The secret of Kim Possible

The son of a billionaire Japanese electronics mogul is kidnapped. A nuclear arsenal in a breakway Soviet republic goes missing. World weather patterns mysteriously reverse overnight.

This isn’t a story line of a big-budget Hollywood movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger or Bruce Willis but it’s the everyday adventure of high school sophomore and junior varsity cheerleader Kim Possible.

Kim Possible is the lead character of Disney Channel’s new animated adventure series of the same name aired every Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

It all started innocently enough with Kim’s webpage ad that states "She can do anything." Well, it meant that she can do stuff like babysitting and watering neighbor’s plants. But a weird thing happened. The website got hits from around the world, from people in trouble.

Challenged by the prospect of living an adventurous life, she started answering those inquiries and fighting evil characters like Ubel Drakken, Steel Toe, Shego, The Killer B’s, Doctor Botox, Duff Killgan, Lord Monkey Fist, Senor Senior Senior and Senor Junior, who are out to rule the world.

Sure, Kim’s got schoolwork and chores and the occasional babysitting gig, but "what about the missing team of climbers on Mount Everest? Somebody’s got to help them!" says Kim. And that’s what Kim does. She helps. And it doesn’t matter where, when and how dangerous.

Kim’s a natural in action, handling the direst predicaments with cool aplomb. Even more amazing are her observational and deductive skills. Kim can crack the most elusive of mysteries.

But Kim’s fame, accomplishments and confidence seem to evaporate when she enters the classrooms and corridors of Middleton High School. In addition to her amazing extra-curricular exploits, Kim has to face the same knotty social hurdles as any other high school student: the rival cheerleader, the mean teacher, the hunk who doesn’t know she’s alive and persistent suitors.

Kim Possible debuted early December over Disney Channel Asia and the fun and excitement doubled when Disney Channel Philippines gave Kim a rousing welcome, Filipino style via an exciting mall event at Power Plant Mall, Makati.

Hundreds of kids trooped to Rockwell for the Kim Possible Mission Launch. Activities were staged in line with this including The Search for the Kim Possible Frosty Circle of Ten, Wade’s HQ, Villain Face-Off, Middleton High, Kim’s Show and Kim Possible Premiere. Now, thousands of Pinoy kids stay glued to their TV sets just to see the latest adventures of Kim.

In the US, over 32 million people watch the show, now the most watched Disney Channel original series of all time. Girls aged eight to 12 named Kim Possible as their favorite cartoon character. According to studies, 48 percent of the animated series viewer’s are boys. A total of 800,000 emails were sent from online fans this year to Kim Possible.

What seems to be the secret of the success of Kim Possible? I tried watching an episode where she saved a remote Pacific island from volcanic disaster. As expected, she overcame the disaster which caught the attention of a fashion photographer doing a swimsuit pictorial in the island. He who offered Kim to become a supermodel.

But Kim refused by saying, "Gee thanks. But why be a supermodel when I can be a super role model?"

Bravo, Kim!

Dreamgirls

Having just concluded its phenomenal run of the critical and commercial hit The Rocky Horror Show, Atlantis Productions has began groundwork for the biggest musical event to hit Manila in 2003, the Tony Award Winning Broadway Musical Dreamgirls.

Bobby Garcia, who will direct Dreamgirls, has announced that the two lead roles of the dueling divas Effie Melody White and Deena Jones (two of the most coveted roles in musical theatre) will be played by two of the country’s upcoming divas, Bituin Escalante and Anna Fegi.

Dreamgirls, with music by Henry Krieger and book and lyrics by Tim Eyen, took Broadway by storm and won six Tony Awards. From it came many hit songs: We Are Family, I Am Changing, and And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.

Dreamgirls tells the inspiring story of three female singers trying to make their dreams come true as the musical landscape changes from rhythm and blues to disco. It is loosely based on the lives of The Supremes.

Gerard Salonga is the musical director while Rajo Laurel and Gerry Fernandez are costume designer and lighting director, respectively. Choreography is by Andy Alviz.

For more information on Dreamgirls, call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078.