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Charice on BnK (January 29, 2009)

2009-01-31T06:24:00.000-08:00

CHA vids at BnK on January 29, 2009.

Video I - I Wanna Dance with Somebody

Video II - Go the Distance

Charice dazzles guests at RP embassy

2009-01-31T06:06:00.000-08:00

by Jose Katigbak , Washington DC Bureau

WASHINGTON – Teenage singing sensation Charice dazzled the guests and Filipino American Rep. Steve Austria, a new member of the US Congress, lifted their spirits at a reception at the Philippine embassy to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States.

Charice, a surprise appearance at the reception on Monday, belted “One Moment in Time” and then did a haunting rendition of “God Bless America” that left many spellbound.

The power of her voice in a small, enclosed auditorium like the Romulo Hall where the reception was held literally blew people away. Many were left gasping for breath. Others could only mumble “Oh, my God.”

Austria, a first-generation Filipino-American member of the US Congress, in a passionate speech called on all Filipino-Americans to involve themselves more in mainstream politics and speak with one voice so they can make a difference.

“Yes, we can,” he said, echoing Obama’s famous campaign mantra.

He said he was very proud of his Filipino heritage passed on by his father, the late Dr. Clemente Austria of Tiaong, Quezon, a World War II veteran who came to the US to study medicine.

“It was so important in my family, and especially to my father, that we knew and understood Filipino traditions and customs,” he said.

The newly minted congressman, a Republican from Ohio, said he looked forward to working with the Philippine embassy and Ambassador Willy Gaa “on issues near and dear to us” and hoped to visit the Philippines soon.

His last visit was in 1977, a high school graduation gift by his father to him.

Austria arrived at the tail-end of the reception when many guests had already left because he was caught in a two-hour traffic jam while traveling the less than five-mile (8 km) distance from Capitol Hill to the Philippine embassy.

Hoards of people from all over the country have converged in Washington for Obama’s historic inauguration, and thousands of police and national guardsmen have been called in from other states to help secure the capital, especially the parade route between Capitol Hill and the White House.

Up to two million spectators are expected to turn out for the ceremony, though the final figure may be smaller because of freezing weather forecast for the whole day.

Ambassador Gaa in a welcome address said Obama had universal appeal and under his administration the Philippines looked forward to even greater cooperation and stronger alliance with the US.

“We will intensify our partnership in reducing poverty (in the Philippines) under the Millennium Challenge Account. We will intensify our efforts for the passage of the veterans equity bill,” he said. “We will promote human rights.”

Gaa told reporters the unexpected presence of Charice “spiced up” the reception. “I’m happy she was able to make it at such short notice,” he said.

Charice herself said she more or less invited herself to the reception when she heard about it because she wanted to “sing for Pinoys.”

After her two numbers at the embassy she had to rush to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel to perform at the Pearl Presidential Inaugural Gala organized by the Asian Pacific American community.

On Sunday night Charice sang “God Bless America” at The People’s Inaugural Gala at the Grand Hyatt Hotel and brought the house down.

Witnesses said she also brought some people to tears, an amazing feat considering that was the first time she sang that song in public, according to her.

“I’m honored and blessed to be invited to perform in the inaugural balls here in Washington. It’s a great honor for a Pinoy,” she said.

On the other hand, another Filipino-American student has been chosen to witness Obama’s inauguration.

Gabriel Angelo Yap Millare was invited to attend the ceremony, and will even sit in the front row.

Apart from witnessing the historic inauguration, Millare was invited to attend the inaugural convention, giving him the opportunity to rub elbows with Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, former State Secretary Colin Powell and former US vice president and environmentalist Al Gore.

Millare is a two-time Presidential Academic Excellence awardee. While at the Barbara Bush School in San Antonio, Texas, Millare was a delegate to the Junior National Leaders Conference in Washington where he had the opportunity to meet America’s top political leaders.

Other Filipino students invited to the historic ceremony are Luisa Kristabel “Abbey” Manliclic, Paul Michael Thomas Cruz and Anna Marie Liwanag.

Consul General Domingo Nolasco, who oversaw the preparations for the reception, said about 140 of 200 invited guests attended, a good turnout considering many other receptions, galas and parties for Obama were being held in Washington at about the same time.

In addition to the 10 official balls that President and Mrs. Obama and Vice President and Mrs. Joe Biden are most likely to attend on Tuesday, there are a gazillion other parties in town.

During the reception, about 30 Filipinos held a peaceful protest outside the embassy demanding an end to US military aid to the Philippines.

The protesters, mostly from Kararungan, Bayan USA and the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns, urged the Obama administration to “withdraw US support to the unpopular Arroyo regime.”

Source Link: philstar.com

Charice: ‘One moment in time’ for Obama

2009-01-31T06:03:00.000-08:00

by Pocholo Conception, Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines—As the program for US President-elect Barack Obama inaugural ball—the party that follows the swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20—have Americans all agog for its lineup of performers, a separate set of shows preceding it has got Filipinos doubly excited.

A series of pre-inaugural parties has been organized to build momentum to the main event; one of them, to be held on Jan. 18 at the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel, will feature teenage Pinay singing sensation Charice Pempengco.

On the same day, another pre-inaugural concert featuring an all-star lineup including classical musician Yo-Yo Ma and rock singer Bono will be held at the Lincoln Memorial. It is said to be the event that the President-elect is expected to attend in its entirety.

Off to US

The Cabuyao, Laguna-born Charice, who is now formally called only by her first name, confirmed her participation in the Obama celebrations in an interview with a news team of her home network, ABS-CBN, on the day she was to board a flight to Washington.

Oprah’s protégé

Discovered by the world through the video-sharing website YouTube, Charice—whose international career is being handled by no less than billionaire media personality Oprah Winfrey—will sing two numbers, as requested by Obama’s staff: “God Bless America” and “One Moment in Time”—the latter originally performed on record by pop superstar Whitney Houston.

It was Winfrey, an ardent supporter of Obama’s presidential campaign, who reportedly lobbied to have Charice included in the pre-inaugural program.

Although Charice made her debut TV appearance in the US on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in December 2007, it was a guest stint on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in May 2008 where she was featured in a special segment dubbed “The World’s Smartest Kids.” In that segment Charice sang another Houston hit, “I Have Nothing.”

Four months later, Charice returned as a guest in another special segment, “Dreams Come True,” on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Charice’s performance piece, Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” was made extra special because it had the renowned Canadian songwriter-producer David Foster accompanying her on piano.

‘World’s most talented girl’

In the same show, host Winfrey described Charice in glowing terms as “the most talented girl in the world.”

From then on, it has been a dizzying ride to music biz recognition in which Charice —guided by Winfrey’s influential clout—graced a number of high-profile events: a rare duet with Dion at the latter’s Madison Square Garden concert which reportedly merited mention in the New York Times; a spot number at Andre Agassi’s “Grand Slam for Children” benefit concert in Las Vegas; a performance at the annual Carousel of Hope Ball 2008 in Beverly Hills, California, for the benefit of children with diabetes; another guest stint at the David Foster & Friends Charity Gala & Concert at Alberta, Canada; and an appearance at Macy’s 150 Years Anniversary Celebration in New York City, among others.

