A Magical, Memorable Night
at the Movies with Regine
by Leah Salterio

WHEN it was announced that Regine Velasquez would render 
memorable tunes from the silver screen in a concert series,
I readily thought it was not an original idea.

The retro band Mulatto did it in a show at the Music Museum.

Lea Salonga also crooned "Songs from the Screen" in her concert
with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) last year at the PICC.

But "Regine at the Movies" sounded promising, what with the new 
heart-wrenching love tunes from the latest blockbusters that will be 
included in her repertoire.

True enough, Regine, with the help of her musical director, Raul Mitra, 
selected a lineup that made the Music Museum audiences that night swoon, 
sing, reminisce romantic movie scenes and even fall in love (again).

The selection included popular tunes, so in most of Regine's numbers, the 
audience sang with her.

Disappointingly, however, Regine didn't even bother to credit or mention 
the title of the movie from where the theme was lifted. Unless you're a 
film or music buff, you wouldn't remember instantly where you first heard 
that familiar tune.

I also noticed that the tunes were not classified accordingly, as Regine 
simply belted out one hit song after another.

She could have chosen a medley of beautiful Oscar-winning tunes, since she 
started the show with 1987's "Dirty Dancing" theme, "I've Had the Time of 
My Life," which won the best original song in the Academy Awards.

She also carried out Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," from the best 
picture winner, "Titanic."

Toward the end of the show, Regine also dished out two Oscar-winning 
themes – "What a Feeling" (from "Flashdance") and "Fame" from 
the film of the same title.

But Regine looked clueless about the songs she was singing.
As long as she followed her repertoire, she knew she was fine. After all,
the audience couldn't seem to care less whether or not they remember 
the star or the title of a particular movie, as long as they heard
Regine's trademark histrionics which she unabashedly displayed.

She belted out Trisha Yearwood's "How Do I Live," from the Nicolas Cage 
flick, "Con-Air," then dished out another romantic movie theme, "Spend My 
Lifetime," from the Antonio Banderas starrer, "Mask of Zorro."

She also rendered another beautiful Celine Dion hit, "Because You Loved 
Me," from the Robert Redford-Michelle Pfeiffer movie, "Up Close and Personal."

She gave the audience a generous serving of love songs – "Can You Read 
My Mind" ("Superman"), "It Might Be You" ("Tootsie"), "Got To Believe 
in Magic" ("Zapped") and the theme from "Mahogany."

Regine also sang the popular "You Are My Song" anthem of her 
blockbuster with Christopher de Leon, "Wanted: Perfect Mother."

And how can the songs from today's most popular movie soundtrack,
"MoulinRouge," not make it to Regine's repertoire?

Hence, the audience rewarded her with a thunderous applause when  
she did "Your Song," "One Day I'll Fly Away" and "Come What May."

It was my first time to watch a Regine concert with Raul Mitra as the 
musical director. I noticed Mitra's arrangements in some of the songs, 
which carried a different intro.

For instance, before Regine rendered "Say A Little Prayer" from "My Best 
Friend's Wedding," Mitra played an intro of a popular song from another 
Julia Roberts movie -- "She" from "Notting Hill." Regine later sang the 
Ronan Keating hit, "When You Say Nothing at All," from the same movie.

Gabby Eigenmann was Regine's only guest in the show, who sang with her the 
Huey Lewis-Gwyneth Paltrow duet, "Cruisin'," from the film "Duets."

There are dozens of other beautiful love themes from the movies. In fact, 
Regine and her musical director missed out on the popular themes from the 
animated flicks. None of those songs made it in her repertoire, even the 
Oscar-winning ones like "A Whole New World" from "Aladdin" or 
" Beauty and the Beast."

But Regine wowed her audience even more with her other numbers like 
"Somewhere" ("West Side Story") and "Never Too Far" ( from Mariah 
Carey's "Glitter" ).

Who would have possibly complained after Regine's lung-power in 
in the vocally challenging Aerosmith hit, "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" 
from ( "Armageddon" ), which she chose to end the show with?

Certainly not me.

Phil. Daily Inquirer, Nov. 23, 2001

Give That  show FIVE Stars

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