Matteo and Sarah share Christmas traditions

On their second Christmas together as husband and wife, Matteo Guidicelli and Sarah Geronimo-Guidicelli are sharing what it’s like to be spending this season with them.

They are set to hold an intimate virtual concert, Christmas With The G’s on Dec. 18, promising 16 song performances, from foreign yuletide hits to well-loved Pinoy carols, and some storytelling in between.

The show is co-produced by Viva Live, Inc., and the couple’s G Productions, which previously mounted Tala: The Film Concert. Louie Ocampo is the musical director while Paolo Valenciano is the director.

In a video interview, the couple shared with The STAR what it took to pull off this musical project.

“Marami akong personal challenges sa show na ito because the window of preparation was very, very tight,” Matteo readily admitted.

But for the actor-athlete, what made it easier for him to weather through them all was having his spouse by his side in every step of the way. “I was very lucky that my wife was there. She was always there. She would always support me from Day 1.”

“And the whole production team was great. They placed a beautiful set, Sir Louie placed beautiful arrangements, Paolo Valenciano did a wonderful job,” Matteo added. “And the wife’s always perfect!”

“OA ka naman, love!” Sarah laughingly reacted, but turning a bit serious, she also opened up about her share of challenges. “Ako, struggle talaga. Ako yung tao kasi na (who needs) ample time to prepare before a project, especially for a concert. So pagka-ganyan, nagpa-panic na talaga ako, ilang araw nalang magko-concert na kami pero yung buong team made it easy eh, kumbaga easier.”

Sarah continued, “Comfortable lahat to be working with one another. Walang stress, alam mo yun? Kasi pagka-mahirap ka-trabaho ang isa sa team, naging mahirap ang work. So, magaan lahat ng trabaho and parang naglalaro lang kami.”

The husband agreed: “Actually, yun ang positive energy eh… At the end of the day, everybody was happy, we had good vibes. We will have a wonderful Christmastime.”

Meanwhile, joining the couple as a special guest is the country’s “King of Christmas Carols” Jose Mari Chan. “I guess Tito Jose Mari Chan is the perfect guest for a Christmas special,” said Matteo. “And when you see him, when you feel his vibe, it’s officially Christmas.”

“Iba yung Christmas vibe ni Tito Jo. Sobrang lucky po kami na nag-guest siya sa amin,” added Sarah.

The award-winning a cappella pop group Acapellago is also appearing in the couple’s Christmas special.

Speaking of Christmastime, The STAR also asked Sarah and Matteo about holiday traditions they’ve been doing as husband and wife.

Matteo said that this season is all about “family time.”

Sarah added, “And giving back to people.”

“And eating a lot and just having a good time,” Matteo also said.

Will Christmas With The G’s also be a yearly thing? That remains to be seen.

They also had a good time reminiscing about their first-ever performance together. This was when Matteo and Sarah did a duet of the Prince song Kiss during the latter’s US concert tour of 24/SG in June 2013. Matteo at that time was still crushing on the pop superstar.

“Her hands,” Matteo said when asked about his fondest memory from that performance.

“’Wag kang makulit love,” reacted Sarah, explaining, “kasi very chubby hands (ako) nung 2013, hahaha!”

“No, it’s not chubby, it’s like little sausages,” teased Matteo. “No, she has beautiful hands. And that was the memory I had when we did Kiss — (she offered) her hand when she did Kiss, and I grabbed her hand and that changed my life! (I thought to myself) whoa, it’s different hahaha!”

By June the following year, Sarah confirmed that her special concert guest the year before was already her boyfriend (and then husband six years later).

If there’s one word to describe how they are together on stage, it’s “authentic.”

“You know, at the end of the day, what we are on stage is authentic,” said Matteo on how they complement each other, not just off stage as lifetime partners, but also on stage as performers and collaborators.

Sarah agreed, stressing, “Ako, honest talaga ako sa kanya.”

“Yeah. But I’m honest with you always,” Matteo was quick to tell his wife. “I’m always very, very honest. It’s nice because it’s very authentic and real.”

Sarah further revealed a sweet bit about her hubby. “Kasi si Matt, ma-shower po talaga siya ng compliments,” she said, to which Matteo responded, “Which are all true.”

The proud wife continued, “Si Matt is very professional. Na-amaze kasi ako sa kanya. Sa lahat ng bagay na gagawin niya, talagang magfo-focus siya, which is something he’s very good at. Ganun siya. ‘Pag meron siyang goal, akala mo sa umpisa parang seryoso ba ‘to? Pero magde-deliver at magde-deliver talaga.”

“Nakakatuwa, nakaka-inspire,” Sarah added.

“Thank you, love, thank you very much. On a serious note, it’s the wife that inspires me,” a beaming Matteo said.

“And I think it’s the whole group, it’s the whole environment that’s so motivating,” he added.

The couple teased other projects and goals to expect from them in 2022. Matteo also hinted at some plans for their family.

While Matteo has been doing the TV5 shows Masked Singer Pilipinas as judge and Born to Be a Star as host over the pandemic, Sarah has been on an extended showbiz hiatus, doing occasional projects such as the Tala film concert in March, since getting married to Matteo in February 2020.

Matteo said, “It’s very exciting for next year. Slowly, Sarah has so many ideas for the future. Seriously speaking, she has a lot of ideas and goals. As you all know these past few months, marami nagsasabi, si Sarah, etc. but she’s really been contemplating, thinking and projecting for next year… She has a lot of exciting projects for herself and us — the family — for next year.”

“You will be surprised that it’s not your usual projects that she has in mind for everybody. Like I said, she wants to give back a lot, she wants to give back to the fans. These projects that she has planned are very, very exciting,” he added.

Meanwhile, Christmas With The G’s show’s regular tickets priced at P1,500 and VIP tickets worth P2,500 are now available through the pay-per-view service Vivamax Plus and KTX.ph. VIP ticket-holders will receive a separate Zoom link to an exclusive invitation for an online meet-and-greet session with the two.

To buy tickets through Vivamax Plus, log in to the Vivamax account via mobile or web.vivamax.net, and make sure you have an active subscription for access. As for purchases to be made through KTX.ph or www.ktx.ph, log in to your account and search for Christmas With The G’s. The concert will stream live on Vivamax Plus and KTX.ph on Dec. 18 at 8 p.m.