With music greats

America is bound to hear more of Charice with the release of a DVD/CD of a tribute concert in which the Philippines’ pride shares the stage with various stars who have worked with Foster, including Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Dion, Katharine McPhee, Blake Shelton, Kenny G, Peter Cetera and Brian McKnight.

Charice steals People night

2009-01-31T06:01:00.000-08:00

FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo, philstar.com Updated January 17, 2009 12:00 AM

Ninety-percent of the well-heeled guests graced the People of the Year 2008 Awards Night (marking People Asia magazine’s ninth anniversary) Thursday night at the grand ballroom Sofitel Philippine Plaza went home tsk-tsking in awe over Charice who rendered three numbers after she got her plaque as one of the 10 awardees (also including, among others, Pres. Cory Aquino, Sharon Cuneta, Makati Mayor Jojo Binay, Vice Pres. Noli de Castro, Sen. Manny Villar and US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney).

“I came not only to witness the awarding but also, more so, to watch Charice sing ‘live’,” was what many of the guests were saying.

Charice didn’t disappoint. She unleashed such a powerful voice that everybody listened with mouths agape.

“What a jaw-dropping performance,” quipped an “invited” guest.“Siguro kung may langaw dito, lahat pumasok sa bibig ng audience.Mabuti na lang wala.”

Charice stole the People night by singing first a medley of I Will Always Love You and I Have Nothing, followed by Listen which was, according to Charice, re-arranged for her by the David Foster who was quoted when he and Charice guested together on Good Morning, America, that Charice actually helped him with the re-arranging. “She’s a musical genius,” said Foster, “she can re-arrange a song so easily, as if she’s just picking a dress from the closet.”

Revealed Charice, “Mr. Foster asked me to point out kung saan ko dapat itaas ang aking key at kung saan dapat ibaba, kung saan dapat magtu-turn ang boses ko.”

In response to shouts for an encore, Charice obliged with a heart-stopping rendition of I Will Survive. The audience gave her a standing ovation.

Last night, Charice and her mom Raquel took a JAL flight to the US where she’s performing two songs, God Bless America and One Moment in Time, tomorrow, Jan. 18, in one of the pre-inaugural parties for President-Elect Barack Obama.

“I will send The STAR exclusive photos of my performance,” promised Charice. Good. That should put in place detractors who have been belittling Charice’s part in the event.

Incidentally, as Funfare reported in a “scoop” several issues ago, Charice is included in Foster’s album entitled You’re The Inspiration: The Music of David Foster & Friends which honors Foster’s colorful four-decade career. The CD/DVD features the tribute to Foster held last year in Las Vegas. Aside from Charice, also on the DVD/CD are Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Katharine McPhee, Blake Shelton, Kenny G, Peter Cetera and Brian McKnight. It’s available in record bars at P550 apiece.

Charice Pempengco: People of The Year 2008

2009-01-31T05:58:00.000-08:00

Thu, Jan 15, 2009

buzz, featured Artist, news, philippines

By Fatima Parel; Video Submitted by FalseVoice

All roads lead to the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila tonight as People Asia magazine honors its “People of the Year 2008 ” in glittering awards rites to be graced by the country’s movers and shakers.

The prestigious roster of awardees is led by former President Corazon Aquino as special awardee. The other awardees include Vice President Noli de Castro, Sen. Manny Villar, US Ambassador to Manila Kristie Kenney, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, Go Negosyo’s Joey Concepcion, “Megastar” Sharon Cuneta, Philippine National Red Cross governor Rosa Rosal, Century Properties Group head and Special Envoy to China Joey Antonio, Kuok Group-Philippines CEO Andy Bautista, social worker Dominique Lemay, fashion designer and social entrepreneur Rajo Laurel, and international singing sensation Charice Pempengco.

The magazine, which is also celebrating its ninth anniversary, launched the awards, a brainchild of the late STAR and People Asia publisher Max Soliven five years ago. The awards night has since become a much anticipated event at the start of every new year.

The special award, which goes this year to Mrs. Aquino, is a first for the magazine. As an icon of democracy, Mrs. Aquino’s inspiring story of courage and integrity continues to encourage and empower Filipinos as well as citizens of other nations from all walks of life.

De Castro rose from being a radio field reporter to TV Patrol anchor, earning the tag “Kabayan Noli” for being accessible to the people. The vice president is a frontrunner in surveys for “winnability” in the next presidential polls.

A “self-made” man, Sen. Manny Villar’s rags-to-riches story is a source of inspiration to millions. He was the biggest homebuilder in Asia before he threw his hat into the political ring. The first post-war House Speaker to have also become Senate president, he is also a frontrunner for the presidential polls.

The first woman US Ambassador to the Philippines, Kristie Kenney’s people-oriented style of diplomacy has created stronger RP-US ties. Active, sociable and sports-oriented, Kenney has reached to many Filipinos from all walks of life, from Luzon to Mindanao.

With over 25 years in the political scene, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay certainly knows what public service is all about, and he continues to serve the people of Makati with the same zest as he did years before, making this city one of the most flourishing in the country.

Business is undoubtedly in his genes, and Go Negosyo’s Joey Concepcion has used his expertise to encourage Filipinos to start their own businesses. He has published several books on entrepreneurship that aim to spread the Go Negosyo mindset among Filipinos.

Mention the word “Megastar” and there’s only one face that will come to mind: Sharon Cuneta. The actress-singer has been through many hurdles but her grace, strength and of course, her unmatched talent has continued to endear her to her many fans through the years.

A visionary in real estate, Century Properties chairman Joey Antonio has led his company to great heights of success. Antonio tries to cultivate the real estate industry through education and has set up an academy for the purpose.

Holding two top positions in two different institutions is no mean feat, but FEU’s law dean and Kuok Group CEO Andy Bautista makes it look easy with the savvy way he balances his multifarious responsibilities.

Despite an uncertain future, Dominique Lemay left his beloved country of France two decades ago to make his way to the Philippines. To this day, the head of the Virlanie Foundation continues to help thousands of Filipino street children by giving them comfort, providing shelter and much-needed guidance in their lives.

Rosa Rosal came into the limelight as a dramatic actress with a flair for contravida roles. In real life, however, her beautiful face is matched by an equally beautiful and caring heart, saving the lives of countless Filipinos through her untiring work as governor of the Philippine National Red Cross.

Fashion maverick Rajo Laurel proves that high fashion is not only for the rich and famous, as he utilizes his talent to provide livelihood for the women of Payatas through his Rags2Riches line.

A star is definitely born in Charice Pempengco, a young lass from Laguna who makes the whole country proud by conquering the international stage, the only Filipino to have performed abroad with big stars like Celine Dion, Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli. She has been seen on international television in the Oprah Winfrey show and ellen.

The “People of the Year” awards will be hosted by Johnny Litton and Champagne Morales.

