Aicelle in the zone with Tapsikret

“A variety of performances.” That was Aicelle Santos sharing her thoughts on an all-out entertainment in a group interview with print media. “There’s dancing, there’s singing, there’s acting.”

All this is what All-Out Sundays, in which Aicelle is a mainstay, promises Kapuso audiences. The qualifier “variety” may also refer to the televiewers’ changing entertainment preferences that GMA will gladly answer and provide.

“I’ve been singing for more than a decade, nagbabago yung timpla if you have noticed,” she said. “With the help of social media as well, people are more drawn to watching what is funny. Incorporating a funny side into a show ay makakatulong. I think people (will appreciate it).” This is why Tapsikret, a comedy-musical skit segment, was created for All-Out Sundays.

Aicelle, given her knack for singing and acting, is definitely in the zone. She has the skills to deliver.

“Well, ako naman kasi whatever is given to me, as long as may dignidad na trabaho, (I will) do it well,” she said. “Just trust your creatives, your co-singers, co-actors and work together and see what’s the output. Yung team work is very important.”

The pilot episode of All-Out Sundays saw the tension between and the back love story of Paolo Contis and Glaiza de Castro’s characters along with the brewing romance between Lexi Gonzales and Kim de Leon’s.

“You will get to know more of the (other) characters,” said Aicelle, whose character’s (Precious) plotline will soon unfold. “There’s more singing which I like and there’s the comedy part,” she added about the show.

How’s the married life treating her so far?
“Masaya po,” shared Mrs. Mark Zambrano. “Marami(ng adjustments) kasi iba yung araw-araw kayong magkasama (There are many adjustments and it’s different when a couple is together every day),” she shared. “’pag nag-iisip ka ng plano, hindi na lang ikaw, dalawa na kayo, those things. For sure, marami pa kaming madidiskubre sa isa't-isa. It’s exciting... Ang saya (kasi) you are on the same page. The both of you are kinda scared but at the same time excited.”

As for her career plans, she replied: “Let it be,” quoting The Beatles song, which also happened to be All-Out Sundays’ closing tune two weeks ago. “Alam mo naman hindi ko naman pinaplano when I started in the (singing) contest. Hindi ko naman alam na magtatagal ako (You know I don’t make plans and I didn’t know that I would stay this long). I don’t know what God’s plan for me is. Kung ano ang ibibigay Niya, I will willingly embrace it.”

For now, Aicelle’s hands are full with her singing-acting duties in All-Out Sundays and celebrity judge role in the upcoming musical game show for kids, Centerstage, hosted by Alden Richards. The other judges are composer-musical director Mel Villena and Pops Fernandez with journey host Betong Sumaya.  “Mark Bautista, Christian Bautista and I are having a concert this Feb. 1, a pre-Valentine concert (titled) 1 For 3 at the Theatre at Solaire. We’re joining forces. We’ll sing songs about love, our lives, our journeys. We have a lot of things in common, I think kami yung mag-ka-ka-batch mates halos.” Aicelle, Christian and Mark are all products of singing talent shows and have done musicals.

Aicelle was Gigi van Tranh in a Miss Saigon touring group, which granted her to travel to United Kingdom, Switzerland and Germany. Among the things she misses about doing the musical is the traveling part, Aicelle said, “Each month, we were in another city, in another country. So it felt like a grand vacation. Masasabi ko ang laki ng (nai)tulong sa akin sa personal growth (It contributed greatly to my personal growth) kasi you’re out of your comfort zone, you’re living alone.” Aicelle took the challenge of going on stage eight times a week and met the Cameron Mackintosh and Claude-Michel Schonberg.

“My plan (was) to go back home (and) get married,” Aicelle replied when asked if she considered auditioning in some London musicals and looking for an agent. “If an opportunity comes, then I will fly (to London) with my husband. He is (supportive of me),” she said. The singer-actress also looks forward to the day when she and Mark will start their own family. “We’re not getting any younger,” she said.

Although she was sidetracked to acting, Aicelle remains true to her core — singing. The last album she released was the 2016 self-produced album Liwanag.

“Perhaps I will come up with a new single and I hope to release it this year. All these acting (assignments) in theater or in soaps were opportunities I never thought I could do. In the beginning, I knew how to sing, I knew I could sing. So alam ko na yun ang strength ko. Kapag gumagawa ako ng ibang bagay, may kaba ako…  at lagi akong babalik sa puso (ko), my core is singing, music.”

(Watch All-Out Sundays on GMA Sunday Grande.)