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Mr. M is for Mr. Man

BUZZSTATION
Edgar Cruz

02/09/2010

What does Mr. M stand for?

Logically, it’s for Mr. Johnny Manahan, but emotionally — in a combination of respect and admiration as a pillar of the entertainment industry to the Star Magic family and the entertainment industry — it’s for Mr. Man or being man enough to stand by his artists. Mr. M celebrates his birthday on Thursday, Feb. 11.

Mr. M has mentored and managed more than 200 artists. Miss You Like Crazy star Bea Alonzo says, “Mr. M is very human and doesn’t treat us like machines. He knows our capacity and he will really stand by you no matter what. We’ve already seen that and he won’t force you to do something that’s against your principles.”

Diether Ocampo, who considers Mr. M as the true hunk, is inspired by everything he does. “He knows how to bring out the best in every artist. He has the ability to lead, that’s why he is loved and respected by many.”

ASAP Diva Vina Morales considers Mr. M as her second father. “His never ending care and support to us means a lot, especially now that I’m a mother.”

Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo and Paano Na Kaya? star Kim Chiu clearly remembers her first encounter with Mr. M. “He is very kind. He gave me two (pieces of) advice that I’ll never forget: Love your craft and be professional.” Kim also says Mr. M told her that she will not always be on top of the game so she had better save up for the rainy days.

Like any man of the house, Mr. M is ready to defend his children from below-the-belt-intrigues, nasty rumors or unreasonable hecklers. No intrigues will stop him from protecting his talents.

“As long as I know myself and the truth, I shouldn’t be bothered with everything that is coming out of the newspaper,” shares Shaina Magdayao. For her, this is the best piece of advice that Mr. M. has given her and she looks at him as a father figure. “Since he (Mr. M) is being and has always been such a tatay to me, just like any daughter I wouldn’t want to disappoint him in any way. That’s why I give my best in everything I do. I value his trust and all the support and care that I get from him when it comes to work and personal life.”

For an artist who is slowly climbing up the ladder of stardom, Enchong Dee shares that the best piece of advice he has received from Mr. M is: “Never dwell on intrigues and issues, but rather focus on the things you love doing as long as you don’t step on (someone’s toes).”

It takes months or years for some talents to reach stardom, but for Mr. M, nothing is impossible as long as you strive hard and give all of what you’ve got. Erich Gonzales waited patiently for her turn to prove her worth as an actress and, ironically, the best piece of advice Mr. M gave her was, “To wait for my time and always do my best.”

Urian Best Actor winner Jason Abalos remembers how Mr. M pushed him to continue with his craft despite criticisms. “Mr. M told me to give my all, dapat may confidence kasi it would really make a difference.”

Mr. M’s golden touch as a mentor and father to everyone in Star Magic has turned child actors into teleserye queens and in-demand leading men. His genius in recognizing true talent never fades and will continue on for more years to come.

Many happy returns of Feb. 11, Mr. M!

Beauty talk

Adding glitter to an afternoon beauty event were Belo endorsers Sam Milby, Christian Bautista, Anne Curtis, Donita Rose, Bing Loyzaga, Angelu de Leon and Toni Rose Gayda. The event was Dr. Victoria Belo’s exclusive Belo Beauty 101 talk at the Podium. Attended by the patients of Belo clinic and other VIP guests, including Podium mall manager Inigo Bilbao, the talk focused on being Belo Beautiful to educate women about beauty routines, weight loss and anti-aging procedures.

Hosted by radio personality Grace, Dr. Belo also discussed the clinic’s treatments and services, which are at par with international standards. TV host Butch Francisco gave a testimonial on the kind of procedures he does with the clinic to maintain his camera-ready looks.

To give women more reasons to be Belo Beautiful, a Louis Vuitton Damier Azur bag was raffled off to those who booked an appointment at the Podium that day. Lucky recipient was Ursula Braza, while Katie Blanco won an Obagi transformation kit.

Cristalle Henares, the management and marketing whiz behind Belo Essentials, also graced the event. (Photos by Nelson Gaspac)

Nina and Jinky to clash or cooperate?

Side A vocalist Joey Generoso is expected to blend in Love 2 Love 2 Love concert by Side A, Freestyle and Nina to be held at the Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 12. But can the same be expected of Freestyle lead singer and solo artist Nina as both are known for their vocal fireworks? Will they clash or cooperate?

Whatever they do, Love 2 Love 2 Love is the Valentine show to watch as Joey, Jinky and Nina are expected to give topnotch performances. They are expected to offer a great fusion of their own kind of music to give their audience what they want, from the first song to the last.

Yet Love 2 Love 2 Love is not a back-to-back-to-back show. Nina, Side A and Freestyle will perform together most of the time, limiting solo spots to just one or two each. That means a lot of medleys... and a lot of rare duets and maybe even trios. It will be a wall of sound that only musical arrangements by two such seasoned bands can offer.

And then, of course, there are the songs. Since Nina, Side A and Freestyle have different fortes, musical inclinations and influences and performing styles, the repertoire of Love 2 Love 2 Love will run the gamut of songs from the 1970s to present times, and across the genres pop, dance, rock, R&B, soul, adult contemporary, Top 40 and, of course, their hit songs. “We made sure there’s everything for everyone here,” quipped Jinky, referring to anyone who has been in love, is in love and hopes to fall in love.

Romantic yet fun, nostalgic but fresh, Love 2 Love 2 Love, a Viva Concerts production, will have the audience swooning, remembering, hoping, dancing, singing and, ultimately, enjoying — loving — every minute of the show.

It’s a date on Feb. 12, 8 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum. Tickets are available at all SM Ticketnet outlets (911-5555) and Viva Concert and Events (687-7236 and 633-3808). The show is a Viva Concerts and Events production. Tickets are available in Patron A (P2,625), Patron B (P2,100), Lower Box (P1,750), Upper Box A (P1,150), Upper Box B (P525) and general admission (P263).

Kuh loves sizzlers for partners

On both nights of her Forever Love concert on Feb. 12 and 14 at the Captain’s Bar at Mandarin Hotel, Kuh Ledesma will have a date with not just one, but two of the most lovable men in the entertainment industry: Christopher de Leon and Jomari Yllana. Although better known as prized actors, Kuh herself handpicked the two, knowing fully well that there’s more to these gentlemen than meets the eye.

“I once sang a duet with Christopher in one of my shows in the US. Because he’s such a good actor, people tend to overlook the fact that he can sing, too. He, in fact, released an album of movie theme songs some years back,” said Kuh.

As for Jomari, the Pop Diva only serendipitously discovered that the former heartthrob can well carry a tune, too, when they performed together on GMA 7’s singing contest, Celebrity Duets, where Jomari was a finalist. “We sang ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this guy has a good singing voice,’” she recalled.

“Everyone is looking for a forever love,” said Kuh. “And once you find ‘the one,’ you and your partner must work on strengthening the relationship to make it last. Love requires a lot of building, nurturing… a lot of give and take, but more on the sharing part because love should be unconditional.”

Forever Love is brought to you by Music Museum and Mandarin Oriental Manila. For ticket information, call 721-0635 or 721-6726.

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