Eugene Domingo, excited na sa stage play na Bona

Handang-handa na si Eugene Domingo para sa kaniyang stage play na Bona sa pakikipagtulungan ng theatrical production ng PETA. Ito na muli ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon ni Eugene na makapag-perform ng live matapos niyang pumasok sa showbiz. Ipapakita ng beteranang komedyante na si Eugene Domingo sa Bona ang kaniyang mga naitatagong galing sa teatro. Ang Bona ay ang 1980 Nora Aunor movie kung saan gagampanan ng komedyante ang naging karakter ng Superstar. Inamin ni Eugene na matapos ang kaniyang pelikulang Kimmy Dora ay hindi na siya tumanggap pa ng ibang proyekto para lamang mapaghandaan ang Bona.

Gusto ni Eugene Domingo na ilaan ang kaniyang buong oras sa rehearsals ng Bona para na rin umano mapaghandaang mabuti ang kaniyang pagganap sa karakter. Gaganap na isang call center agent na old maid si Eugene sa Bona at mahuhumaling sa talent show contestant na si Gino na ginaganapan naman ni Edgar Allan Guzman. Isa sa mga pinakahihintay na eksena sa Bona ay ang kissing scene ni Eugene Domingo sa binatang aktor. Wala naman daw problema rito ang 41-taong-gulang na aktres dahil alam niyang trabaho lamang ang gagawin niya. Aniya, mabango naman daw ang hininga niya kaya walang dapat ipag-alala ang kaniyang Bona co-actor.

Hindi rin daw nakaramdam ng anong kaba si Eugene Domingo sa kaniyang kissing scene sa Bona. Matapos pa umano ng kanilang kissing scene ay siya pa ang nagsabi sa binata na tapos na ang kanilang eksena. Hindi raw ito namalayan ng binata at halik pa rin nang halik sa aktres. Ipinagmamalaki rin ni Eugene ang work ethic na ipinapakita ni Edgar sa Bona. Kitang-kita umano niya na masipag ang binata at desididong matuto kung kaya alam niyang matapos ang Bona ay maganda talaga ang mararating ng aktor pagdating sa kaniyang career.

Bago pa magbida sa Bona ay matagal nang nagtatrabaoh sa teatro si Eugene Doming at nagsimula ito noong siya ay nasa kolehiyo pa lamang. Pakiramdam umano ng aktres ay sa pamamagitan ng Bona ay magkakaroon siya ng responsibilidad na iangat sa industriya ang teatro para magkaroon ng mas malawak na mga manonood. Isang magandang oportunidad din umano ang Bona para ipakita sa tao na hindi lamang sa telebisyon pwedeng umarte ang mga artista kundi pati na rin sa teatro.

Halos isang buwan ang itatagal ng Bona at binabalak na ni Eugene Domingo na i-extend ang kaniyang bakasyon sa Europa ngayong darating na October. Dahil na rin sa pagiging abala sa Bona ay walang film entry si Eugene sa Metro Manila Film Festival ngayong taon. Balak lumipad ng London ni Eugene Domingo matapos ang Bona at gusto niya umanong mamalagi rito ng matagal para sa kaniyang bakasyon.

Full Story @ Tsismoso

Melai Cantiveros, biktima rin ng Globe Asiatique?

Hanggang ngayon ay wala pa ring hawak na titulo si Melai Cantiveros para sa kaniyang napanalunang bahay na ibinigay ng Globe Asiatique. Matatandaang ang Globe Asiatique ang nagbibigay ng premyong house and lot para sa mga nanalo sa Pinoy Big Brother at kabilang na rin dito ang binatang aktor na si Ejay Falcon. Ang Globe Asiatique ay pagmamay-ari ni Delfin Lee na humaharap ngayon sa isang makontrobersyal na kaso. Ayon kay Melai, bukod sa kasong isinampa sa kumpanya ay wala na rin daw siyang masamang karanasan dito kundi ang hindi pagbigay sa kaniya ng titulo ng bahay na tinitirhan. Maliban sa isyung ito ay wala na rin daw ibang naging problema si Melai Cantiveros sa kaniyang tahanan na inihandog ng housing company.

