And then there were four

In just a matter of weeks, a Philippine Idol will be chosen Dec. 10 at the Araneta Coliseum. There will be cheers and tears as this first attempt of the country to join the reputable international family of idols comes to a close.

We watched the live presentation at Mega-3 last Sunday where five remaining contestants all showed obvious tension and discomfort. No one could really predict who would or would not make it. It was a big surprise when the popular 17-year-old bunso Miguel Mendoza landed at the bottom for the very first time, along with Pow Chavez.

We recall that Miguel, considered by the judges as the most vocally immature of the lot, had always been on the "safe" category by sheer power of the texters. Pow, on the other hand, whom head judge Ryan Cayabyab had early on chose as his candidate for Idol, swang to and fro, it was actually a wonder she had hang on this long. Vocally excellent, and adamantly refusing to put on a feminine façade, she must have known this would have dire consequences. So that night, she had to go. And the rest – Gian Magdangal, Mau Marcelo, Miguel and Jan Nieto would have to endure still another week of nerve-wracking waiting.

From the time the 24 semi-finalists were whittled down to 12 and now finally to four, the show has undergone surprises and changes. The original trio of judges Mr. C, Mamita Pilita Corrales and Francis M (who were all approved through audition screen tests sent by ABC 5 to franchise holder Fremantle) maintained their cool most of the time. Except when Mr. C vented his frustrations in an outburst saying "Wala naman kaming silbi dito" when it became apparent all the good singers were being eliminated by the texters’ choices. It is safe to presume that the block of the invisible texters was below 21, judged by looks, TV appeal, voice quality in that order of priority. Would the tyranny of the texters hold reign until the last week of Idol? This was what was making the competition interesting to many.

Mr. C still told us he thinks Miguel (who he says is the weakest) will win. Mamita says it will be a toss between Jan Nieto (adjudged as the most improved of the lot) and the overweight Mau Marcelo. Lea Salonga, guest judge for that night of Movie themes and Broadway musicales, puts her money on Mau. This was Francis’ comeback episode having been away for five weeks and replaced by guest judges Hajji Alejandro, Wency Cornejo, Regine Tolentino and Mo Twister (why him, of all the self-serving DJs to choose from?). Francis told Miguel that technique could be learned but not good looks, and speaking as a record producer is certain that Miguel could sell records. The entire audience rose to its feet in spontaneous awe and appreciation after Mau sang Diamonds are Forever. It does seem like the lovable Miguel on one end and the world-class Mau might be the ultimate uneven competitors in this exciting game of fame and fortune.

The last remaining finalist Gian Magdangal has always appeared to us as a safe compromise, not bad looking, not a bad singer, quite a good dancer. As Mr. C points out, he is still the best of the remaining male singers, but lacks the warmth to connect to the audience.

Whoever wins, it is obvious that ABC 5 is the biggest winner. By virtue of one show, it is no longer just the "basketball" station. "Idol has really helped put us in the consciousness of people as a major player in the industry," says Perci Intalan, ABC 5’s executive in-charge of Entertainment. It is obvious that the show has also convinced the elusive advertisers that the station is gearing up for a battle and is ready to spend to prove it.

Philippine Idol director Rich Ilustre (alternating with Mark Reyes) says that new factors may now come into play that would greatly influence the results of the competition. He is certain that changes in voting mechanics to a two-hour voting window and the removal of the prepaid cards would certainly have an effect. But even more telling, we feel, is his observation that the viewers’ votes are now being "re-distributed" so that the fans of the eliminated Idols are now transferring their votes to certain remaining candidates they want to see win. An interesting theory, but one that tells us that at this late stage it is still anyone’s ball game.

(E-mail me at [email protected].)