Lea Salonga: Grizabella in Broadway musical

Lea Salonga: Grizabella in Broadway musical. Aside from being a brand ambassador of Avon's Anew, the world-famous Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga appears as the feline version of the woman mentioned in T.S. Eliot's poem "Rhapsody on a Windy Night" in the upcoming and much-awaited Broadway musical, Cats.

She plays the role of Grizabella, the glamour cat who left the tribe to experience the outside world and who eventually wants to come back.

The action takes place in a huge junkyard where the Jellicle cats have gathered for the annual Jellicle Ball. The main event of the Ball is the selection of the cat that will be reborn. The Jellicle cats have an opportunity to compete for that honor. Old Deuteronomy, the tribe's elder, ends up choosing Grizabella, an old, former beauty kitten who has lost the favor of her peers.

As Grizabella, (formerly played by Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley) Lea gets to sing "Memory," one of musical theatre's most popular songs. Grizabella is, at the time of her appearance, a very old cat, withered by her age to the point that she no longer resembles the proud, carefree, flamboyant dancer of her youth. Her fellow Jellicles are quite repulsed by Grizabella's disheveled condition, and taunt her.

Possibly because of this, it is Grizabella whom Old Deuteronomy consigns to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn. During her change, Grizabella sings the song "Memory", which has been thought of by audiences as a very emotionally touching, profound, and even mysterious composition. It has been recorded by over 150 different artists, including Barry Manilow, Michael Crawford, and Barbra Streisand.

"I'll be playing Grizabella (the non-dancer part). As for what attracts me to her, besides the big song? Grizabella is THE cat that shone in the spotlight once upon a time, and doesn't anymore. She's scraggy, dirty, ugly, and relives the Glory Days in her mind. It'll be interesting to play someone that once shone, and no longer does," noted Lea.

Far from the grizzly Grizabella that she portrays in Cats, Lea, in reality, is a few months shy of turning 40. Most women dread turning 40, but not Lea.

"I'm excited! I really look forward to turning 40," Lea Salonga-Chien. "My late (and) early 20s, I was not happy. I was awkward. It was an awkward age for me. Yes, I had a Tony Award but it was a very weird stage of my life because I had not come into myself as a complete human being. I was like, who am I really? And I didn't really figure it out until my mid 20s and early 30s. Now I am just really enjoying the age that I'm in. I really would not like to go back there."

Lovi Poe: Shocked by arrest of Rep. Ronald Singson

Lovi Poe: Shocked by arrest of Rep. Ronald Singson. Actress Lovie Poe, daughter of the late Fernando Poe Jr., was shocked by report that 1st District Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson was arrested in Hongkong for possession of illegal drugs, her talent manager said.

The talent manager of Lovi Poe, Leo Domingez admitted that Poe is busy with her work, it is obvious that the young actress is worried. The talent manager said Poe declined to issue an official statement because she has yet to learn the whole story of what happened to Singson.

Singson, son of Luis "Chavit" Singson, was arrested last July 11 at the Hong Kong International Airport for alleged drug offenses. The elder Singson has admitted that the main reason his son decided to go abroad was due to his break-up with Poe on the night of Usher’s concert in Manila. Poe, however, denied that Singson is her boyfriend.

The young Singson was charged with trafficking in dangerous drugs pursuant to the Hong Kong’s Dangerous Drug Ordinance at the Tsuen Wan Magistracy’s Courts. Singson appeared in court with private counsel last July 22 and applied for bail.

Following the courts’ rejection of his application, the hearing of the case was adjourned to August 19.

Watch President Noynoy Aquino SONA 2010 Live

Watch the 2010 State of Nation Address of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III on Monday, July 26, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. at the Batasan Pambansa Complex in Batasan Hills, Quezon City.

