WE ENTERED the Smart Araneta Coliseum to deafening screams of fans just as the beaming faces of seasoned actress Angel Aquino and fast-rising star Tony Labrusca doing a duet of the Eraserheads’ “Ligaya” were flashed on the huge LED screens.
The unlikely love team, lead stars of the film, “Glorious” (now streaming on iWant, ABS-CBN’s new digital platform) broke the Internet when the movie’s streamy trailer, featuring a much-talked about liplock, was shown early last month. Their well-received song number at the ABS-CBN’s Christmas special, “Family is Love: The 2018 Christmas Concert,” proved that age-difference notwithstanding, they can very well hold their own against the network’s younger love teams.
Onscreen romantic pairings still rule in these parts so it’s no wonder that the most applauded numbers of the show featured three of the country’s most popular: KathNiel (Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla), LizQuen (Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil) and JaDine (James Reid and Nadine Lustre). Also a hit among the crowd is JoshLia (Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia). Not to be outdone is the relatively newer, MayWard (Maymay Entrata and Edward Barber) as well as KissDon (Kisses Delavin and Donny Pangilinan), Vivoree Esclito and CK Carreon and Loisa Andalio and Ronnie Alonte.
True to their trending teleserye’s theme, “Halik” stars Yen Santos, Sam Milby, and Yam Concepcion sang “Sana Dalawa ang Puso Ko.” Asia’s Songbird and newest Kapamilya Regine Velasquez showed that she’s still queen with her awe-inspiring numbers which also featured KZ Tandingan, Bamboo, Jed Madela and the TNT Boys.
Primetime King Coco Martin led the cast of his top-rating action series “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” in a dance tribute of 1970s OPM hits, shortly before Edu Manzano and Jhong Hilario brought the house down with their antics and dance moves.
Concert King Martin Nievera and Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano brought on the Christmas cheer with their performance of “Joy to the World” and “Let the Joy Rise.”
Some of the network’s singers performed current OPM hits, such as “Dahil Sa‘yo (Iñigo Pascual and Ogie Alcasid), “Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan” (December Avenue and Yeng Constantino), “Maybe the Night” (Ben&Ben and James Reid) and “Tagpuan” (Sarah Geronimo and Moira dela Torre).
”It’s Showtime” host Vice Ganda, lead star of the Metro Manila Film Festival 2018 entry, “Fantastica” was joined by comedians Juliana Parizcova Segovia and Chokoleit in dishing out the year’s most-talked about personalities and events.
The two-part special, ”Family is Love: The 2018 Christmas Concert,” will air tonight after “MMK,” and tomorrow after “PBB Otso.”