This year’s event sponsors include HSBC, Volvo, Thai Airways, Dockers San Francisco, Ever Bilena Gandang Pinay, International Container Terminal Services Inc., Eurocopter, Margarita King, Havaianas and The Philippine STAR.

Source link: philstar.com

Oprah and Ellen and Celine and Charice

2009-01-31T05:57:00.000-08:00

Sat, Jan 3, 2009

by Eric Caruncho, Philippine Daily Inquirer

SPAM & Eggs - We are in an ABS-CBN dressing room, waiting for Charice’s call to go on “Wowowee!,” where she will presently knock them dead with her new version of Gloria Gaynor’s disco chestnut “I Will Survive.”

Meanwhile, she takes advantage of a lull in the flurry of activities to have a late breakfast.

“I’m not fond of fancy food,” she says in Filipino, eating the spam and eggs—spamsilog, actually—out of a Tupperware container with her right hand encased in a clear plastic baggie.

Charice would rather eat with her fingers like any true-blooded Pinoy, but then she wouldn’t want to get any grease on her Macbook’s keypad, would she?

The silver laptop is powered on in front of the dresser, revealing a Garfield screensaver.

It’s more than just a prop.

Speaking mainly in Filipino, she explains: “When I get sleepy, I lose my voice. So I need games on my laptop to keep me awake. I love gadgets— cellphones, iPods, laptop—dati napapanood ko lang sila sa TV, ngayon nabibili ko na sila (I used to just see them on TV, but now I can afford to buy them).”

Charice is wearing a floppy blue hat, with her big toothy grin and eyes that turn down at the corners in a broad, good-natured face that reminds one of Alice’s Cheshire cat, or Evisu, the Japanese god of wealth.

Like any 16-year-old girl, she giggles a lot, and it’s probably this natural, unforced quality that must have appealed so much to Oprah, Ellen Degeneres et. al., apart of course from the outsize voice that got everyone’s attention.

“Kalog po talaga ako (I’m really goofy),” she explains. “I’m a cheerful person. I only look serious when I’m performing on TV. People like me because I make them smile, although when I perform, they say I make them cry too, being the first Asian to have achieved this stature, this being the ’little girl with a big voice,’” she continues. “I felt really touched when Oprah Winfrey described me as the most talented girl in the world. Naisip ko na maraming talented sa mundo pero ako yung napili niya na sabihan ng ganoon (I thought, there are a lot of talented people in the world, but she chose me for that tag.) ”

Her cellphone rings.

Charice’s ringtone is a snippet of her Madison Square Garden duet with Celine Dion, a measure of the impossibly high esteem in which she holds “Miss Celine.” Of all the incredible achievements she’s racked up in such a short span of time—appearing on “Oprah” and “The Ellen Degeneres Show,” singing a duet with Andrea Bocelli and performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade—it’s still the highlight of her life thus far, a dreamlike moment during which she ascended to the higher realms and tasted nirvana.

Or in her own words:

“Talagang napaka-perfect kasi niya at napakabait kaya hanggang ngayon nandoon sya,” (She’s really so perfect and so kind, so until now, she’s up there),”she gushes.

And she would love nothing better than to record another duet with “Miss Celine,” God willing, on her international debut album, due next year from Warner Brothers. Or Josh Groban. But that’s really up to her managers and producers.

In the meantime, she’s happy to be our first truly bi-coastal star, or in local showbiz parlance a “lagare queen,” only her lagare involves juggling local performances with bookings in the US and other countries. In fact, international stardom has prompted the family to keep an apartment in LA, although Charice is more often on the road, racking up frequent-flyer miles and living out of hotel rooms.

Luckily, at her age, it’s still an adventure and not yet a grind. Being pronounced “the most talented girl in the world” by Oprah doesn’t seem to have jaded her yet.

“Syempre po nakakapagod yung byahe, pero pag nandun na ako sa stage at nagpe-perform ako, naiisip ko na lang ang pagod pag matutulog na ko, (Yes, the trips can be tiring but when I’m performing onstage, I only think of the fatigue come bedtime),” she says. “The events where I sing are enjoyable and I get to perform with big stars, and that banishes the tiredness,” she adds.

Like any star-struck fan, Charice’s Macbook contains her photo album of cherished snaps with the likes of Alicia Keyes, David Archuleta of “American Idol” fame, Nicole Richie, Mariah Carey, Josh Groban and Peter Cetera of Chicago, to name just the more recent additions.

The Mac is also a reminder of just how much Charice owes her present celebrity to the existence of the worldwide web. Like Arnel Pineda, she was discovered on YouTube through videos posted by her fans.

“That’s the main reason I’m here,” she admits. “Because of YouTube, I got invited to Sweden, Korea, the Ellen Degeneres show, then Oprah’s show. That was also where I was discovered by the brother of David Foster (her current producer).”

Through her laptop, Charice is able to keep track of the numerous blogs and fansites devoted to her, as well as her official website charicepempengco.com, although she is leery of actually posting anything.

“I don’t blog. I might miss some websites and people might get offended. So I just view them but don’t post anything.”

Her newfound celebrity has also somewhat curtailed her activities.

“Sometimes when I go malling, I can’t really shop and look around because people ask to have their pictures taken with me. So I don’t go anymore. But yes, I do get to play—mostly with my brother.”

Like many showbiz kids with irregular schedules, Charice has had to opt for home schooling, where she is now in third-year high school.

“Syempre po nakaka-miss din,” she says of having to say goodbye to her friends. “I was in regular school till first year high school so I really miss my classmates. I visited them once and it was a good feeling, but I couldn’t stay long. It feels good to see them and to hear them say they’re proud of me.”

Right now she’s settling for a routine that she describes as “bahay, ABS-CBN-States—’yun lang po (home-TV studio-the US)” but allows for the possibility that showbiz may not be forever.

“College—I’m still undecided, but given the opportunity, I’d like to study in the US and take up Law. I wanted to be a doctor initially, but I was inspired by Tito Mike (immigration lawyer Mike Garfinkel, whose wife Millie manages her career Flipside). I want to be an entertainment lawyer. But school doesn’t have to be in the US, as long as I get to finish college.”

It all depends, of course, on what the future holds for Charice. Pop superstardom beckons, but she seems wise beyond her years as regards the perils of instant celebrity and its long-term prospects.

“Syempre gusto kong maging superstar, pero gusto ko rin maging lawyer,” she says candidly. “Gusto kong makompleto ang maibibigay ko sa mommy ko, gaya ng sariling bahay. Basta pag nakompleto ko yon, kahit mawala na ako sa showbiz, at least nakompleto ko na ang mga gusto nila. (Of course I’d like to be a superstar but I also want to become a lawyer. I want to give my mom a house and everything she wants. As long as I get to do that, I wouldn’t mind fading out of showbiz).”

It is her mother, after all, who remains her main role model. Raquel Pempengco was a vocalist for Souls Free, a show band. She would take Charice along on her shows, and at age four, the little girl caught the bug.