Watch the SONA 2010 live here: Filipino TV Channel


The President Noynoy Aquino's SONA on Monday is a working day. July 26 will be not declared a holiday, said by Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

Watch the Live Streaming of Miss Teen USA 2010

Watch the Live Streaming of Miss Teen USA 2010. Watch the prestigious pageant of the 28th Miss Teen USA 2010 on July 24, 2010 at the Imperial Ballroom, Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas at 8:00PM EST. The pageant event will webcast live on Ustream.

Miss Teen USA 2009, Stormi Henley from Tennessee, will crown her successor at the end of this event. Watch the 50 states and the District of Columbia will compete for the prestigious title of Miss Teen USA 2010 beauty pageant.

The pageant will be co-hosted by the host of NBC's "Entertainment Buzz", Seth Goldman and Miss USA 2008, Crystle Stewart. Goldman and Stewart will host together for the third time since Miss USA 2009 Preliminaries and Miss Teen USA 2009.

XB GenSAN: Wins P1-million grand prize in Showtime

XB GenSAN: Wins P1-million grand prize in "Showtime". XB GenSAN [Extreme Boyz Gensan of General Santos City] dance group proved they worthy of the chance by winning the grand prize of P1-million in "Showtime" grand finals. XB GenSAN performance received the huge crowd in the Ynares Gym in Antipolo City.

Watch video of Showtime grand finals here: Filipino TV Channel

Making a big comeback to ultimately win the P1-million grand prize in the first-ever "Showtime" grand finals is the dance group, XB GenSAN. A few weeks ago, the dance group got back in the game as a "wild card" pick by show hosts Vhong Navarro, Anne Curtis, Kim Atienza, and resident judge Vice Ganda.

The show's judges - which include roughly 40 other celebrities, Alex De Rossi, Priscilla Meirelles, Dennis Padilla, Jett Pangan, Robert Sena, Jhong Hilario, and Jon Avila - that gave the group a huge 9.875 as final score.

The members of the group were in tears after receiving kudos for their performance from Vice Ganda. "Ipinakita ninyo na hindi sapat na dahilan ang failure ninyo yesterday to try and do better today," Vice Ganda said.

The show started with a number of rousing performances from the hosts: Vhong Navarro danced; Jugs Jugueta and Teddy Corpuz sang "Liwanag sa Dilim;" Anne Curtis sang "On The Wings Of Love" while attached to a harness; Kim Atienza did "Kiss" and Vice Ganda made a Madonna-like rendition of "Vogue."

Giving XB GenSAN a good fight were Mortal Combat; the Show Gays of Quezon City, who flaunted once again daring acrobatics as highlight to their performance; Kasibulan with their imaginative use of "hand miming;" and the Boys Unlimited Dancers, with their tight choreography.

According to Vice Ganda, judging for the grand finals is the most challenging task. "Mahirap. Alam ko kasi 'yung pinagdaanan nila [the groups]. Nasubaybayan ko sila ng nine months. Mahirap talaga," he said. Navarro, on the other hand, admired the dedication shown by each of the finalists.

"For me, they are all winners. The joy and amusement they have brought to Filipinos already make each one of them a champion," he said. Curtis was tearful all throughout the show but expressed excitement for the upcoming season. "Where else can you see hosts, judges, crew, director, and the audience all game to dance and sing together? We are a family here and this makes us even more motivated to work harder in our second season," Curtis shared. The much-anticipated season 2 of the show begins Monday, July 26, after "Simply KC." The first season finalists are: Kasibulan Perlas ng Silangan Mortal Combat and the Show Gays Beat Guys San Jose Savannah Kids Ballroom Dancers Philippine Island Assassins Enlighten Black Theater Group E-Crew Boyz Unlimited Dancers XBGenSan.

For the dance of XB GenSAN dance group, watch this:

Shakira: In a bright pink bikini photo shoot

Shakira: In a bright pink bikini photo shoot. Shakira, 33 year old Columbian singer, shows off her bangin’ body in a bright pink bikini during a photo shoot in a field in Ibiza, Spain on Thursday (July 22).

The singer was last seen in South Africa, performing at the closing ceremony for the World Cup earlier in the month.