Nalaman lamang daw ng dalaga ang ganitong isyu nang kinausap siya sa Bandila. Nabanggit niya rito na maging ang kasama niyang nanalo ng house and lot na si Johan Santos ay wala pa ring natatanggap na titulo mula sa kumpanya. Pinatotohanan naman ni Melai na may nararamdaman nga siyang anomalya bago pa pumutok ang naturang isyu. Aniya, ibang pangalan ang nakalagay sa kaniyang bayarin sa kuryente. Imbes umano na Melai Cantiveros ay isang Fatima Ssevilla ang nakalagay dito. Nakuha pa rin magpatawa ni Melai kahit pa sa gitna ng intriga ang naturang kumpanya.

Hindi pa naman daw nagpupunta si Melai Cantiveros ng Globe Asiatique para ayusin ang problemang ito kung kaya hindi pa nakukumpirma ang kaniyang titulo. Halos dalawang taon nang walang hinahawakang titulo ang komedyante para sa kanilang tahanan. Hindi namand aw ito hinahanap ni Melai dahil hindi pa naman umano sila pinapaalis tahanang ibinahagi ng Globe Asiatique. Ang tahanan ni Melai Cantiveros ay nasa Binangonan, Rizal dahil mas pinili niyang kumuha ng condo unit na malapit sa ABS-CBN para na rin malapit sa kaniyang pinagtatrabahuan.

May plano naman daw si Melai na kausapin ang mga tiga Globe Asiatique hinggil sa kaniyang mga katanungan patungkol sa titulo. Nag-iwan din si Melai Cantiveros ng mensahe patungkol sa kontrobersiyang kinakaharap ngayon ng Globe Asiatique. Aniya, huwag na umanong mag-alala ang mga kasama niyang nakatira sa naturang lugar dahil gagawan naman daw ng paraan ni Mr. Delfin Lee ang naturang problema. Idaraan na lamang daw ng aktres sa pagdadasal ang problemang ito na siguradong maraming naaapektuhan.

Full Story @ Tsismoso

BB calls himself `androgyny in the process’

BB Gandanghari, the former Rustom Padilla doesn’t want to label his sexual orientation and would rather describe himself as “androgyny in process.”

This, he said in an interview in Bandila on Tuesday, August 21.

People may see him as gay, but BB feels the other way around.

“As an orientation, I may be considered as a gay person, but deep in my heart I feel the other way,” he said.

BB added, “I’m very honest with my God when I said I want to be a woman.”

Discrimination in the US

BB admitted experiencing discrimination in the US when he worked as a model in New York.

“Mas ngayon lang talaga ako nabubuhay bilang si BB, ngayon ko lang nakikita ang reaction sa akin ng tao. When I went to the US two years ago, doon na ako nagpakilala bilang si BB, doon ko nakita na iba. Sabi nga namin sa America, ‘Oh we’re the new black now.’ It’s really discriminating.”

Coming out

BB shared that he planned to join Pinoy Big Brother so he can reveal his sexual orientation to the public. It will be recalled that a butterfly landed on Rustom while he was talking to fellow housemate and first PBB Celebrity Big Winner Keanna Reeves inside the PBB house.

“At that time when I wanted to come out, ‘PBB’ was the perfect venue for me. Because I really wanted na isahan, ayaw ko na mag-explain each group na isa-isa. That was plan na it would be my venue to talk to the Filipinos, to the public who have been supporting me all these years,” he said.

When Bandila host Boy Abunda asked BB why his transformation contradicts Rustom’s statement that he doesn’t need to dress like a woman, BB replied, “I take offense not because people call me Rustom, I take offense because we have to give it to Rustom. Because if I am Rustom, I wouldn’t be dressing up this way exactly the point because ganoon mag-isip si Rustom, kasi lalaki siya eh, gay man siya, but ganoon siya.”

BB insists that he is a different person now and not the Rustom people used to know.

“I’m dressing up this way and I talk this way because I am BB,” he said.