“I really envy my mom because she was a vocalist in a band, and she influenced me. One time the band asked me to sing and I found myself enjoying it. I asked my mom to teach me how to sing. She didn’t expect that I’d sing well, so in effect, she discovered me.”

Singing is the one thing that comes most naturally, and she doesn’t want to mess that up by thinking too much about it.

“I don’t want to think about it. I’ve joined a lot of singing contests before and I always lost, so I don’t want to think that I’m that good. In fact, in those amateur contests, I would imitate the other contestants whom I idolize because I didn’t think I was good enough. As long as I get to sing the song and feel it, that’s it. When people say I’m good, I just don’t think about it; it makes me uncomfortable.”

She’d also like to show her audiences that she can do more than just the big showpiece ballads. Occasionally she’ll surprise audiences by doing a Miley Cyrus number, or even “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. Her own listening these days runs to rhythm and blues, Chris Brown and Rihanna, she says. But audiences have come to expect full birit mode from her, the athletic numbers that showcase her big outsize voice and what she can do with it.

With her “keep it simple” philosophy, Charice doesn’t worry about how much to give to a performance. She always gives it all she’s got.

“I always give 100 per cent; if possible, 110 per cent, because I really want to satisfy my audience. When they go home, I want my performance to be imprinted on their mind.”

Charice will turn 17 next May, most likely in Las Vegas where she’s booked on a promotional tour for her DVD “David Foster and Friends.” Right now, however, she’s still very much a kid at heart, but a kid who’s learned some valuable lessons in life.

“I always say this because I’ve been through it,” she tells aspiring young singers. “If they really dream of being a singer, they need discipline. Don’t take advantage—hintayin mo yung para sa iyo (wait for what’s really meant for you). But don’t give up either. I remember how after ‘Little Big Star,’ I gave up. For one week, my mind was a complete blank because I’ve lost. Good thing some people helped me stand up. ’Wag susuko, kasi talagang may plan si God para sa inyo (Don’t give up because God has a plan for you).”

Charice Sings “One Moment In Time”

2009-01-31T05:48:00.000-08:00

Tue, Dec 30, 2008

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2009-01-31T05:45:00.000-08:00

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Charice at Macy’s Event with Miley & David!

2008-11-17T02:38:00.000-08:00

Source: FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo, philstar.com

After her eye-popping guestings on Ellen and Oprah, and live performances with the likes of Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Alicia Keys and Michael Bublé, what’s next for Charice?

A lot, according to Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre.

“Charice will join Hannah Montana megastar Miley Cyrus and American Idol runner-up David Archuleta as headliners of this year’s Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Nov. 27,” said Edmund in a special report. “The event, presented by Macy’s, the world’s largest retail store, is one of America’s most lavish celebrations seen by over 3.5 million live spectators and over 44 million televiewers across the US. Aside from famed celebrities, the event’s notable attractions are its inflated giant balloons in the shape of well-loved cartoon or comic book characters.”

Macy’s is also the sponsor of the annual Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular in NYC which featured the pre-recorded song of Lea Salonga (Just Beyond The Dream) in its magnificent fireworks display last year, also seen by millions.

Charice, Miley and David will ride on different colorful floats and will perform separately along with other notable artists such as James Taylor, Andy Williams, The Cheetah Girls, Broadway superstars Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth, the cast of Broadway musical Hairspray, the muppets cast of Sesame Street, plus Miss USA Crystle Stewart.

Edmund added that the NBC telecast of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be hosted by Today Show’s Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira and Al Roker (three of America’s most famous TV personalities). It will be aired on NBC network from 9 a.m. to noon (US East Coast time) in each of the four time zones in the continental US.

“Fil-Ams Oliver and Chona Cajanding of Society Hill, Jersey City, N.J. said they will watch the parade along with their teenage son, Gerald, and brave the freezing temperature just to see Charice up close.

“Oliver said that they already saw Charice in person at the Philippine Independence Day celebration in Manhattan last June, and they became instant fans. Oliver noted how cute Charice is and that she looked younger than her age (16). ‘She’s down-to-earth and always smiling,’ said Oliver. ‘Hindi nga nagagalit kahit ang kukulit ng fans na nagpapa-picture’.”

Last Oct. 28, Charice was also in the Big Apple to grace the celebration of Macy’s 150th anniversary at Gotham Hall, with Sean “Diddy” Combs, Eva Mendes, Jessica Simpson, Martha Stewart, Tommy Hilfiger, Clinton Kelly, Kenneth Cole, and celebrity chefs Ming Tsai, Tyler Florence and Todd English.

On Oct. 29, she sang at David Foster’s birthday dinner event at Bon Appetit Supper Club in Manhattan in front of guests who included Donald Trump, Gayle King, Clay Aiken and Dr. Phil. The next day, she was in Beverly Hills, California’s Hilton Hotel for The Big Bash, the annual Rising Stars Gala organized by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles.

Charice is also part of David Foster’s newly-released album titled Hitman: David Foster & Friends which hit the stores last Nov. 11. Her track is included in the album together with songs from music icons Kenny G., Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Brian McKnight, Katharine McPhee, Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion.

Said Edmund, “On Nov. 19, Charice will promote the new album on Good Morning America on ABC, broadcast live from the Times Square in Manhattan.”

It will be Charice’s second time to promote on a US TV show, the first having been on CBS New York.

Media insiders said Foster is now in the process of looking for the right album material for Charice, who is backed by Oprah Winfrey no less.

“They want to release an album by Charice while she’s very hot in her guestings and appearances,” an insider said. “All eyes are on this girl, everyone wants to meet her and the industry is watching how far will this girl go.”

With David Foster and Oprah Winfrey behind her, how can Charice go wrong?

Charice gets thrill of her life over 1st award as performer

2008-11-17T02:36:00.002-08:00

By REYMA BUAN-DEVEZA, abs-cbnnews.com

International singing sensation Charice is having the time of her life over her first entertainment prize as Best New Female Artist during the 21st Aliw Awards at the Manila Hotel.In an exclusive interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com, the singer said that she didn’t even know what to say when she received the award. She said she didn’t expect to win it.

“Of course I feel happy. This is the first time I received such award — Best New Female Artist — It’s a different feeling.” Charice said.

The young diva said that aside from her family and fans, she also shares the award to two other nominees — Ava Jugueta and KC Concepcion.

“I share my award (this recognition) with Kc and Ava because I really was not expecting this. Just being nominated really, I was happy to see my name in the list of nominees, like, Wow! It meant that I really belong to that league of people who are recognised artists”, the singer said.

Charice said that when her name was called out as the winner, she shook while she had her speech on stage.

“Because it was really my first time (to receive this award), when I held the award, I saw (the words) “Best New Female Artist” I felt really happy”, she said.

Charice said that she considers the award as her first as a performer.

She said that the Aliw Awards prize given November 11 is different from what was given to her and young jazz performer Charlie Green at the Music Museum. She said that award was in recognition of her and Green’s world-class talents.

“The award I received with Charlie Green was a plaque of appreciation for a world class performance. This award (is different) because this is where you are competing with other well-known artist for a title, it is something that you will never forget in your lifetime”, Charice said.

Charice is currently in Manila while on a break from her US commitments. She is set to leave for the US again next week to record her first international album.

as of 11/15/2008 10:22 AM

CHARICE SINGS, “I WILL SURVIVE,” AT THE ALIW AWARDS 2008

2008-11-17T02:36:00.001-08:00

video by mangdiws

CHARICE AT THE ALIW AWARDS NIGHT 2008

2008-11-17T02:35:00.001-08:00

Wed, Nov 12, 2008

“Charice won award for best new female artist”

Courtesy of Girlie Rodis and Michelle

CHARICE’S HOME ON UMAGANG KAY GANDA

2008-11-17T02:33:00.000-08:00

couresy: charicemania

YouTube video by Nighthawk23

Charice will be performing live in UKG November 13, 2008 at 6 A.M. Philippine time

David Foster’s blowout bash

2008-11-17T02:32:00.000-08:00

Source by nypost.com

David (right) signed 16-year-old Charice (inset) to a record deal at Oprah’s request: “When Oprah calls you and asks you to do something, you do it. She’s the Messi-O. So I did what I was told!”

The sound of music echoed through the Bon Appétit Supper Club and Café on October 29 when producer David Foster celebrated his 59th birthday—and while that wasn’t unusual, some of the singers were. The bash, which also celebrated his new CD/DVD Hit Man, featured the vocal stylings of Gayle King and Donald Trump on “Got to Be Real” and songs by Oprah Winfrey protégé, singer Charice Pempengco (who got a standing ovation). David was the perfect host: “I promised Donald he would be home by the 11 o’clock news, so we have to keep it moving fast tonight. He and Melania don’t want to be out late!” Is that because the Donald turns into a pumpkin at midnight? —KW

Photo: Melania Trump, Donald Trump And David Foster

Charice part of album with Dion, Buble, Groban, Kenny G

2008-11-17T02:30:00.000-08:00

REYMA BUAN-DEVEZA, abs-cbnNEWS.com

International young singing sensation Charice proudly shared that she is part of David Foster’s newest album entitled “Hitman: David Foster & Friends.”

In an exclusive interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com, Charice said that she cannot believe that her track will be included in Foster’s album together with songs from music icons like Kenny G., Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Brian McKnight, Katharine McPhee, Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion.

“Masaya po talaga ako at kasama po ako sa album ni Mr. David Foster. Nagulat nga po ako kasi ang lalaki ng mga pangalang kasama doon sa album. Tapos doon sa pinakita sa akin parang magkatabi po yata kami ng pangalan ni Celine Dion,” Charice said.
Charice is now in the country to take a short break. She is set to fly back to the U.S. to promote the album. Charice is scheduled to guest in America’s popular morning show “Good Morning America.”

“Second time kong magpo-promote sa American TV show yung una sa CBS New York, next ‘yung Good Morning America. Masaya ako at magge-guest ako sa Good Morning America kasi first time kong mag-guest sa ganitong sikat na morning show sa U.S.,” Charice said.

The young diva also shared that she will also be back at the CBS show and will be doing other international television guestings to promote Foster’s album.

“Hitman: David & Friends” will be released November 11th worldwide.

Charice met Foster last year in Los Angeles before she taped her guest appearance on “The Ellen Degeneres Show”. They later flew together to Las Vegas on a private jet to watch the farewell show of Celine Dion at the Caesar’s Palace Colosseum.

According to Charice, it was Foster who recommended her to Oprah’s show and it was Oprah who in turn recommended her to Foster to handle her international recording career.

After her two guestings on Oprah, doors of opportunity started to open as she started to conquer international celebrity events like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Macy’s 150th anniversary, and Carousel of Hope.

It will also be recalled that it was in Foster’s concert at Mandalay Bay last May that Charice met one of her music idols Andrea Bocelli.

Last July 20th, Charice wowed Italians as she performed at Teatro del Silenzio in Tuscany, Italy for pop tenor Andrea Bocelli’s birthday concert dubbed “The Cinema Tribute.” The world famous tenor invited her to that event after she performed for the benefit concert at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Charice also proved that dreams do come true when she had her duet performance with international performer Celine Dion.

Charice will be leaving for the United States on Saturday, November 15th. She and her mother Raquel will fly back to Manila first week of December.

Floating Scenery: Charice to Ride the Largest Float

2008-11-17T02:27:00.000-08:00

The 82^nd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Rides Down Broadway On Theatrical Moving Stages

(Excerpts of Article) - New York, NY- November 2008 - Magical scenes float down Broadway as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes to the streets with a fleet of fantasy. It’s theatre down the street as the majestic floats in the annual family favorite transport spectactors from a woodland gathering to a castle of dreams. From foam, wood, metal, paint and the creative magic of the artists of the Macy’s Parade Studio, larger-than- life scenes take shape aboard moving stages.

A convoy of 28 floats including 8 new additions will make the scene on Thanksgiving. The freshman line-up takes us on the cross-country journey of Bolt, Princess fantasies at the Castle of Dreams, the lights of Tokyo subculture on Harajuku Lovers, a representation of the creation story on the True Spirit of Thanksgiving, bright optimism of the Shine On float, the smurftastic world of The Smurfs, the wonder of believing on Winter Wonderland, and the joy shared during a Woodland Family Gathering.

The magic comes to life straight from the imaginations and hard work of the Macy’s Parade Studio team. The floats of fancy are created every year by a team of designers, carpenters, painters, animators, and electricians who work year-round to construct the Parade’s moving stages. The magic begins from a pencil sketch. That initial concept guides the designers through a process that includes creating working models of the float, drafting blueprints and finally constructing the finished product. A host of creative and technical considerations guide the design and construction of a Macy’s Parade float. Not only must the float be a magical wonderland that will delight millions of spectators, but it must also be expertly engineered to collapse to no more than 12 ½-feet tall and 8-feet wide in size, which enables them to be transported through the Lincoln Tunnel to New York City from the Parade Studio’s home base in Hoboken, NJ on Thanksgiving eve.

For the Studio team, it’s all about the details. From the intricately painted facades to the thousands of flecks of glitter, the floats are born from the ground up, hand constructed, painted and weatherproofed for their big debuts. Once the floats are ready for the big day, the entire fleet is transported to the starting line at 77th Street and Central Park West, via GMC Truck, (the official truck of the Macy’s Parade) and re-assembled overnight in preparation for the step off at the sound of Let’s Have a Parade™!

But before the big day, the floats are kid-tested by hundreds of very lucky children at Macy’s Studio Day. Taking place this year on Tuesday, November 18th, Macy’s invites local New York and New Jersey school children to “test-drive” the new fleet giving the Parade’s target audience a sneak peek at the magic in store for Thanksgiving.

MARION-CAROL SHOWBOAT GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SEAL

In celebration of Macy’s 150th Anniversary, the Marion-Carol Showboat will sail once again down Broadway with a special honor this year. In commemoration of generations of longstanding commitment to quality family entertainment, Macy’s is the first-ever recipient of the “Honorary Good Housekeeping Seal.” With the official Seal from Good Housekeeping, which was just redesigned for its 100th Birthday, the Showboat, the largest vessel to ever float down the line of march, will join in the revelry. Measuring 33-feet tall, 16-feet wide and 42-feet long, the masterpiece of craftsmanship comes complete with an authentic looking paddlewheel and twin smokestacks. For the holiday trip the Showboat will carry special guests on board- Captain Macy, Macy’s own Ooh!, Ahh! and Wow! Bears, as well as singing sensation Charice.

Source Link: Macy’s East; Submitted by Archiemr4;

Josh Groban extols Charice, Lani

2008-11-17T02:26:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES—Josh Groban described both Charice Pempengco and Lani Misalucha as terrific singers in our recent interview with him in a private villa at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood. Josh, casually dressed this late afternoon, heaped praises on the two Filipina singers. He recounted doing an impromptu duet with Charice in a dressing room while they waited to perform separate numbers in a show. Saying he was blown away by Charice’s pipes, Josh predicted bigger things for the young singer.

Josh said that singing “The Prayer” with Lani at his concert in the Philippines last year was an unforgettable and moving experience. He gushed about Lani’s vocal range and prowess, which was quite a compliment to the songstress since he has sung “The Prayer” with such renowned performers as Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli and Charlotte Church.

The LA-born Josh is no slouch himself when it comes to singing. His new two-CD set, “A Collection,” which features some of his memorable hits from his four multi-platinum albums, gives ample proof. It’s remarkable that in a short span of seven years, Josh has sold more than 25 million albums. He stunned the music world when he became the best-selling recording artist of 2007 with the unprecedented sales of “Awake” and “Noel.” The latter, a collection of holiday songs, was the best-selling US album of 2007.

Best fans

When we met Josh at a holiday party last year, he told us that Filipinos are the best fans in the word. He hopes to return to Manila soon for another concert. He admitted that, to this day, he is still surprised when he goes to far-flung places and discover that people know his name and his songs.

Josh left college after a few weeks into the first semester because he got a record deal with Warner Bros. also through David. Asked what would have happened if he did not get such an offer at that point, he said he would have finished college and then … still tried his luck in the music field.

The singer, who sang a duet, “All I Know of Love,” with Barbra Streisand, recently added two more legendary vocalists to the list of artists he has sung with: Placido Domingo and Charles Aznavour.

He’d like to work with rock artists, and maybe do more acting, especially in shows or movies that would tap his comedic side. When we brought up his appearance in Jimmy Kimmel’s video spoof with Ben Affleck, he laughed and expressed how much fun that was.

Memorable hits

Six tracks from “Noel” are on disc 2 of “A Collection”: “Silent Night,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “Ave Maria,” “Panis Angelicus,” “Petit Papa Noel” and “Noche de Paz (Silent Night).” Among the 16 songs on disc 1 are “You Raise Me Up,” “Smile,” “To Where You Are,” “February Song,” “You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up)” and “Hymne a L’Amour.”

It’s too early for a recap of his career but this collection of hits so far prompted us to ask Josh about the highlights of his remarkable seven-year journey. “I think some of the big events have been very meaningful to me,” said the baritone, still boyish-looking at 27.

“Meeting David Foster and a Celine Dion rehearsal in 1998 were big moments,” he said. Josh’s vocal coach introduced him to David, the Grammy-winning producer and arranger, who hired him as a rehearsal singer for important shows. So there was Josh, only 17 and still in high school, suddenly face to face with Celine Dion, rehearsing “The Prayer” with her. He was a stand-in for Andrea Bocelli at the rehearsals for the Grammy Awards. “I didn’t know it was my big break,” said Josh, beaming. He admitted that singing with Celine for the first time was thrilling and nerve-wracking at the same time.

Thanks to a recording contract offered to him through David, it didn’t take long for Josh to be an artist in his own right, who eventually got to sing “The Prayer” with Celine Dion and then Andrea himself in shows, not rehearsals.

“Appearing on ‘Ally McBeal’ was a huge break,” Josh said. Also an actor, Josh was cast in the 2001 season of Calista Flockhart’s TV series, where he sang “You’re Still You” in an episode. The enthusiastic response of viewers—through thousands of e-mails—made producers ask Josh to reprise his role the following season.

“Meeting Oprah and being on her show—five times now—and having that relationship with her are incredible,” Josh said. He expressed gratitude to Oprah as it is acknowledged that his appearance on her show in December last year propelled “Noel” to the top of the charts.

“Performing at the Olympics,” Josh mentioned another peak—the 2002 Winter
Olympics in Utah where he sang “The Prayer” with Charlotte Church.

Source: by Ruben V. Nepales Philippine Daily Inquirer;

Charice, Miley Cyrus, David Archuleta And Many More Stars To Perform On NBC’s Live Broadcast Of The ‘82ND ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE’

2008-11-17T02:24:00.000-08:00

Balloons Taking to the Sky for the First-Time will be Buzz Lightyear, Horton, the Smurf Balloon and a Special Balloon of Artist Keith Haring’s work Figure with Heart

Miley Cyrus, David Archuleta and many more stars are set to perform on NBC’s live broadcast of the “82nd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” from New York City. “Today” co-anchor Meredith Vieira co-hosts along with Matt Lauer and Al Roker kicking off the festivities with the parade’s historic route beginning at 77th Street and Central Park West and winding down Broadway. The parade celebration will air on NBC from 9:00 a.m. â€“ 12:00 p.m. in all time zones.

Celebrating the start of the holiday season will be performers from stage, screen, sports and music riding down Broadway atop one of the parade’s moving stages. The stars joining the line-up include Trace Adkins, David Archuleta, Charice, The Cheetah Girls, Kristen Chenoweth, Clique Girlz, Miley Cyrus, Grandma and the Big Apple Circus, the cast of the Broadway Musical Hair, Harajuku Girls, Kermit the Frog, Lang Lang and the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Miss U.S.A. 2008 - Crystle Stewart, Idina Menzel, PushPlay, Darius Rucker, James Taylor, Uno the 2008 Westminster Dog Show Champion, Varsity Fanclub and Andy Williams.

The parade will feature many eye-catching floats and balloons and will offer many new additions, classic characters from children’s books, movies and television shows, a Who’s Who of popular culture icons. Joining the line-up of giant character helium balloons this year will be the Elephant “who meant what he said” the ever-faithful Horton, the super smurftastic Smurf and the infinity seeking Buzz Lightyear.

Also making its debut is a tribute to the beloved artist Keith Haring (who would have turned 50 this year), working in partnership with the Keith Haring Foundation, Macy’s Parade Studio reconceived one of Haring’s paper drawings, Figure with Heart, 1987, as a Giant Balloon. The balloon is a three-dimensional rendering of Haring’s drawing that will appear flat against the backdrop of the sky as it might have appeared on the subway walls once favored by the artist. Haring’s Figure with Heart is the latest entrant to the Blue Sky Gallery series. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began the Blue Sky Gallery series in 2005 when parade officials invited artist Tom Otterness to create a balloon version of one of his classic pieces of Humpty Dumpty. Aiming to inject contemporary art into a pop culture phenomenon, the Blue Sky Gallery series continued in 2007 with the debut of “Rabbit” by Jeff Koons.

Star power continues to march on Thanksgiving morning with performances from some of the hottest Broadway shows including ‘In the Heights’, ‘Disney’s The Little Mermaid’, ‘Irving Berlin’s White Christmas’, and more. In addition, the world-famous Radio City Rockettes will kick it up a notch welcoming the parade in style.

The 82nd trip down Broadway will also feature over 1,700 cheerleaders, dancers, singers and performers; 900 clowns; 13 giant character helium balloons; 35 novelty/ornament balloons, balloonheads and balloonicles; 10 marching bands; 28 floats; and a host of celebrity performers. Over 10,000 participants including America’s best marching bands, celebrities, campy clowns, the parade’s signature giant character helium balloons, fantasy floats, and the one-and-only Santa Claus; will once again convene on the Upper West Side to bring the magic of the season to life for New York and the nation.

Returning parade favorites, stars of children’s television, video games, comic strips and feature films, complete the line-up of 13 giant balloons this year. Joining the three new giant characters will be Abby Cadabby, Beethoven, Dora the Explorer, Flying Ace Snoopy, Kermit the Frog, Pikachu, Ronald McDonald, Shrek, SpongeBob SquarePants and Supercute Hello Kitty. In addition to the giant characters balloons, the parade also boasts 35 novelty/ornament balloons and balloonicles giving the sky backdrop a tiered spectrum.

Magical scenes come to life on the moving stages that create a fantasy down Broadway. From an unexpected cross country journey to the lights of Tokyo subculture the newest floats in the Macy’s Parade line-up take spectators on voyages through the imagination. This year’s inaugural fleet include the cross-country journey of Bolt, Princess fantasies at the Castle of Dreams, the lights of Tokyo subculture on Harajuku Lovers, a representation of the creation story on the True Spirit of Thanksgiving, bright bold optimism of the Shine On float, the smurftastic world of The Smurfs, the wonder of believing on Winter Wonderland, and the joy shared during a Woodland Family Gathering.

In addition to the eight new stages, 20 floats will make a return appearance on Broadway this Thanksgiving. The returning float line-up includes 123 Sesame Street, Big Apple, Bridge To The Future, The Care Bears Winter Fun-derland, Cele-bear-ate Hugs Worldwide, Expedition to the Top of Rhino Mountain, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Jolly Polly Pirate Ship, M&M’s Chocolate Candies on Broadway, Marion-Carol Showboat, Musical Innovation Bigger Than Life, New York Tin Toy, Pep Squad, Santaland Express, Santa’s Sleigh, Snoopy’s Doghouse, Spirit of America, Spirit of Liberty, Starship Discovery and Tom Turkey.

The beat is back on Broadway as 10 of America’s best marching bands hit the pavement. The musical heartbeat of the parade, the marching bands representing their home states and the nation in this year’s parade includes The James Bowie High School from Austin, Texas; Copiague High School from Copiague, New York; Fayetteville High School from Fayetteville, Arkansas; Georgia Institute of Technology from Atlanta, Georgia; The Greater St. Petersburg Area Awesome Original Second Time Arounders from St. Petersburg, Florida; Macy’s Great American Marching Band with representatives from every state and the District of Columbia; James Madison University from Harrisonburg, Virginia; Nogales High School from La Puente, California; Sioux Falls Lincoln High School from Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and West Johnston High School from Benson, North Carolina.

Broadcast on NBC since 1948, the parade has been transformed by television into a national tradition.

Source link:

RealityTVWebsite.com

David Foster on Oprah: Charice is the Real Deal!

2008-11-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

by CherBear

Full Version

by bidangbata

Posted by KV

via: charicemania.com

Believe in the Magic - Charice in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

2008-11-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sat, Nov 1, 2008

Appearances, USA

(Excerpt of Article)

82nd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® Kicks Off The Holiday Season With Giant Balloons, Floats, Marching Bands and The One-And-Only Santa Claus.

New York, NY- November 2008- The magic begins this Thanksgiving at the sound of Let’s Have a Parade™, stirring Oohs, Ahhs and Wows from the crowds and millions of families across the nation. Once again Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® kicks off the holidays with unparalleled pomp and pageantry. This annual whimsical procession goes down Broadway for the 82nd time on Thursday, November 27 at 9:00 AM and will once again cause a sensation delighting over 3.5 million live spectators and over 50 million viewers nationwide. America’s Parade and favorite holiday tradition steps off with over 10,000 participants including Macy’s volunteers, the nation’s best Marching bands, amazing performance groups, cheerleaders, clowns, giant character helium balloons, astonishing floats, and the one-and-only Santa Claus.

It’s in the Stars
Celebrating the start of the holiday season will be performers from stage, screen, sports and music riding down Broadway atop one of the Parade’s moving stages. The stars joining the line-up include Trace Adkins, David Archuleta, Charice, The Cheetah Girls, Kristen Chenoweth, Clique Girlz, Miley Cyrus, Grandma and the Big Apple Circus, cast of the Broadway Musical Hair, Harajuku Girls, Kermit the Frog, Lang Lang and the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Miss U.S.A. 2008- Crystle Stewart, Idina Menzel, PushPlay, Darius Rucker, James Taylor, Uno the 2008 Westminster Dog Show Champion, Varsity Fanclub and Andy Williams.

To read the full article, visit Macy’s PressRoom

Charice received rave reviews after the Big Brother Big sisters Event

2008-11-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Jenny Peters
October 31st, 2008 @ 10:30 AM - Beverly Hills, Calif.

Expectations ran high on Thursday night, Oct. 30, that superstar Tom Cruise would turn up at The Big Bash!, the annual Rising Stars Gala put on by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, despite the fact that he's living in New York at the moment while his wife Katie Holmes stars in a Broadway show. But we all know that he has his own plane, and can fly off at a moment's notice, which is why he was expected, since Paula Wagner, his long-time friend and producing partner, was being honored with the organization's Sherry Lansing Award.

But Tom didn't make the trip to honor Paula's mentoring skills; instead, his "Jerry Maguire" co-star and Oscar-winning buddy Cuba Gooding, Jr., did the honors. But first, earlier in the evening, that raucous actor jumped on stage with Joanne Worley and Fred Willard to help them run the live auction when bidding began to sputter.

"Hey, you white people with money, quiet down!" he joked, then led the multiracial crowd that filled the Beverly Hilton Hotel in repeating his signature saying, "Show me the money!"

