The Phenomenal WASSUP of 2011:
A Recap
Wassup!?
The holiday excitement is in the air! The holiday season tickles everyone with
the festivities to come. It’s the time of the year when we put up our Christmas
tree, hang ornaments, shop for gifts, holiday parties everywhere… time for cold
and dreadful weather, it’s “snow time”!
It’s also the time of the year when each one of us have to stop and reflect
on what transpired in the past twelve months and look forward for a new
beginning. I love this moment, too, since I have the opportunity to do a recap
of my Wassup column for the year.
2011 has been an awesome year not only for VIA Times and Chicago Philippine
Reports TV but for me, as well. I am humbled and blessed to continue my journey
with my media family. There were stumbling blocks along the way but GOD
continued to show me the way to reach my destination with hard work, dedication
and determination.
January 2011, world-renowned and mainstream singers and songwriters, John
Ford Coley, David Pomeranz and Stephen Bishop joined the Philippines’
acknowledged Pop Diva, Kuh Ledesma in a phenomenal music tour that thrilled both
of the Filipino and mainstream audiences held at Horseshoe Casino in Indiana
tagged as “The Duets.” It was a night to remember as these phenomenal music
artists proved it once again that they have captured the minds and hearts of
listeners all over the world with their respective music hits- a smashing
success. It was a journey of nostalgic music and was one for the books of
romance.
Soft Launch of the CD, "Come Baby Jesus", composed
by Dr. Cleo Casambre with
the presence of some local Chicago talents with
Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim
(L-R: Christine Cadlaon, Patrick Viray, Evelyn
Masbaum, Jovie, Angel Pabalan,
Ariel Dayanghirang, Chip Payos, Toni Gomez, Mae
Vidal, Congen Leo Herrera-Lim,
Fides Herrera-Lim, Dr. Cleo Casambre and Lovien
"Joey" Flores.
Tea Party”. It was an Asian-American sketch comedy and as an offering of Stir
Friday Night in celebration of their 15 years! We are thrilled to be a part of
this milestone celebration and met the amazing casts, Harrison Pak (Artistic
Director), Melissa Cancelor (SFN Ensemble), Neal Dandade (SFN Ensemble), Jin Kim
(SFN Ensemble), Christine Lin (SFN Ensemble), Amrita Dhaliwal (Featured Player),
Sam Garcia (Featured Player), Erica Ikeda (Featured Player), Avery Lee (Featured
Player). VT/CPRTV was also able to interview Steven Yeun, SFN Alum and the actor
who portrayed the role of “Glenn” at AMC’s “The Walking Dead”. Steven received
great reviews with his acting for the 2 seasons of the show.
February 2011 was special as we highlighted on the Grammy-award winner and
singer-songwriter, Bruno Mars. He was the brain and the voice behind the success
of the hits- “Just The Way You Are”, “Grenade”, “Billionaire,” ” Nothing On
You,” among others. His pop terror was unleashed in 2010 and we’re able to meet
him and interviewed him for VIA Times and CPRTV, even before he won at the
Grammy’s. He has the ideal sound for the easy seasons. Pop, R&B and reggae
melodies flow in a footloose fashion while his voice boasts the smooth texture
and highflying pitch of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. He is one of the
hottest stars in pop music today and what’s really great about him and something
that we all should proud of is that Bruno Mars is half-Filipino!
It was March 2011 When Chicago Emerged As The Fashion Focus Of The World
Thru Akira Chicago’s “Le Voyeur,” a Spring 2011 Runway Show. VT/CPRTV was able
to cover one of the most fabulous and highly attended fashion shows in Chicago.
Dozens of spectators trooped to the Lyric Opera House to check out the hottest
trends for spring. Akira was the first to stage such an amazing event in the
main hall, preceded by the likes of Victoria Secrets who filmed their 2010
holiday commercial. Spring looks from Seychelles, Chinese Laundry, Michael
Antonio, Sebago, Lacoste Live, Ben Sherman, Hudson and Akira brand were dolled
marvelously in the runway by fabulous models from Ford.
Via Times and CPRTV's Holiday Party at
Ming Hin Cuisine (Back row L-R): Maya Leighton,
Veronica Leighton, Girlie Pascual, Joe Mauricio;
Front row L-R: Jovie, Robert Chavez and Nelia
Ladlad.
The dazzling catwalk show was a creative collaboration beween Akira and the
Young Professional Chapter Of The Lyric Opera House to benefit the Lyric Opera
of Chicago. We also had the opportunity to interview Jon Cotay, one of the
founders of Akira Chicago. Jon shared that Akira is meant to keep as a local
institution, showcasing local designers and highlighting Chicago as a fashion
capital. He mentioned that they have strived to maintain the status of being one
of the major influences on fashion trends in Chicago. They have thrived to stay
connected with their clients and attribute their success to their customers’
loyalty. The stores’ growth has proven Akira to be a success. Now, they have 16
locations and a website of trend setting fashion. They have also take pride in
being visible in the community supporting local events and fundraisers. Through
the years, Akira has evolved and emerged.
