Anne Curtis
For Anne Curtis, the past two years were all about enjoying the simple things and restoring some normalcy in her life.
The actress-television host took a break from show biz in December 2019 in anticipation of motherhood. After giving birth to her baby girl, Dahlia—her firstborn with husband, Erwan Heussaff—Anne and her family stayed in Australia for more than a year, and spent the rest of her hiatus in the Philippines.
“While I was away in Australia, I would do the groceries myself, drive around or take a stroll in the park with my baby— things I probably wouldn’t have been able to do in the past. I would wake up in the morning without thinking about work. These may seem small, but they’re a huge thing for me. I really enjoyed myself,” she told the Inquirer in a recent Zoom conference for her comeback concert, “Luv-Anne,” on June 11.
Importance of slowing down
Before Dahlia came to her life, Anne’s work schedule was usually packed all week. “I used to work every day—Monday to Sunday, may ganap. So it was great to just relax and enjoy every moment of being a mother—changing nappies, doing the laundry, taking Dahlia out. The experience made me value my time more.”
In fact, the importance of slowing down and staying away from the limelight will be one of the themes in her upcoming live show.
“There’s a segment in the concert that explains why it’s important to take a break. I feel like it’s important for all people—no matter what industry you’re in—to take time for yourself and love your life. If you’re work-driven, there’s always a time to step back,” Anne said of the segment, in which she will be performing Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me.”
And now, while she’s looking forward to her return to show biz, Anne plans to take things easier moving forward. “Yes, I’m going back to work, it’s not going to be like how it was before where I would just power through every day. Now, it’s more about being able to balance having a relaxed family life and, at the same time, giving the Anne the fans miss,” she said.
At the center of this balancing act is of course her baby girl Dahlia.
“As much as possible, a parent should be at home. Erwan and I are still trying to figure things out, especially now that people are returning to offices. Erwan is back doing work in the office. Shoots used to be done only at home; now there are some being done in the studio. But when we have to, we take Dahlia to lola’s house, or to my sister Jasmine’s,” she related.
Out of hibernation
Coming out of “hibernation” was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. “It has been four years since my last concert, and two years since I did anything related to the entertainment industry,” she related, adding that she had been flip-flopping about the idea of doing a live concert until she got the feel of the venue, the Newport Performing Arts Theater at Resorts World Manila.
“It was originally planned as a digital concert… Then, I was asked if I was ready to go live. It was a constant battle within me when it was first pitched, because I was still afraid. I have a baby and there are still COVID-19 cases,” she said. “But I visited Resorts World, so I could get a feel of the stage. And I felt like I could do the show because it’s a more intimate venue and I thought I would be comfortable performing for the amount of people it holds.”
“And then, I realized just how much I have missed the energy and smiles of the fans,” the 37-year-old celebrity added. “So I let go of the nerves, which eventually turned into excitement.”
Because of her hiatus, her voice couldn’t be more well-rested, Anne jokingly announced. “There’s a difference; there’s improvement—gumanda talaga ang voice ko!” she said, laughing.
Kidding aside, Anne is really taking her singing and her show seriously. “I have been taking voice lessons under Kitchie Molina. I’m trying to learn proper breathing techniques, especially for one particular song I’m going to perform,” said Anne, who plans to serve a mix of newer “Gen Z” hits, as well as the usual “diva numbers.”
Pushing forward
“I have also been doing dance rehearsals thrice a week to restore movement,” she added.
“Luv-Anne” is a play on the world “laban.” And Anne—just like the rest of her band the production team behind her—are ready to push forward. “I was doing band rehearsals with the musical director, Louie Ocampo, and it was also the first time he worked with a full band in two years,” she said. “And we were like, ‘Kaya ba natin ‘to? Laban lang!’”
“It’s what drives us to do all these. Many of us have become rusty. And now that the industry is slowly coming back to life, people are starting to move forward,” Anne added.
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