Plenty of money was eventually raised for the BBBS organization, which also honored publicist Michael S. Sitrick with the Walt Disney Man of the Year Award and 12-year-old actress Abigail Breslin with the Young Heroes Award as stars Alan Arkin, Doris Roberts, Pam Dawber, Sarah Purcell, Jodie Sweetin, Jennifer Freeman and Larry King looked on.

But the real "Rising Star" of the night was Charice Pempengco, the 16-year-old Filipino singing sensation. The tiny gal with the huge voice wowed the audience with her astonishing rendition of "I Will Always Love You," leading to wild cheers and a standing ovation.

Who needs Tom Cruise, anyway, when the next generation of superstar is in the house?

Who needs Tom Cruise, anyway, when the next generation of superstar is in the house?

Charice To Perform At The 2008 Rising Stars Gala

2008-10-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

Wed, Oct 29, 2008

Appearances, USA

Big Brothers Big Sisters to Honor Paula Wagner, Abigail Breslin & Michael Sitrick at 2008 Rising Stars Gala. Larry King, Alan Arkin & Cuba Gooding, Jr. to Present. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles will honor outstanding members of the Los Angeles community at its Rising Stars Gala, October 30, 2008 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. The awards recognize individuals who are inspiring and positive role models for young people. Producer Paula Wagner, actress Abigail Breslin and publicist Michael Sitrick will be honored. Honorary gala co-chairs are Roy E. Disney and Sherry Lansing. Comic actor Fred Willard will host and the evening will feature entertainment by the cast of the movie musical, Forever Plaid as well as international singing sensation Charice Pempengco.

….

JoAnne Worley will open with a cabaret performance. Pam Dawber and Cynthia Garrett will conduct the “Make-a-Match” appeal. A fantastic opportunity drawing will be held and tickets are available at http://www.BBBSLA.org.

….

Cuba Gooding, Jr. will present the “Sherry Lansing Award” to producer Paula Wagner. Wagner has worked in the highest ranks of the entertainment industry as a powerful talent agent at Creative Artists Agency, as a successful producer through Cruise/Wagner Productions, and as co-owner and CEO of United Artists Entertainment, LLC.

…

Alan Arkin will present the “Young Heroes Award” to award-winning actress Abigail Breslin who serves as a positive role model to young people. Arkin co-starred with Abigail in her most memorable role in the critically-acclaimed movie Little Miss Sunshine.

…

Larry King will present the “Walt Disney Man of the Year Award” to Michael Sitrick, Chairman and CEO of Sitrick And Company.” Sitrick has provided advice and counsel to more than 500 companies, including some of the nation’s largest corporations and high profile individuals.

….

For more than 50 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles has been dedicated to empowering children who face economic, emotional and social challenges through a variety of programs, providing a professionally-supported, one-to-one mentoring relationship with a positive role model. Their work is as elementary as putting an adult friend in a child’s life, and as essential as putting hope into a child’s future. Big Brothers Big Sisters have proven successful in creating and nurturing relationships between adults and children. Mentoring works-one young person at a time. For information, please call 1-800-207-7567 or visit http://www.BBBSLA.org.

….

SOURCE Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles

courtesy: charicemania

Charice at Macy’s 150th Birthday Gala Celebration

2008-10-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Wed, Oct 29, 2008

Appearances, Buzz, USA

Plenty of celebrities – among them Charice Pempengco, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Eva Mendes, Jessica Simpson, Martha Stewart, Tommy Hilfiger, Clinton Kelly, Kenneth Cole, Ming Tsai, Tyler Florence and Todd English have turned out to New York’s Gotham Hall for cake and fireworks to celebrate 150 years of iconic US retailer Macy’s.

Even the Empire State Building got in on the act, being lit red in honor of its historical neighbor, while the store’s 34th Street homeland is being dubbed “R H Macy Way” for the day to commemorate the retailer’s founding father.

“It’s amazing to consider that Macy’s was doing business before many great brands like General Electric, Coca Cola and Ford Motor Company were even born,” Terry J Lundgren, Macy’s Inc’s chairman, president and ceo tells The Daily. “The longevity of the Macy’s brand, its place in American culture, and its legacy of serving customers for five generations are extraordinary.”

About Macy’s

Macy’s, the largest retail brand of Macy’s, Inc., delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at more than 800 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. Offering distinctive assortments including exclusive fashion and home brands, Macy’s stores are operated by four regionally based retail divisions – Macy’s East, Macy’s Florida, Macy’s Central, and Macy’s West – and an online store at macys.com.

……………..

Additional Info:

by Randy Lerma

My niece just got home tonight from the Macy’s 150 years anniversary celebration at the Gotham Hall in New York.Charice was the “finale guest. She sang “All By Myself”, “And I Am Telling You” with David Foster playing the piano. She was introduced by David as a young discovery by himself & Oprah and announced that before she turns 17 years old, he will launch her album.

She will be leaving tomorrow night for LA for another show with David Foster.

Photo of Charice at Macy’s 150th Birthday Gala Celebration at Gotham Hall in NYC.

To order high-res pictures, visit www.wireimage.com

Source: Macy’s Press Release ; Fashion United ; Charicemania ; www.wireimage.com

Charice and Celine Post Concert Interview with Oprah!

2008-10-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

courtesy Bidangbata

Charice Appearing with David Foster on Good Morning America in November

2008-10-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

Appearances, Buzz, USA

NEW YORK, Oct 28, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Uber songwriter-producer and15-time Grammy winner David Foster assembled a stunning collection of artists in Las Vegas last spring for a spectacular night, which honored his hugely successful four-decade career. The result is “Hit Man:David Foster and Friends”the DVD/CD which is scheduled for release on November 11th on 143/Reprise Records. With stand-out performances by Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Katharine McPhee, Blake Shelton, Kenny G, Peter Cetera, Brian McKnight and Oprah discovery Charice amongst others,Foster shines in the role of host and ring-master as well as keyboard accompanist to the slew of stars.

“Hit Man:David Foster and Friends” will air as part of the “Great Performances” Series on PBS stations around the country in December. In addition, the eagerly awaited David Foster autobiography “Hit Man:Forty Years Making Music, Topping the Charts and Winning Grammies” is scheduled for a November 11th release on Pocket Books.

Foster who was nominated for an unprecedented 45 Grammies, won two Emmys and was an Oscar nominee is scheduled to make severalTV appearances starting with a live performance on Oprah Winfrey on October 31st with Andrea Bocelli. In addition, a full hour devoted to the career of David Foster will air on Dr. Phil on November 11th. The show will include appearances by Seal whose new CD “Soul” was produced by Foster along with the great Natalie Cole. Foster will also visit Good Morning America the following week with15-year old Oprah discovery Charice and The View on November 19th with American Idol contestant Katharine McPhee.

Having worked with a virtual who’s who of the record business with artists including Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Chicago, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Michael Buble , N’Sync,Earth, Wind and Fire,Gloria Estefan, Toni Braxton and scores of others, Foster has three Grammy “Producer of the Year” Awards. In 2007, Foster produced Josh Groban’s “Noel” which was the biggest selling CD of lastyear

To preview GoodMorning America click link below:

GMA ABC NEWS