Same month, we featured CirqueDu Soleil’s “Dralion”, which dazzled Chicago with
its “oohs and ahhhs” filled spectacle of performance. It was a world filled with spectacular
display of color, magic of movement, tantalizingly choreographed with sound, touched up
with Technicolor and amazing performances. Cirque du Soleil is known for
infusing circus acts with a healthy dose of theatrics and story telling, and
Dralion was a spectacular display of the company’s artistic talents.
April 2011 when we met one of Chicago’s great designers and celebrate his
success, Borris Powell, who won gold in the prestigious 2011 Oscar’s Designer’s
Challenge. He’s tagged as the “new face of luxury fashion.” Borris’ winning
gown, an asymmetrical satin dress decorated with 25 hand-stitched feather
pinwheels, was worn by one of the models as she brought the Oscar statues onto
the stage of the Kodak Theater during the 83rd Annual Academy Awards Ceremony
last February 27.
Fresh off the red carpet after winning the Oscars Designers Challenge,
Borris Powell unveiled his much anticipated Fall/Winter 2011 Collection dubbed
as “C Me N Dior” to a packed house on March 11 at the Sheraton Chicago. The “C
Me N Dior” collection is a tribute to Borris’ famed inspiration Christian Dior,
which offered intrigue, elegance and sophistication. The socially superlative
crew of Chicago trooped to the hotel to check out Borris’ latest fashion
offerings and to celebrate his glorious triumph in Los Angeles. I am also
grateful as Borris Powell dressed me at the Hall of Fame with his famous “Evil
Swan,” the twin sister of the “Black Swan,” the Oscars-winning gown. It was
really an amazing and humbling experience. I am honored to be a “Borris Powell”
lady.
Spring has sprung in Chicago and VIA TIMES/CPRTV was in full force to cover
big events in Chicago, which was in May 2011! Maven’s Divo Series kicked off
Wassup Showbiz Pinoy’s spring coverage for this year. This event honors
influential men in Media, Marketing, Sports, Fashion, Fitness, Music, TV and
much more in Chicago. “Divo Series” is the male counterpart to the popular “Diva
Series” that honors phenomenal women in their respective fields.
A magnificent and extraordinary woman in the name of Sarah Vargo
successfully launched Divo Series in March 2009 at Bull & Bear. April 16 marked
the night when Chicago was painted red. The first Chicago Red Dress Party was
held to create awareness and visibility for the HIV/AIDS movement and raise
funds for organizations that provide vital community services. CRDP Board
President and Event Producer Kyler Powell and Official Publicist Ryan Beshel did
an amazing job getting the word out on the event and its official beneficiaries,
AIDS Foundation of Chicago and Equality Project. 2012 Chicago Red Dress Party is
on April 21st!
Sunda New Asian stepped up and hosted an extravagant fundraising dinner for
Direct Relief International, one of the top rate charities in the United States.
The evening directly benefits the recent earthquake and tsunami victims of
Japan. Sunda is known for their outstanding and comprehensive Asian menu so it’s
fitting that they opened their restaurant for a spectacular event. The dinner
was held on April 15th.
It was an exhilarating moment when we focused the spotlight on the 17th
Annual Chicago Filipino American Hall Of Fame, a red carpet winning success! VIA
Times and Chicago Philippine Reports TV salutes the impressive roster of the
17th Annual Chicago Filipino American Hall of Fame on April 23, 2011 at the
Hyatt Regency in Chicago. There were nineteen outstanding and accomplished
individuals in their own fields who are honored at the most prestigious award
ceremony in the Filipino American community. The Philippine Ambassador to the
United Nations, Libran N. Cabactulan, who was awarded the International Award in
Public Service and also served as the guest speaker, headed this year’s batch of
awardees.
VT/CPRTV's Jovie Calma and David
Miranda of 93.5 and 103. 1 La Kalle,
celebrity emcees at Unity Canvas Fashion Show at
Latino Fashion Week. Photo
credits: Steve Starr; Wardrobe by AKIRA Chicago;
Hair and Make-up (Jovie):
Robert Chavez of Not Just Haircut
Medicine-Education); Roel Campos (Community Leadership); Cleo Guangko Casambre,
M.D. (Music); James Cleland (Friend of the Filipino); Jon Cotay (Business
Leadership in Fashion); Billy Dec (Via Man of the Year), Lynn Funkhouser (Friend
of the Filipino); Sally Hunter (Human Spirit); Vallapa Kongsri (Outstanding
Asian American-Thailand); Norma Manangkil (Via Woman of the Year); Cenon Morales
(Sports-Bowling); Florence Nicol (Altruism & Innovation in Healthcare
Technology); Florence Palmaira (Excellence in Nursing); Nena Mondonedo Perez
(Young Entrepreneur); Lolita Ranchero (Home Health Care Leadership); Drs. Nunilo
& Elenita Rubio Family (Model Family); Raymond Velasco (Financial Leadership);
And Narni Therese Ilagan Yoder (Advertising & Technology). This year’s Hall of
Fame was tagged as the “best” aa described by those who have attended the event.
