Why Regine fainted at MUSICAT Music concert

The performances were, as expected, excellent, turning the MUSICAT Music concert (consisting of excerpts from such musicals as Larawan and Katy!) into another memorable evening (last Nov. 20) at the CCP Main Theater, thanks to the Musical Theater Philippines (MUSICAT, led by, among others, Celeste Legaspi and Girlie Rodis) which presented it.

Before the performers (Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Nonoy Zuñiga, Rachel Alejandro, Mikee Cojuangco, Ricky Davao, Jeffrey Hidalgo, Eugene Villaluz, Mitch Valdes and, of course, Celeste Legaspi herself) take another bow, Funfare would like to congratulate them for a great show –and, especially, their show of professionalism.

For instance, did you know that Regine fainted for one minute right after she rendered her song?

According to an insider, Regine was visibly exhausted (too many singing stints, you know) when she arrived late that afternoon. Still, she rehearsed with Ryan Cayabyab (also a MUSICAT member) while squatting on the floor, giving her level best as usual. The audience didn’t have any idea that Regine, on stage, was growing weaker and weaker, her performance level going down from 100 percent to 80 percent to 60 percent.

"When she took a bow," said the eyewitness, "Regine was already feeling dizzy. As soon as she handed the microphone to the stage hand backstage, Regine fainted, unconscious for about a minute. Nonoy and Eugene caught her in time, preventing her from hitting the floor."

Yes, she had to be rushed to the hospital, with Mikee among those who accompanied her.

Imagine how touched Celeste was when, during the cast party later, she opened an envelope from Regine and found a check inside as Regine’s donation to MUSICAT! And to think that she refused to accept the honorarium, like almost all the performers! "No wonder she’s blessed," said Ryan.

The MUSICAT Music was staged for a good cause (to raise funds for the MUSICAT projects in 2003, including the restaging of the hit musicals Alikabok and Katy!) That’s one thing nice about some of our artists; if it’s for a good cause, they’ll do it gratis et amore and put their best foot forward.

And there was Carla Martinez. A day before the concert, she brought her ailing husband out of the hospital, only to rush him back the next day when he suffered extreme pain (ailment not revealed). Thinking that Carla might not make it to the show, the MUSICAT people tapped Rachel to rehearse Carla’s number as possible replacement. Surprise, surprise! Carla did show up in time, much to the admiration of her co-performers.

"I’ve never seen such a professional group," said the eye-witness.

Okay, then, let’s give Celeste and company another round of applause. May their tribe increase!

Carlos caught ‘in the act’

Something funny happened during the shooting of Dekada ’70, the Vilma Santos-Christopher de Leon topbiller which is Star Cinema’s entry to next month’s Metro Filmfest, directed by Chito Roño from Lualhati Bautista’s Palanca-winning novel.

In one scene, Carlos (playing one of Vilma and Christopher’s children, the others being Piolo Pascual, Danilo Barrios and Marvin Agustin) was supposed to be, well, "playing with himself" while having "SOP" (Sex on the Phone, not Standard Operating Procedure) with his girlfriend and Mama Vilma was going to catch him "in the act."

"Direk Chito wanted the scene to be realistic," recalled Carlos "so I really put my hand where it should be and then…"

And then Mama Vilma entered the room and, voila, caught Carlos with his hand inside the… cookie jar?

"After the ‘take’," said Carlos, "I felt so embarrassed. But several weeks later when we reshot the same scene, parang I was conditioned already and I did it as a matter of course." Well, you see practice does make perfect.

On Dec. 14, Carlos is marking his 23rd birthday with a show at the Glorietta Activity Center, Makati City, a few days after he and fellow Hunks Piolo Pascual, Jericho Rosales, Bernard Palanca and Diether Ocampo shall have come back from their US concert tour.

"What gift do I want for my birthday? Nothing. Na sana lang tuloy-tuloy ang suwerte ko."

His career is going great (besides Dekada ’70, he’s doing well as Gani in the top-rated ABS-CBN soap Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan), he’s a well-loved and in-demand endorser (of, among other products, Dickies and Shakey’s) and his personal life is "okay lang" even if he claimed to be loveless.

Soon, his foot-massage business (Foot Trip) with Kris Aquino, with a main outlet at the Eugenio Lopez Building (right beside the ABS-CBN Studios), is opening a branch at Glorietta 2.

"What more can I ask for?" smiled Carlos.