John Lapus pays his dues

To say that John Lapus has paid his dues in showbiz for the past 15 years is an understatement. The lovable host of Showbiz Central’s Don’t Lie to Me portion (Sundays on GMA 7) balks when the show’s young staff member tells him, “My mom used to enjoy watching you on CristyPerMinute.”

CristyPerMinute, after all, aired years ago, when John was still an aspiring segment host (of Prangka Ka John) who rose to notoriety and gained a following by lambasting stars’ awards night outfits.

The daring John made Rosanna Roces so angry she tore his poster at The Library, where he was a performer. That was in the early to the late ‘90s, when John spoke his mind out about stars’ get-ups in the now-defunct Showbiz Lingo.

The brashness of the former researcher was not lost on showbiz insiders. ABS-CBN’s Deo Endrinal saw John’s rich potential as host. Even many of the stars John attacked for their fashion sense surprised him when they didn’t raise hell over his supposedly damaging comments. In fact, they were even pleasant when they bumped into John.

Soon, he started making friends with the very people he attacked. The friendship led to the demise of John the vicious fashion commentator to the stars. How was he, for instance, to downgrade a celebrity-friend’s awards night gown, even if it screamed fashion victim from head to toe?

And so John the TV host replaced John the fashion commentator. Besides, John notes with delight, televiewers don’t enjoy watching reporters attacking celebrity attires anymore. So the about-face came in handy.

“I myself didn’t expect things to turn out this way,” he looks back. “After all, I started on a different route: That of researcher.”

But things have a way of happening fast for him since Day One.

Other researchers had to wait longer to be promoted. John moved up to become head researcher in less than a year. Two years after, he was overseeing selected parts of the show as segment producer.

How did he do it? John smiles mischievously and replies, “I never told anyone the reason. But I’ll finally reveal it on May 31 (Saturday), when I stage my show, Sweetilicious (The Universal Sweet 15th Anniversary Show) at Music Museum.

Like all anniversary shows, this one will go back in time and recap John’s struggling years via a 30- to 45-minute opening number.

The memories bring back a flood of tears.

“I can’t help but cry while reading the script,” admits John. But he promises himself no tears will fall the night of his show. Instead, it will be a celebration — of dreams fulfilled, wishes still to be granted.

John makes no bones of the fact that he is no singer. So he hastens to say his end-of-the-month act is no concert, but a show with his trademark dancing and humor all over the place.

He calls his stage acrobatics “buwis-buhay,” precisely because it makes him somersault, do a split and other seemingly death-defying moves.

His opening number will show the audience precisely what he means. Those who see him on Showbiz Central’s Don’t Lie to Me know what John is talking about. They’ve seen him do those back-breaking, breathtaking dance moves whenever the omnipresent lie detector decrees that the guest celebrity is taking the viewers for a ride. And they watch out eagerly for that.

Some celebrities, in fact, are urged to tell a lie so the audience can see John and his back-up dancers perform.

“The whole thing is my idea,” the 34-year-old John relates.

It was also his idea years back to ask the cameraman to zoom up to his face, and not just his microphone-wielding hand during the first GOMA Cup. Even back then, John guffaws, he already wanted to face the cameras.

The inspiration came from Che Che Lazaro, whom John always loved watching. If the award-winning broadcast journalist can show her face on cam while covering news, why can’t he? It seemed the most natural thing on Earth for someone whose sense of adventure is as big as his sense of humor.

Today, that sense of humor and adventure is helping John in ways he never thought possible.

“I feel blessed that I have stayed this long in this crazy world of show business. I believe Sweetilicious (sponsored by GMA 7, Bench, Calayan Surgicenter, Hairwatch Salon, Bing Cristobal Hauz of Fashion, Eden Singles, Nescafé, Tang, Ariel Dulay, Yes FM and Philippine Entertainment Portal) is my way of saying thank you to allwho have laughed with me in this journey,” he says.

Guest performers helping him add spice to the show are friends: Dingdong Dantes, Jay-R and Janno Gibbs.

Dingdong will do a scene straight out from Dyesebel scene; Jay-R, who will have a production number. Janno is tasked to stage John’s Don’t Lie To Me portion.

Janno, promises John, will ask questions he himself is clueless about until he opens his mouth and fires away in wild abandon.

But even if Janno might give him the shock of his life, John is confident he can answer, even the traditional killer question in the end.

“One thing 15 years in showbiz has given me is confidence (as if he didn’t have it in the beginning),” relates John. “Showbiz made me continue believing in myself even if others put me down.”

Important lessons these. Being thus well-armed, John Lapus is ready for 15 years more in a business he has grown to love so well.