Name (required):

  Expression ^{(Optional mood/title along with your name) Examples: (happy, sad, The Joyful, etc.) help)}

  E-mail address (required):

* Type your message here:
>yup.. sa philippine star.. ang dami kasing good >reviews about regine. sori > >>Sa Philippine Star ito di ba? Hindi sa Inquirer >> >> >>> >>>By Boy Abunda >>> >>>If there is one Filipino artist who is up to task of >>>mounting one whole concert as a tribute to the >>>timeless diva Barbra Streisand, it is Asia’s Songbird >>>Regine Velasquez. >>> >>>At this stage in her almost two-decade career, Regine >>>is more than ripe to tackle all those "challenging" >>>Streisand classics – both vocally, emotionally and >>>intellectually. >>> >>>Technically, she has mastered the fine art of >>>"belting" – scaling harrowing heights and plumbing >>>just as daunting depths, with effortless élan. To >>>watch her perform is to see an artist in full bloom – >>>one who is in full control of her vocal instrument. >>>Emotionally, she has also grown to become a more >>>seasoned chanteuse. To hear her sing is to listen to >>>an entertainer who has weathered the storms of life >>>with grit and grace. >>> >>>Regine first mounted a Streisand tribute concert >>>sometime in the mid-’90s at the Captain’s Bar of the >>>Mandarin Oriental. Despite the post five-star >>>environs, it was still a more modest affair compared >>>to this year’s edition. >>> >>>The first show ran for only four nights while the >>>repeat is having 12 shows which runs until December. >>> >>>Also, not only was the venue smaller in the original >>>show, she was only accompanied by a lone pianist. Of >>>course, the fact that it was maestro Ryan Cayabyab >>>behind the grand piano somehow made the whole >>>proceeding grander than usual. >>> >>>So when Regine thought of re-staging Songbird Sings >>>Streisand, she not only chose a bigger venue (the >>>1,000-strong Onstage in Greenbelt 1 Makati), she also >>>signed up one whole band of session musicians to back >>>her up, led by musical director Raul Mitra. >>> >>>Needless to say, La Barbra is one of Regine’s >all-time >>>musical idols. "I’ve been singing her songs since I >>>was 12 years old," she quips. "She’s got very >>>beautiful songs, but they are not easy to sing. >>>They’re very difficult. The melodies are very >>>complicated." >>> >>>That is precisely one thing she admires about Ms. >>>Streisand. "She really knows how to choose beautiful >>>songs." >>> >>>And these "beautiful songs" were showcased to >>>perfection by Regine in Songbird Sings Streisand. >>> >>>It was a pleasant surprise that Regine not only chose >>>the popular (and expected) signature hits like >>>Somewhere and The Way We Were, but she also included >>>the more obscure selections (that are still just as >>>familiar to true-blue Barbra fans like me) such as >>>Kiss Me In The Rain, My Heart Belongs To Me, Places >>>That Belong To You and Lost Inside of You. >>> >>>Making the show seamless was the fact that Regine >>>divided the songs/medleys into the more significant >>>highlights of La Barbra’s career: the Bee Gees/disco >>>era (Guilty/Woman In Love), The Broadway Album/Back >to >>>Broadway medley, the A Star Is Born soundtrack, among >>>others. >>> >>>The last medley included the immortal With One More >>>Look At You. The last time Regine sang this song at >>>the Mandarin, she had just emerged from a major >>>heartbreak. As such, her interpretation then was full >>>of angst and drama. This time around, however, she >>>sang the song with emotion tempered with maturity and >>>wisdom. >>> >>>That is one trait of La Barbra’s she tries to >emulate, >>>Regine admits. "She is a very intelligent singer," >>>Regine professes. "She doesn’t just sing a song; she >>>tells a story. She’s a storyteller. As a singer, I >try >>>to do that, too." >>> >>>Indeed, Regine and her producers in Maxi-Media >>>International pulled out all the stops for the new >>>Streisand show. Frequent collaborator Rajo Laurel was >>>also tapped to design two gorgeous gowns that, in >>>Regine’s own words, were "very Regine": a >body-hugging >>>black bustier with a long train and a see-through >>>beaded white gown with a long train. >>> >>>She played the role of torch song diva to the max. As >>>usual, this concert is not just a musical >>>extravaganza; it’s also an audio-visual feast. A >>>celebration, in more ways than one. Case in point: >The >>>lighting in the opening number (As If We Never Said >>>Goodbye) was truly cinematic. It was as if Regine >just >>>stepped out of the big silver screen, like the Norma >>>Desmond character in Sunset Boulevard – glamorized >and >>>glittery. >>> >>>Make no mistake about it, however. She may be dolled >>>up and dressed to the nines, but she is still the >same >>>small-town Chona at heart. She cracks jokes with the >>>audience, makes fun of the "willful" ("May sariling >>>utak") train of her gown and personally greets a >>>wheelchair-bound grandmother in the audience. In >spite >>>of the formal gowns, Regine manages to relax things a >>>bit and have fun with the crowd, which is no mean >>>feat, considering just how difficult Streisand’s >>>repertoire is. >>> >>>The amazing thing is, Regine doesn’t try to imitate >La >>>Barbra. She remains true to these classics but >somehow >>>sings them in her own trademark Songbird style. "We >>>retained some of the original arrangements," Regine >>>explains. "But we also came up with new arrangements >>>for other songs like Enough is Enough (No More >Tears), >>>which we turned into a Latin number." >>> >>>Particularly heartfelt was her rendition of Songbird, >>>her favorite Streisand song of all time – for >"obvious >>>reasons." "For a while, it sounded like the story of >>>my life," she affirms. "Like what the lyrics say, >>>‘With every song I sing, I touch you. I make you >>>stronger. But you don’t really know the real me.’ I >>>can really relate to that song." >>> >>>True to form, the piece de resistance was Piece of >>>Sky, which according to Regine herself is the hardest >>>Streisand song she has ever attempted to sing. "It’s >>>as if Barbra didn’t want others to sing that song," >>>Regine gasps, half-jesting, half-earnest. >>> >>>She capped the evening with two encore numbers: >People >>>and On A Clear Day. >>> >>>Those two songs couldn’t be more appropriate. By the >>>end of the night, after the last note had been belted >>>out, after the last bow had been made in the theater, >>>it was crystal clear to all people at Onstage… That >>>the Songbird was born to sing Streisand.
Choose Message Icon: None :-) Happy ;-) Wink :-D Joy :} Smirk <:-} Innocent ☮ Peace >:) Mischief B-) Shades <3 Heart |O Yawn <:P Sick >:-( Angry :~( Sad ? Question *!* Alert Thumbs Up Thumbs Down (!) Idea [Info] Info Oo. Talk [ View Emoticons ]

Note: This forum is moderated -- new posts are not visible until approved.

Notice: Copies of your message may remain on this and other systems on internet. Please be respectful.