Karen Valeza | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

Chris Tiu: PBA or hosting?

Chris Tiu says he won’t be setting hosting aside even if he has a big chance of playing with the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

In the recent 2012 PBA Draft, Chris was the seventh overall draft pick and team Rain or Shine’s first draftee. Chris adds that although nothing is final, he will most likely join the team.

“As of now, we haven’t signed anything yet. That will depend on them if they decide to sign me up or not. But I think it will push through, yeah it should, dapat tuloy na iyon,” Chris told Yahoo! OMG! Philippines and other members of the press in an interview at Uniqlo’s Fall-Winter Collection fashion show on Wednesday, August 22. He walked the runway together with fellow endorser Chito Miranda.

Chris says his basketball career won’t affect his GMA 7 and TV5 hosting jobs since he has been combining sports and hosting when he was a member of national team Smart Gilas.

“Hindi naman (maaapektuhan). For the longest time, for the last four years, I’ve been hosting with GMA 7, TV5 and I was also playing with the national team, Team Gilas. Mas mahirap pa nga iyon kasi everyday yung practices namin doon and nagta-travel rin kami. So mas mahirap i-schedule iyon to cram everything in few weeks’ time.”

Chris admits PBA is a different challenge. But the former Ateneo Blue Eagles team captain says he is ready to show what he can do.

“I’m just gonna take it one year at a time. I’ll just enjoy the game. I love playing the game. PBA is a very competitive league. It’s fun also but a bit different. It’s very physical, there’s extensive media coverage and people really follow it. There are intrigues also, but that’s part of it. I think I’m ready for it and I’ll just show what I can do on the court.”

Although others expect Chris to try acting, he’d rather focus on hosting.

“The reason why I’m in media is because I want to be a host, hanggang doon lang. I wanted to host TV programs that are educational, wholesome, but at the same time entertaining. That’s why I’m here, hindi naman showbiz-showbiz.”

Karen Valeza | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

Rafael Rosell now a Kapuso

Rafael Rosell just made the big switch from Kapamilya to Kapuso talent.

He signed a three-year exclusive contract with GMA Network Inc. on Thursday, August 23.

Present at the contract-signing were GMA Network President and CEO Felipe L. Gozon, Lilybeth Rasonable, OIC for Entertainment, AVP for Drama Redgie A. Magno and Rafael’s new manager Popoy Caritativo.

The actor, who began his career with ABS-CBN, said his decision to leave his home studio of 10 years was "well-thought-of." He believes there are no "ill-feelings" because his contracts expired and he bid goodbye properly to concerned Kapamilya Network executives.

"I took a month off para lang mag-isip habang expired ang dalawang contracts ko. Then I decided na gusto ko ng bagong environment pati mga ka-trabaho ko. Para mag-gain ng bagong experience at mas ma-enjoy ang industriya," explained Rafael.

He doesn't see himself in a "back-to-zero" situation now that he is a Kapuso.

"With all the experience that I have from ABS-CBN, yun ang dadalhin ko sa GMA7. If some people would call it back to zero, at least it's back to zero with more knowledge and confidence ngayon.”

Why the shift?

He knows people would think his decision is driven by talent fee and stature. He stressed that it is for the experience.

Aside from a welcome gesture at "Party Pilipinas" on Sunday, August 26, Rafael is appearing in the pilot episode of "Aso ni San Roque." His upcoming soap opera, Temptation of Wives,” is with Marian Rivera, Dennis Trillo, and Alessandra de Rossi. Taping starts second week of September.

"Super excited ako but kasama nito ay kaba. Kaya kapag nag-multiply yan super adrenaline rush," Rafael remarked.

He likened his move to GMA7 to a return trip to the Philippines, with new inspiration and being "all fired-up" for things to come. He described it as a "reset button" to his showbiz career.

"I think it is what I needed not just for my career but for my life to make it exciting ulit."

Rafael also believes he has a promising future as a Kapuso. As for GMA7, he is a welcome addition to its stable of "leading men" which is considered scarce compared to rival station ABS-CBN.

Walden Martinez Belen | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom