She is in a league all her own. Not even the likes of Bea Alonzo, Kristine Hermosa, and Toni Gonzaga have the guts and gumption to do what Angelica Panganiban does on screen.
While she may have been named after a celestial being, she is as down to earth as any human can be.
The former child star is as mature as she can in her 23 years. She celebrated her birthday last Nov. 4, and is in the thick of things shooting for the Metro Manila Film Festival entry (temporarily postponed due to the demise of director Laurice Guillen’s husband, Johnny Delgado) titled I Love You Goobye.
No one among her peers have the courage to play the role of a woman involved with an older man. She did it before in a movie with Aga Muhlach and Maricel Soriano, and this time with Gabby Concepcion. “I don’t have anything against it. It’s a role, and I have to play it,” she says. This makes her unique in a bevy of stars wanting to make a mark not only on TV but in the movies as well.
In the movie, real life boyfriend Derek Ramsay plays her former lover. Derek’s character leaves her but returns to reclaim her again.
Angelica is also reaping accolades for her spoof of Kris Aquino in Banana Split as the popular Crissy. She is also in the Philippine adaptation of popular Mexican telenovela Rubi. The story is about a woman who will stop at nothing to achieve financial stability and her dark ambition will direct the twists and turns in the series. Joining her are Diether Ocampo, Shaina Magdayao and Jake Cuenca.
Nikki Gil goes blonde
Elle Woods is coming to Manila! Legally Blonde The Musical, based on the hit film starring Reese Witherspoon, will star Nikki Gil when it premieres in Manila in June 2010.
TV and recording artist Nikki Gil was selected by Atlantis Productions to take on the lead role of Elle Woods in the fun family musical. Nikki, who has started the vocal and dance preparation needed for the demanding role, says, “I’m very excited to have been chosen to play Elle Woods! It’s a challenge in terms of stamina and vocal preparation so I really have to prepare for it!
In Legally Blonde The Musical, sorority star Elle Woods doesn’t take “no” for an answer. So when her boyfriend dumps her for someone “serious,” Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.
Legally Blonde The Musical will take audiences from the sorority house to the halls of justice with Broadway’s brightest new heroine (and of course, her chihuahua, Bruiser). The verdict? This much fun shouldn’t be legal! Simone Genatt, chairman of Broadway Asia Company who produced Legally Blonde in New York and licensed the production to Atlantis, says, “Broadway Asia Company is thrilled to be working once again with Atlantis Productions on the upcoming performances of the Broadway hit musical Legally Blonde. With the tremendous star power of Nikki Gil heading an incredibly talented cast of local performers, we feel very confident that Legally Blonde will be very successful in the hands of Atlantis Productions. The Broadway touring production of Legally Blonde garnered all the touring Broadway awards this season including Best New Touring Musical, Best Design and Best Music, and is confirmed to continue touring the United States for another two years of bookings. We look forward to the success of the Manila performances with Atlantis Productions.”
Legally Blonde The Musical opens June 2010 at Meralco Theatre and is directed by Chari Arespacochaga.
Fundraising and Showbuying opportunities for Legally Blonde are now available by calling Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 or 840-1187.
Soda’s new woman
Kapamilya star Alessandra de Rossi is now a member of the Soda family. After Dennis Trillo and Rhian Ramos, Alessandra is the clothing and lifestyle brand’s latest endorser. Whereas Dennis and Rhian endorsed Soda’s men’s line and Soda fragrances, respectively, Alessandra signed on to become the new face of Soda underwear.
One day, Alessandra got a call from her manager saying that Soda was considering her to be their underwear image model. To hear her tell it, the news couldn’t have come at a better time. “Sabi ko, ‘Talaga? Nice!’ One year na akong homeless sa clothing company noon. Tamang-tama ang timing! Thank you, Soda!”
According to Soda’s AdProm manager Erwin Dona, they chose Alessandra because she is the epitome of the Soda woman. “Her character fits the image of the product,” he says. Alessandra’s classic beauty and strong personality—she doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind when the situation calls for it—signify that she is truly a woman of today, which in turn makes her perfect for the job.
Soda underwear is comfortable yet fashionable. It allows those who wear it to move freely. It’s made of cotton and comes in different styles, including lace-trimmed hip-huggers, boy shorts, seamless bikinis and more. “That’s why I like it. It’s breathable. Parang wala kang suot,” laughs Alessandra. She especially likes the low-rise undies. “Wala na rin kasing jeans na mataas, at cute ang mga designs! Parang teenager pa rin ako.”
Alessandra feels sexy enough on a normal day, but says that feeling is increased when she puts on a pair of Soda underwear. “On a scale of one to 10, kapag may suot akong Soda tingin ko lampas 10 ang rating ko. Mga 15 na siguro,” she laughs.
Aside from Soda, Alessandra is also set to return to television soon. But she prefers to keep mum about the two shows she will reportedly star in—for now, at least. “I’ll be doing two shows in the future pero nothing is sure pa, kaya ayoko muna ipagmalaki. Secret muna para cute.”
Soda underwear by Pink Soda is available at all Soda boutiques and all leading department stores nationwide.
Newscasters should look like newscasters
I am a bit disturbed every time I see Connie Sison (of GMA News and Public Affairs) on screen. While she does her spiels well, it is her look that doesn’t fit quite right. Her long hair worn like someone pitching for either a shampoo or conditioner is getting in the way to make her a credible news reader. Most of the time she looks like a middle-aged bold star.
Doesn’t GMA News and Public Affairs have a sensible stylist, and I’m not referring to just any gay man who learned to apply makeup from a beauty salon and now working on television. This is someone who understands styling from the point of view of how the clothes, makeup, and hair style can affect the impression the people will give the audience.
It’s bad enough that Mel Tiangco’s onscreen fashion sense is really horrific, and you have another one coming up!
This is one reason I feel uncomfortable watching local newscasts… I’d rather get news from the newspapers and not watch badly-styled newscasters and reporters who look like ruffians.
