on Monday, Feb. 11, Julius Babao will be back on the ABS-CBN early-morning show Alas Singko y Media to co-anchor the Alas 5:30 Patrol with Erwin Tulfo and Cheryl Cosim. No, Julius isn’t quitting Talk TV which he co-hosts with girlfriend Tintin Bersola and Ryan Agoncillo (thank heavens, his hair is back to its original black color!). ABS-CBN management wants Julius to do newscasting and reporting simultaneously with TV hosting.

• Condolence to Manny V. Pangilinan ("MVP") on the death of his 80-year-old mom, Soledad Pangilinan, early last Tuesday morning (Feb. 5). The remains, already cremated, will be placed in a crypt at the Manila Memorial Park this afternoon after the mass at the St. Jerome The Great Parish in Ayala Alabang where the wake was held.

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When it rains, as they say, it really pours – and how!

That’s very true in the case of Regine Velasquez who has just been chosen MTV Asia’s Favorite Filipino Artist (beating the likes of Lea Salonga, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano and Freestyle). In March, Regine will host a new Viva-TV show, Star for a Night, on IBC 13, a singing contest originating from London like two other Viva franchisees, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (hosted by Christopher de Leon, back on TV on Sunday, Feb. 10) and The Weakest Link (hosted by Edu Manzano).

Regine’s self-titled Viva Records album has recently been honored with a Platinum Award while her new starrer (with Richard Gomez), Viva Films’ Ikaw Lamang Hanggang Ngayon, will open next week as a Valentine offering.

Here’s one more: On Feb. 17, Regine will perform at the Annual Lunar New Year Parade in Hollywood. Funfare is giving the floor to the L.A. DPA:

There seems to be no stopping Regine Velasquez’s ascent to international fame with her forthcoming performance on Sunday, Feb. 17, right in the middle of the world’s entertainment capital: Hollywood. Asia’s Songbird promises to captivate a variety of audiences bannered by bigwigs from corporate America when she performs in a showcase of Asian talents at the 1st Annual Lunar New Year Parade and Festival. Major US networks and newspapers have already recognized the magnitude of the lunar parade’s news value. Media big shots such as ABC Channel 7, American Broadcasting Company), and Los Angeles’ top-rated radio stations, KISS FM 102.7 and Hot 92.3 will cover the parade.

Topping the list of sponsors are business giants like Bank of America, Pepsi Cola, Toyota, General Motors and California Lottery. These companies’ involvement in the lunar festival and in Regine’s participation reflects how Regine’s performance is catching the attention of the who’s who in Hollywood entertainment.

Filipino-Americans can take pride that our very own Regine was chosen to be the festival’s grand finale. She will cap performances along with similarly deserving talents from other Asian countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia and Thailand. In other words, Regine’s special participation in Hollywood’s Lunar Fest is an acknowledgement that she is a first among equals and that Hollywood recognizes her star power.

Regine’s Hollywood gig is not just your usual run-of-the-mill gigs that have become permanent fixtures on the famous boulevard’s Walk of Fame. For one, the boulevard’s center will literally be shut down, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For another, the movers of the affairs are popular, nay, big-time masters of Hollywood show business.

Choreographing the "entire look" of the parade is Don Davidson whose credits include such high-profile projects as the Disney World’s recent attractions; the Unviersal Studios theme park in Osaka, Japan; the Universal Islands of Adventure in Florida; the Christmas Parade and New Year celebration in Hong Kong in 1998, to name a few.

Assisting in the parade is Bill Lomas, known as the Parade King of Southern California. He does an average of 50 parades in the United States a year, including the Hollywood Christmas Parade and the Nisei Week Japanese Parade. KCSI TV Channel 18, steered by its president Jon Yasuda, was among those who conceptualized the entire project. KCSI TV 18 has also been producing shows for the local Filipino American community.

The Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel should be credited for bringing Regine into the limelight of this big-time Hollywood opening salvo for 2002.

Indeed, without Gurfinkel’s expertise, Regine’s return to US soil would have been an impossible dream.

Today, not only is she back, Regine is even taking Hollywood by storm.

Gurfinkel’s participation in bringing Regine to Hollywood is his way of returning favors to the Filipino American community in Los Angeles. In short, sponsoring top caliber artists for Filipino-Americans is one of Gurfinkel’s humble ways in recognizing the community’s support to him. "No matter how busy and popular Michael is, bringing joy and happiness to our kababayan here, remains in his heart. It is utang na loob shown in the most genuine Filipino fashion," said a Filipino observer who has not failed to attend a single Gurfinkel civic project.

Lance’s sexy butt

Funfare got the following letter from reader Jeremy Martinez (no address given in the e-mail):

Dear Mr. Ricky Lo,

My class and I saw the theater version of Romeo and Juliet recently. We all loved it. Adriana Agcaoilli (as Juliet) and Lance Raymundo (as Romeo) were great and they both looked very good. After the love scene, Lance went out of the bed which was covered by a curtain and everyone screamed. I and my friends were all at the left side of the theater and the curtain was covering my view so we did not even get the chance to see anything. But after the play, all the girls and gays were talking about Lance getting up from bed with his tights not yet pulled up but I did not hear the details of what they saw. I just missed the highlight of the play. I always read your column because you know everything in showbiz. You also have so many rare pictures that you publish even before they get into a book, like the ones of Carlos Morales. So I’m so sure you also have some of the backstage pictures of Lance. Please send me some to my e-mail address and I’m willing to pay for it. I will be fervently waiting for your kind reply, Mr. Ricky!

(Note: Jeremy and other readers in similar state of euphoria will be happy to know that there’ll be another staging of Romeo and Juliet on Friday, Feb. 8, at 8 p.m. at the AFP theater. Tickets are available at the entrance starting at 6 o’clock that day. Directed by Jun Flavier Pablo for Gantimpala Theater Foundation, in cooperation with Great Entertaiment Corp., Romeo and Juliet is sponsored by Beam Toothpaste, Glo-ri Supermarts, Universal Robina Corporation, Radio Station K91, Paul Sun of Storage Specialists, Penny Lane Duty Free, Avon, VAS Recording, Philstage, Chatterbox Pizza and Via Mare. To Jeremy... No, Lance’s photos are not for sale – that is, if there’s a photo of him with his sexy butt partially exposed.)

Annabelle’s ‘mission impossible’ in Istanbul

FLASH: Annabelle Rama and husband Eddie Gutierrez left the other day for a grand vacation in Istanbul, Turkey, upon the invitation of their future son-in-law Yilmaz Bektas who has been presuading his future biyenan to spend time with him, his family and relatives in that exciting Turkish city.

The holiday coincided with Eddie’s birthday yesterday, Feb. 6 (also the birthday of Daisy Romualdez who treated friends to lunch at the Chinese restaurant in Holiday Inn).

While in Istanbul, Annabelle will pursue a "mission impossible" – that is, to dissuade daughter Ruffa from getting married to Yilmaz soon. "They can get married, all right," Annabelle told Funfare, "but not this year or the next. Hindi na nagsasawa sa buhaydalaga si Ruffa; she is not ready to settle down yet."

It seems that Ruffa is so in love with Yilmaz – and vice versa – that she’s deadset on marching down the aisle first in Muslim rites and then in a Catholic ceremony.

Last week, Ruffa texted Funfare that she and Yilmaz just completed a whirlwind tour of Phuket (Bangkok), The Vatican and Milan. She flew back to L.A. while Yilmaz proceeded to Istanbul to prepare for his future parents-in-laws’ visit. Ruffa should have flown to Istanbul by this time to join her family.