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By Mary Ann Sta. Ana
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Date Posted: 17:14:13 12/26/03 Fri
Author Host/IP: NoHost/66.198.148.200
Regine: Rewind, Reloaded
By Mary Ann Sta. Ana
12/26/2003
FLASH!! FLASH!! FLASH!! FLASH!!
( THE MOVIE NEWS - CAPTAIN BARBELL AND FANTASTICMAN WERE THE TWO BIGGEST MOVIE MAKERS ON THE FIRST DAYS!!)
FLASH!! FLASH!! FLASH!! FLASH!!
As she welcomes the new year with a bang, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez looks back fondly on the year-that-was, filled as it was with numerous accomplishments — be it as a singer, actress, and TV host.
Quite naturally, the Songbird is thankful for all the blessings of the past year. “The year was good to me,” she pipes up. “It was very successful.”
But the flip side of showbiz fame, of course, is controversy. And the Songbird also had her fair share of intrigues in 2003.
“Career-wise, it was great,” she says candidly. “But when it came to the personal, I had a little difficulty. Because of all the things that were happening at the same time, I got affected emotionally. Fortunately, there was nothing major.”
She has learned to take things in stride.
“I just don’t mind them,” she says of the intrigue factory. “I just ignore them. I admit that I also get irritated. I’m only human. But after a while, when my mood becomes lighter, I realize: ‘I guess, they are only doing their jobs.’ “And it was an industrywide malaise,” she has noticed.
Last year’s rumors were really outrageous, she concurs. “Grabe. Not only those about me, but also those about other people. It’s as if things are getting worse every year. You can criticize me about my work. But if the attacks are personal, that’s another story all together.”
To cope with the negativity, Regine has chosen to focus on her work instead.
She starred in a number of hit concerts (the Valentine shows with Michel Legrand, the back-to-back tour with Martin Nievera, and the annual series at Onstage, Songbird Sings Streisand). She released a pair of chartbusters (the Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka soundtrack and the Greatest Hits compilation). On the big screen, she also headlined a pair of movies (Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka and Captain Barbel). On the small screen, she currently topbills two GMA-7 shows: the Sunday noontime extravaganza S.O.P. and the Saturday primetime talent show “Search for A Star.”
From all visible indications, Regine is on a roll — in all forms of entertainment media.
In fact, she caps the year with another potential blockbuster, the fantasy flick Captain Barbel — which is her first film ever with both Bong Revilla and frequent musical collaborator Ogie Alcasid.
Proving the naysayers and intrigue-mongers wrong, Regine didn’t hesitate to co-star with Ogie in the movie (in spite of the intrigues of the past year).
“I only accepted this movie because Ogie asked me,” she explains. Out of friendship. “Captain Barbel is no longer included in my contract,” she elaborates. “I was supposed to do a love triangle movie with Aga Muhlach and Judy Ann Santos, to be directed by Joyce Bernal. But since the shoot for that movie was pushed back and since Ogie asked me to, I joined the cast of Captain Barbel instead.”
In the superhero caper, Regine plays the leading lady Cielo.
“She is very kindhearted,” she describes her screen alter ego. “It doesn’t matter to her whether a person is rich or poor. She has no mean bone in her body. But she has this huge crush on Captain Barbel and she doesn’t know that he is also the same guy as Enteng, who is secretly in love with her.”
Captain Barbel is played by Bong Revilla and Enteng by Ogie Alcasid.
“It’s fun to work with both Bong and Ogie,” Regine remarks. “With Ogie, I’m so used to him na because I see him every Sunday on S.O.P. While with Bong, I was surprised to find out that he is not that serious in real life. He can also be funny. And fun to hang out with.”
She means that literally because her scenes with Bong (a.k.a. Captain Barbel) involved “hanging around” in a harness.
“It was difficult,” Regine remembers. “We had to do the flying scenes in a harness. That was quite hard on the body. And there were times when that was all we had to do for the entire day! Fortunately, I am used to hanging in a harness because of my different concerts!”
Quite figuratively, the Songbird soared high on the set of Captain Barbel.
It was also a memorable experience because of the chance to work with director Mac Alejandre.
“It’s the first time for us to do a movie together,” she chimes in. “But he already directed me when I guested in an episode of the old TV show of Mikee Cojuangco.”
She asserts that she has learned a lot from Direk Mac.
“He is very meticulous,” she affirms. “And he took care of all of us. Not just Bong and Ogie because they were the lead stars, but all of us.”
While she is still riding high on the triumphs of 2003, she is already planning a full-packed and fulfilling 2004 this early.
“I have the movie with Aga and Juday lined up,” she enumerates next year’s planned projects. “We are also working on a new album for release by April next year. It will be my birthday album and it will have two CDs and a bonus VCD/DVD. Also in the works are one major concert and one back-to-back show like the Martin tour we had last year.”
Next year, Regine is slated to have a back-to-back concert with Mr. Hitmaker Ogie Alcasid, the same songwriter behind her biggest chartbusters (like the Pangarap Ko theme).
Also being eyed is a possible back-to-back concert with Ariel Rivera — as follow-up to their duet “Tell Me” which is now making waves in the airwaves (both on the radio and on countless music video shows on TV.).
Regine is very much thrilled about teaming up with Ariel once again. “He has matured a lot as a performer,” she describes her perennial partner. “More careful in interpreting songs. And he is more raring to promote his new album ha! We are both very excited to work together again.” They’re now immune to the intrigues. “Dead-ma na lang. We just want to concentrate on our work.”
All in all, it has been a brilliant banner year for Regine. That’s why she could only pray for a moratorium on intrigues next year. Less rumors, more work, she crosses her fingers.
“I hope that the coming year will be a little better for all of us,” she expresses her New Year’s wish. “Even though we are supposed to be lucky in this industry because we never run out of projects, 2003 was still a year of struggles for us. That’s why I hope that next year, the economy will improve. So that the entire country will benefit.”
The Songbird rewinds and reloads, to soar once again.
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Regine: Rewind, Reloaded/ NO.1 MOVIE!!