Music and laughter over the holidays
AFTER THE success of their earlier shows in Resorts World Manila (RWM) this year, comic Jon Santos and iconic band Aegis are at it again.
A two-hour comedy show might just be the break one needs from one’s hectic Christmas schedule.
After the success of Extrajudicial Kiddings and Live, Love, Laugh, Mr. Santos returns for Love Wins on Dec. 2 at the Marriott grand ballroom, which promises to be an evening of laughter and non-stop music featuring this year most talked about celebrities, events, and trending topics.
Mr. Santos’s humor was in full view as he arrived at the press conference on Nov. 27 at RWM’s Newport Performing Arts Theater Vestibule dressed as Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach wearing a sash with “Ex-Miss Universe” written on it.
“We are a very fortunate team of artists, experts, and writers. We’re always on the lookout for what’s hot and what’s in the news,” Mr. Santos said about the preparations for the show. He added that director Joaquin Valdes refers to the show as “same day writing.”
“The content is always new… It’s not like a stand-up comedy show or sketch comedy show wherein everything is fixed… A lot of it is spontaneous, and the jokes are happening as the current events are unfolding,” Mr. Valdes said.
The show’s guests include veteran comedian and singer Mitch Valdes, and Isprikitik Improv, a group of young artists who perform spontaneous comedy sketches.
“In comedy, if you hear something old, you will be disappointed… That’s why freshness and innovativeness is always top of the list,” Mr. Santos told BusinessWorld. He added that it is now more challenging to produce comedy content as audiences react differently to political jokes.
Mr. Santos said that Laugh Wins will look back at the events of 2017 — he mentioned APEC Vietnam 2017, ASEAN 2017, celebrity weddings, female superheroes in film, and “Empoy is the new gwapo,” as some of the topics to be tackled
“A live Pinoy comedy show has a place in a person’s ‘cultural diet,’” Mr. Santos said.
AEGIS AGAIN
“Heto ako, basang-basa sa ulan, walang masisilungan, walang malalapitan.” Pinoy rock band Aegis belted out one of its greatest hits at the same press conference, their strong and piercing voices still mesmerizing audiences 19 years since their debut.
Following the success of their major concert Aegis na Aegis: A Story of Us in September, the band returns onstage with Aegis Live! Birit Pa More on Dec. 20, at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, as part of RWM’s Grand Fiesta Manila: Fantasy Funfair celebrations.
“’Yun ang nasa isip agad [ng tao] kapag sinabing Aegis. (That’s what comes to people’s minds when you mention Aegis),” vocalist Juliet Sunot said about the concert title, Birit Pa More — birit means “belting out.”
The band will be performing its hits such as “Halik,” “Luha,” “Basang-basa sa Ulan,” and “Sinta.” Christmas songs are included in the lineup as well. The Voice Philippines champion Mitoy Yonting will be joining them at the concert.
The band is hoping to mark their 20th anniversary next year with a new album and concerts.
Asked about what keeps them going at this stage of their career, the band members said that making their audiences happy during concerts makes performing fulfilling for them in return.
Tickets to both shows are available at the RWM Box Office and all TicketWorld outlets. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman
