Top of mind, I had to ask Gerald Santos if he felt bypassed by the recent (in March this year) Manila staging of Miss Saigon. A touring company from Australia performed for more than a month at Solaire, and some people had expected the singer-actor to be a part of the running show.

“Of course, I wanted to do it again, especially on home shores, where fellow Filipinos could see my portrayal of Thuy.

“The production, however, used mostly Australia-based actors, and that, I understand,” Gerald told us during a recent lunch at a Quezon City restaurant.

Ever practical, Gerald said he’s had his time in Miss Saigon, and that it’s time for others to shine. He logged in a combined total of 614 performances in both the UK tour and Denmark edition of the long-running musical about a tragic love affair between a Vietnamese bar girl and an American soldier at the height of the Vietnam War in the 1960s.

He said it’s time to get back to his pop-ballad roots, and this, he intends to showcase in his 18th anniversary concert slated on June 29 at the Music Museum in Greenhills. He broke into the music scene on May 6, 2006 as champion in GMA's talent search, Pinoy Pop Superstar.

Following shortly is the launch of a few new songs (Mahiwagang Mahal Kita), and later a new album under PolyEast.

xxx

Came across this heart-warming story on Facebook as posted by Ejay Falcon, actor-turned-vice governor of Oriental Mindoro.

While attending a birthday celebration in the province, an old woman kept a keen eye on the now-sometime actor. She waited until the party was over and all the guests had left.

She approached the vice-governor, then asked him: “Do you still remember me?”

Vice didn’t quite get it at first. The woman helped him. “I am the vendor at Wawa Pinamalayan who sold you banana cue when you worked as a cargador at the pier.”

Ejay quickly rose to his feet and hugged the old woman. “Oh, yes, Nanay Nene, thank you very much. Those banana cues helped me survive those hungry years, the difficult times.”

xxx

PASSERBY:  Emerging from a major controversy following her failed marriage plan, Bea Alonzo goes edgy and dark in a new TV series, Widows’ War, coming soon on GMA. The new drama series co-stars Carla Abellana, with whom Bea may not have a few common denominators. By the way, Bea finally said it wasn’t she who initiated the break-up with ex-fiance Dominic Roque, who seems now more in love with golf than anything.