Leonardo DiCaprio: Shirtless for Rolling Stone sexy cover

Leonardo DiCaprio: Shirtless in Rolling Stone sexy cover. See the latest sexy cover photo shoot of Leonardo DiCaprio in Rolling Stone on stands today.

Some quotes from the 35-year-old Inception actor:

On what makes him anxious: “[My stomach churns over] really stupid stuff. Things that shouldn’t make you anxious whatsoever. It’s crazy how your mind will become this database to make you worry about things that are so arbitrary. I have a well-organized life, and I’ve put a lot of thought into the things that I do, and then, you know, my stomach will be…I’ll just be sitting there, totally anxious about something ridiculous.”

On growing up: “I was essentially a dwarf with the biggest mouth in the world. I would talk back to anyone and be up for any fight, and when you tell a kid that’s three years older than you to shove it, you’re going to get your ass beat…I was a real punk, there’s no question about it.”

On partying in the pre-tabloid/blog age: “I got to be wild and nuts, and I didn’t suffer as much as people do now, where they have to play it so safe that they ruin their credibility. I didn’t care what anyone thought…. It was also about avoiding the tornado of chaos, of potential downfall. It was, ‘Wow, how lucky are we to not have hung out with that crowd or done those things?’ My two main competitors in the beginning, the blond-haired kids I went to audition with, one hung himself and the other died of a heroin overdose… . I was never into drugs at all. There aren’t stories of me in a pool of my own vomit in a hotel room on the Hollywood Strip.”

On dating: “I had better success meeting girls before Titanic. My interactions with them didn’t have all the stigma behind it, not to mention there wasn’t a perception of her talking to me for only one reason.” (He’s currently dating Israeli model Bar Refaeli.)

On dealing with his Titanic fame: “It was like there was a separate entity out there. Not to use a James Cameron reference, but it was like being in a little bit of an avatar. (cringes) That’s going to sound extremely self-indulgent. It’s going to sound like, ‘Oh, I was a frickin’ avatar,’ give me a break, I’m already vomiting.”

Charice Pempengco for Glee: Undergoes Botox Treatment

Charice Pempengco for Glee: Undergoes Botox Treatment. The 18 year old Filipina singer, Charice Pempengco undergoes botox treatment to look her best for Glee.


Charice underwent Botox treatment and a skin tightening procedure to “look fresh on camera” and to narrow her “naturally round face”. Charice’s treatments were performed by cosmetic surgeon Vicki Belo, who filled ABS-CBN television about Charice’s makeover (via AP). The filming of Glee begins at the end of this month.

Watch the video:

Oyo Sotto and Kristine Hermosa: Wedding plans in 2011

Oyo Sotto and Kristine Hermosa: Wedding plans in 2011. Oyo Sotto and Kristine Hermosa plans to marry in the year of 2011. The target wedding date is January 11, 2011.

Inamin naman ito ni Dina sa short interview sa kanya ng The Buzz na ipinalabas last Sunday, July 18.

"Hindi naman yata nila itinatago na may plano silang pakasal. Next year pa," sabi niya.

Pero pinabulaanan ng aktres ang balitang lumalabas na lihim na raw ikinasal sina Oyo at Kristine sa Canada kung saan naninirahan ang pamilya ng aktres. Ayon kay Dina, nagpunta ang dalawa sa Canada para mamanhikan na si Oyo sa pamilya ni Kristine.

January 11, 2011 daw ang target wedding date nina Oyo at Kristine.

May balita rin na nag-ampon daw sina Oyo at Kristine ng bata na kinumpirma rin naman ni Ms. D.

Aniya, "Meron silang ampon, pero, huwag na lang nating pag-usapan yun."

Base sa impormasyong nakalap ng The Buzz, balak daw nina Oyo at Kristine na mag-migrate na sa Canada pagkatapos ng kanilang kasal.

Kumukuha na rin daw ng make-up lessons si Kristine para kung sakaling mag-migrate na nga sila ng Canada ay magamit niya ito for her future career. Kaya malaki rin daw ang posibilidad na after ng kasal nila ay iwan na rin nina Kristine at Oyo ang kanilang showbiz career.