The red carpet for the 2012 Hall of Fame is scheduled to be rolled out on April
28th.
It was an epic June 2011 as we took a break and explored the beauty of the
Quad Cities! In line with Quad Cities’ 20th Anniversary of Resurgence of
Riverboat Gaming, VIA Times and CPRTV was invited to explore and tour the
beautiful cities of Moline, Rock Island, Davenport and Bettendorf. We’re able to
do our coverage for the key spots in the Quad cities. Overall, it was a great
tour filled with educational and cultural experience. Wassup Showbiz
Pinoy was a movie and theater buff as we did our coverage for the King And I and
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon in July 2011. Based on the book Anna and the King
of Siam by Margaret Landon, Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago staged “The King
And I” on April 22-June 5, 2011 at Stage 773, which served as the final
production of longtime artistic director L. Walter Stearns, who moved on to run
the Mercury Theater. It was a unique musical composed of the twenty-one-member
cast; all of them including every child are wonderful. The score was undoubtedly
superb, with a succession of melodic, memorable tunes under the magnificent
hands of the Musical Director, Eugene Dizon and Allison Hendrix.
It is with great pride to mention that the former is a Chicago Filipino
American Hall of Famer in 2005 and some of the casts are Filipino-Americans. It
was summer of last year when we heard the buzz that our beautiful city Chicago
will be destroyed in the third installment of the movie Transformers. And there
it was, VIA Times and CPRTV had the opportunity to witness the filming and had
an exclusive footage of the one and only Optimus Prime. It was one of my most
thrilling moments when I had the privilege of meeting these “Autobots” and
“Decepticons” in person.
Bob “Elvis” Lougheed And His Mystery Train Band captured Chicago in August
2011 as an anniversary offering of VIA TIMES and CPRTV in collaboration with
Sparks Technologies. Chicagoans trooped to Holiday Inn North Shore in Skokie to
celebrate with VT/CPRTV and to witness the amazing performance of Bob “Elvis”
Lougheed and his Mystery Train Band. H
Harry Potter And The Deathly Halows: Part 2, The Last Installment came to
Chicago to finally close the chapter in September 2011. VT/CPRTV had the
opportunity to be up-close and personal with the famous villain, Draco Malfoy
portrayed by Tom Felton.
It was also in the same month when I was given the honor to be included in
the roster of Maven’s Diva Series: Starlets”. This was a special event that
primarily saluted and honored some Chicago women known for their work on
television, movies and radio. Those who were honored on this event includes
Andrea Metcalf: Producer, Host of "Fit Today," member of the NBC5 Fitness Team;
Ashley Bond: Former Miss Illinois USA 2009; Ashley Lobo: Host/Reporter for "Nude
Hippo", local actress; Elysabeth Alfano: Creator/Host of WTTW-TV's "Fear No Art
Chicago"; Gloria Hafer: Famed Chicago Party Host; Jane Monzures: Contributor to
WCIU-TV's "You & Me This Morning," Host of "Living Healthy Chicago" on
WGN-TV/CLTV; Jennifer Christenson: Television Host/Producer/Media Specialist
(formerly seen on WCIU-TV, WFLD-TV, WYCC-TV); Jetta Bates: Lifestyle/travel
expert, WVON-AM host, contributor to HomeStyle, Essence and Ebony magazines,
contributor to WCIU-TV; Jovie Calma: TV Host/Anchor for Chicago Philippine
Reports TV Channel 25, Entertainment Columnist for VIA Times Newsmagazine; Katie
Jones: Freelance director and puppeteer; Kristi Hornickel: Director of
Operations for the social media marketing/branding company DoughNuttz,
Owner/Founder of Shinettes shoe shine company; Laurie Jones: Actress with Red
Denim Mustache and Wishbone Theatre Collective; Lindsey Schendel: Former Loop
Rock Girl (2010) with WLUP-FM, model; and Sandy Smith-Doghmi: Founder and
President of party planning company Red Carpet Concierge.
