The Philippine Star
Oct. 16, 2008

After playing the lead role of Tony in West Side Story, Christian Bautista joins another major event on Oct. 18. He will be performing in the first Asian Beach Games in Bali Indonesia. He was personally chosen by Rita Subowo, president of the Indonesian National Olympic Committee (NOC) and director general of Bali Asian Beach Games Organization Committee (BABGOC).

Christian will sing To Be One along with three other singers from Lebanon, India and Indonesia during the opening ceremony at the 20-hectare cultural park called Garuda Wisnu Kencana.

The momentous opening ceremony (30 minutes long) is backed up by full orchestra under renowned Indonesian conductor Erwin Gutawa. It will be televised all over Indonesia and eventually aired in 45 participating countries in Asia.

Since Christian will represent the Philippines, he will be wearing a Barong Tagalog handcrafted from pure Philippine piña fibers. Black piña threads are interwoven into the cloth to create Muslim-inspired geometric prints. The neck collar resembles a Muslim-inspired scarf with the same geometric print.

Slim-cut long black pants in prime English wool fabric completes the ensemble designed and crafted by Francis Libiran.

By Ibarra C. Mateo
Friday, October 10, 2008
Philippine Star

The conversion from a pop idol-romantic balladeer to a respected bona fide theater performer is an extremely exacting expedition. Many dreams have been cruelly crushed during the risky journey as passion and packaging are not enough to propel and sustain a legitimate stage career.

And when you are as famous and as connected as Christian Bautista, who must metamorphose into a respected bona fide theater performer — meaning one who can genuinely act, sing and dance at the same time — the pilgrimage becomes even more chancy because of the proverbial high expectation from his audience and colleagues. Failing is not part of the scenario. Or near-success acceptable.

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ASAP POP Viewers’ Choice Awards
Text:
POP 9 (to vote for Favorite Male Artist)
POP 30 (to vote for Favorite Male Performance)

send to 231 (Smart/Talk & Text) and 2331 (for Globe & Sun Cellular)

Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards Philippines 2008
Favorite Music Act
Text:
NICK MACT Christian Bautista

send to 2623 (all networks)
or vote online at http://kca.nicksplat.com/

Voting ends on Nov. 15, 2008
Thanks! =)

FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo
Philippine Star
Wednesday, October 8, 2008

I should thank Girlie Rodis for insisting that I watch West Side Story last Sunday at the Meralco Theater, complete with a “bait” of two VIP tickets. Actually, Girlie didn’t have to because I really wanted to watch the musical produced by STAGES, with Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as director (and Gerard Salonga as musical director).

I watched it with Ibarra Mateo (stay tuned for his review soon in The STAR) and I thanked Girlie for being “insistent.”

Before the three-hour musical began, Carlo Orosa, discoverer-manager of Christian Bautista who is playing the male lead Tony (Richard Beymer in the movie version by Rodgers & Hammerstein), sat beside us and told us that, remember, it was Menchu who played Maria (now with Karylle and Joanna Ampil alternating) back in 1981 when West Side Story was first staged here by Repertory Philippines. “That was the year Christian was born,” volunteered Carlo.

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