Will Martin spring a ‘surprise’ on Pops?
“Aren’t you tired of us yet?”
That was Pops Fernandez’s question as soon as she sat down for a bull session with movie writers at a function room of the Imperial Palace Suites in connection with her 25th anniversary (in showbiz) concert called Divalicious at the Araneta Coliseum on Dec. 8, her birthday (her age is, ehem, confidential).
By “us,” she meant herself and her ex-husband Martin Nievera with whom she is having a long-running, never-ending word war waged in the print media and on national television since cracks in their supposedly “ideal” marriage were first reported as a “scoop” in this corner in 1995.
“Aren’t you bored with us yet?”
I was tempted to tell Pops that, yes indeed, we — et tu? — are sick and tired and bored to death by it all, even as we wonder why she and Martin never seem to run out of accusations to hurl at each other, con todo tears, especially when either or both of them have a concert to promote.
Are they taking us for a ride with our connivance, suckers as we all are for showbiz controversies that, sometimes, border on, you know, “monkey” business (which was the bone of contention between the warring un-couple when Pops misconstrued Martin’s beloved Katrina Ojeda’s “jumping like monkeys” comment about Pops and Martin’s sons Ram and Robin “nine years ago” as bluntly calling the boys “monkeys”)?
And then Pops drew tears (real or showbiz?) from Martin when she did a tell-all-even-if-it-hurts interview with YES magazine, which was actually a summing up of previous interviews in the past decade, spiced up with additional revelations, to which Martin said, “I’ve been apologizing these past many years; do I have to apologize all over again?” And again?
Now, are we willing to hear Pops talk more about Martin?
Listed as special guests in Divalicious are Gary Valenciano, Kuh Ledesma, Jay-R, Kris Lawrence and “Ms.” Sharon Cuneta, and when you ask, “What, no Martin Nievera!?!”, and tell Pops that the event won’t be complete without her “ex,” she simply smiled and said, “There’s a way of including him.” That is, even without him being at the Big Dome physically. Advance technology will take care of it. But will simply showing Martin bigger-than-life in film clips flashed on a huge monitor onstage be enough?
Barely three weeks to Divalicious and Martin hasn’t even been personally invited yet by Pops. There’s a possibility that Martin might say “yes” if Pops herself invites him, and not through any “emissary,” and wouldn’t it be great watching them reconcile onstage and bury the hatchet while drowning in their own tears? Will Pops’ boyfriend Jomari Yllana (no, Pops clarified, they are not living-in yet and they are not planning to) applaud them from the front row? That’s entertainment, folks!
Come to think of it, is there any possibility of Martin springing a pre-Christmas “surprise” on Pops by popping up uninvited, maybe announcing his entrance from the back of audience with the haunting strains of Be My Lady?
“It’s possible,” laughed Pops. “After all, isn’t Martin known for ‘surprises’ like that?”
A damper: Martin himself is having a concert on the same date, Dec. 8,
But do stand by for a big “surprise.”
Meanwhile, sit back and brace yourselves for more episodes on The Pops & Martin Real-Life Dramedy as the Divalicious date draws near.
(Note: For tickets to Divalicious, call the AVL Talent Circuit at 633-9825 to 27 or 637-7016; or the Ticketnet at 911-5555. For tickets to Martin’s show, call Maximedia at 551-7777.)
An art show for Kabayan Noli’s scholars
Not having been at the opening of Para sa Kabataan, an art exhibit featuring a rare collection of selected works from the masters, emerging artists and noted artists from Cebu, Wednesday (Nov. 14) last week (for the benefit of Vice Pres. Noli “Kabayan” de Castro’s scholarship program), I will let Dr. Pia D. Achacoso (member of the Achacoso family who’s behind the project) do a brief report:
The very short program was hosted by lawyer Joseph Andres and Sarah Meier-Albano (who’s married to my nephew Banjo Achacoso-Albano; she had to do it since she’s already part of our big family). Novellino wine, the kind exported to the
The whole family helped in preparing the cocktails and even the tarpaulin layout was done by my nephew, RD Achacoso-Bolinas. It was really a family thing for us since some of the paintings on exhibit are from the private collection of my late mom, Mabel D. Achacoso. I’m sure she would have been very happy that night, seeing all the guests admiring her paintings. My mom was involved in fund-raising and benefit shows. She had a “BIG” heart for the less fortunate but she was also the type who didn’t care about acknowledgements.
(Note: The Para sa Kabataan exhibit is until Dec. 7, at the GSIS Museo ng Sining,
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