October 2011 was a wonderful journey for VIA Times and Chicago Philippine
Reports TV as I was one of those who were called to perform at the VEN+ID
Macrofestival, one of the big events at the World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain
along with SamaSama Project. Jornada Mundial De La Juventud (JMJ) 2011 Or World
Youth Day (WYD) 2011 was held in Madrid, Spain on August 16-21, 2011, which was
an opportunity for young people from around the world to deepen and renew faith,
broaden perspectives and nurture the human spirit. World Youth Day in Madrid,
like those before it, was a proof to the world that the faith is alive and
growing amongst the youth of the world. One of the highlights of my experience
in Madrid was when I, together with SamaSama Project was able to share our gift
of music to the world. Our performance at the Ven+ID Macrofestival was one of
the great blessings we have received. It was held on August 18, 2011 at the
Palacio de los Deportes dela Comunidad de Madrid, Plaza Felipe II. There were
12,000 people who came and participated to the event. It was a top-notch
artistic event, which showed the present-day reality of Consecrated Life in
Spain and around the world.
It was also the same month when the executive producers of Latino Fashion
Week revealed that I would be one of the celebrity emcees for the Unity Canvas
Fashion Show along with mainstream TV and radio personalities. I was featured as
a co-emcee of David Miranda from 93.5 & 103.1 La Kalle. Stay tuned for more
detailed review on Latino Fashion Week in January 2012.
It was November 2011 when the curtain call of Bayan-Bayanan (Letters From
Home) And Rizal’s Sweet Stranger, The Musical (The Untold Stories Of Josephine
Bracken) received standing ovations. Rizal’s Sweet Stranger, The Musical (The
Untold Stories Of Josephine Bracken) had its world premiere last September 23
and 24 at St. Scholastica Academy Theater. It was one of the highlights of the
yearlong celebration for Dr. Jose Rizal’s 150th birthday. SamaSama Project and
Circa-Pintig presented a world premiere musical that showed a glimpse of his
personal life with his foreign (Irish Hong Kong) born wife, Josephine Bracken.
It was a contemporary musical born of a collaborative montage of the 2009
Carlos Palanca Award Winner for a full-length play, “Miss Dulce Extranjera,” by
Sir Anril P. Tiatco as well as Isagani Cruz’s “Josephine” and extrapolations of
other historical texts and visual documents set to music by SamaSama Project’s
very own Baron Lloyd Cabalona, Music By Dr. Cleofe Guangko Casambre And William
Elvin Manzano, And Concept And Direction By Dr. Anton Juan, Jr. Local Chicago
talents composed the cast, including the Asia's Nightingale and Las Vegas' Diva,
Ms. Lani Misalucha who was featured as Inang Bayan (Mother Country).
Bayan-Bayanan was staged for the first time in the US. It was a modern
masterpiece by acclaimed Filipino playwright Bienvenido Noriega Jr. With added
scenes and concept by Dr. Anton Juan, he has successfully directed the play to
the delight of multi-ethnic audiences in Europe and premiered in Chicago! Ms.
Cherie Gil, one of the Philippines' finest actresses of Swiss, German, Spanish
and Filipino descent had her feature performance and joined the local Chicago
talents on this play. The theme music for the play was composed by accomplished
anesthesiologist, Dr. Cleofe Guangko Casambre, who is also a professionally
trained composer and pianist. The well-received production was a
presentation of Education Resources, Inc. (EDRI), Migrant Care Foundation and
Migrant Moon.
December 2011, only a few days from the start of another year. It’s a great
time to rejoice with our families and friends and rekindle our relationships; a
time to take stock of what our contribution has been to a host of things: be
they social, be they individual, and resolve to do even better given another new
year. In order to embrace the “new” we must release the “old.”
A trapeze artist cannot swing from one bar to another without letting go. An
important part of preparing for a New Year is to review the past year-to release
it-and to learn from it. To go where we wish to go and be whom we wish to be, we
need to know where we are and who we are. An honest self-analysis is always
helpful to gain clarity. As we end a year, it seems particularly fitting to
devote some time to reflecting on the year past and where we find ourselves as
the New Year dawns.
In doing this, you'll be using the principle of vacuum …releasing what you
don't want and embracing what you do. Use your year-end as a time to reflect,
learn and grow. This will prepare you for a positive New Year ahead. To all Via
Times Readers and CPRTV viewers, thank you for your continued support. Please
continue to share your blessed Sunday with us at your favorite TV Show, The
Chicago Philippine Reports TV (CPRTV), can now be viewed on Chicago Cable 25,
every Sunday from 3:00-5:00 PM on Comcast, RCN and Wow Cable Channels. CPRTV is
still a two-hour show and has the same magazine variety format.
Watch out for more news about the future programming expansion of CPRTV, the
original Filipino television show in the Chicagoland. Christmas time is more
time to love, to prove love, to act love, to practice love and to live love. The
first place you always should start is in your own heart; in your own life then
proceed to your loved one.
From the bottom of my heart, Have a jovial Christmas and a prosperous 2012!
Until the next issue of Wassup?! God Bless Us All!
