StarStruck Final Judgment: Who will be ‘it’?

MANILA, Philippines – From thousands of auditionees, 28 made it to the live telecast of StarStruck Season 6. The number was trimmed down to 14. And four have been chosen to battle it out in tonight’s finale. Among Elyson de Dios, Ayra Mariano, Migo Adecer and Klea Pineda, only two will be named the Ultimate Male and Female Survivors. It will be a sweet victory for the winners, who like the Dreamers and Believers, have made personal sacrifices to take that shot at stardom. 

“I put my schooling on hold and playing basketball,” said Elyson, a high school varsity player from Cebu’s University of Southern Philippines, who is also echoing the same sentiments of the other finalists. “The time I should have been spending with my family.” Elyson and the rest are ready to give up more. At this point of the competition, nothing will stand in their way to fulfill that showbiz dream.     

Asked about their edge over each other, Migo replied, “The challenge for the last performance will not be about doing (acting) scenes. It’s not really a performance. In real life, I’m a singer and dancer. Performance is my edge. I’m gonna give it my all. I will choose the song that suits me and a song that has a dance number.” For his part, Elyson said, “My charm. I think my drive to become an artista and my dedication to my work, to StarStruck. I think I have improved.”

The StarStruck boys have to polish some more their Tagalog for future projects like starring in rom-com and youth-oriented shows that fit their looks. “I have struggled with the language in the Philippines but I have been trying to improve (my speaking),” Migo shared. “I have a tutor.” Elyson said he reads Tagalog komiks and listens to Tagalog songs. As future Kapuso matinee idols, Migo and Elyson can be paired with Gabbi Garcia, Bianca Umali or fellow finalists Ayra and Klea.

As for the girls, Klea is banking on her “height. It is not usual for Pinay to be tall and to have the classic looks. My talent is also my edge. I can dance, sing and act.” Klea is a triple threat like Migo, a performing arts high school student in Australia whose life revolves around music.

Ayra, on the other hand, said, “I think in every challenge, they (the public) have seen in me the determination to give my best or to become at least one of the top performers. They have seen in me that I’m determined in my craft.” Like Ayra, Klea is all eyes to make a career out of showbiz, taking this chance seriously. “It’s all work to us,” she said on a possibility of falling in love with Migo. “I don’t think about it and I’m focusing on my career. If you get into a relationship, you will have limitations.”

The most interesting part of it all is, the four are friends and hopefully, the turn of events will not affect their friendships.

“I’m happy because (Elyson) is my friend,” Migo said. “I’m not hurt if people think he is the winner. Obviously, I’m gonna give a good fight. I want to win. I didn’t give up so many things for nothing.” He added that Elyson is his expected close competitor because he saw in him “the determination and the big improvement; that takes someone, who is willing to learn and to take the criticism well and make it sink in his mind.”

“We’re friends. If she wins, I will be happy,” Ayra said. “I think she deserves kung ano ang makuha niya. Kung ako naman, salamat din po at alam ko na sa puso niya, masaya siya for me.”

What is the most important advice their mentors have given them? Ayra has the answer: “In every acting test, they always tell us to have the scene analysis, basahin paulit-ulit ang script para malaman mo kung sino ka, dun kasi mabubuo yung back story mo, mas maiaarte mo siya ng natural kapag kilala mo (yung character) and you have to know (it), at kailangan kang magbasa, hindi lang basa ng isa or run through, kung kailangan mong (intindin,) kailangan mong gawin yung scene study.”

Hours from now, a pair of Ultimate Survivors will be proclaimed, taking the title and all the privileges that come with it. While winners and the runners-up bask in their victory, many will wait for another edition of StarStruck, still firm to dream of a showbiz career and believe that chance will come soon. This is a StarStruck reality.