Watch the Midnight Phantom Episodes TV Series Online

Watch the Midnight Phantom Episodes TV Series Online. Watch the Precious Heart Romances of Martha Cecilia's Midnight Phantom TV Series of ABS-CBN. Watch the Midnight Phantom TV series episodes here: FILIPINO TV Channel

Ten years ago ...

Brandon was a college kid who fell in love with disturbed lounge crooner Anya. When Brandon meddled in what he thought was a domestic squabble between Anya and her lover Augusto, a sliver of glass runs through Brandon’s face, leaving him scarred for life-literally and figuratively .

Present...
Augusto has died, leaving Anya to be the sole guardian of his daughter from a previous marriage, Nadja. The typical kolehiyala, Nadja’s guilty pleasure is to listen every night to a romantic DJ on the radio, the Midnight Phantom.

After Nadja requests for the song "All I Ask of You" from the Midnight Phantom, which the disc jockey gladly obliges, singing the song live for the fan, an unusually love affair ensues. Nadja soons meets up with the Midnight Phantom and accepts an invitation for a getaway in his Phantom Island. Only then does she find out that the Midnight Phantom and Brandon, who her stepmother Anya has hurt in the past, are one and the same.

Will Nadja fear for her life and flee the island? Or will she choose to stay with the one she loves, her first love, the Midnight Phantom?

Cast and Characters:

BRANDON (Played by Rafael Rosell)
Brandon, an heir to his father's wealth, fell in love with a bar singer- Anya, who was ten years his senior. Young, and madly in love, Brandon fought for this love that gave scarred him physically, emotionally, mentally- for life as the woman he poured his heart for- loved another man.

Ten years later, still scarred and is convinced that women can never be trusted, Brandon conceals his loneliness and heartbreak through the voice of "Midnight Phantom". His sweet words, longing for a woman to love him wholeheartedly, captivated the hearts of the hopeless romantic young women.

By chance, Brandon meets the woman who made his heart beat once more, only to find out later that the young lass who made him believe in love again is the step-daughter of the woman who shattered his heart and his life ten years ago.

Will Brandon find a way to put together the pieces of his broken heart and believe in love, the second time around? Or will Brandon remain forever shattered in the bitter memories of his first romance, and live in the echoes of Midnight Phantom?

NADJA (Played by Denise Laurel)
Nadja Ann is the heiress of a wealthy businessman. She had lost her mother first, had a step mother second, and lost her father soon after the marriage. From then on, she was raised by Anya- her stepmom, as her own flesh and blood daughter, whom she loved in return.

Intelligent and reserved, but crazy-beautiful at the same time, Nadja Ann falls in love with a man she hasn't met- a mysterious DJ whose program airs at midnight. To pursue this atypical attraction, Nadja Ann goes on a quest to discover and get to know her Midnight Phantom.

Her Dream Boy returns a mutual interest, and they spend a romantic and chaotic weeklong vacation, in a private, secluded island. As their romance steams up, Nadja Ann discovers the truth behind her Dream Boy's true identity and motive- A plot for revenge.

Will Nadja's love strong enough to make her and Brandon believe that painful memories can be burried in the past?

ANYA (Played by Ina Raymundo)
Young Anya used to be a bar singer who attracted both the widowed Bar owner- Augusto, and the young band singer- Brandon.

Her beauty and youth brought happiness to her marriage to Augusto and her brief romance with Brandon catapaulted the young man's destruction and despair.

As Augusto dies, Anya tries her best to be the mother for her late husband's unica hija- Nadja Ann. She was the best stepmom one could have- at least until the secrets locked up from her past, resurfaces to haunt her.

MIKE (JM de Guzman)

Mike is Brandon's best friend, and Karen's elder brother. He holds the key to Midnight Phantom's true identity, and Brandon's scarred past. He will be the bridge that will make Brandon, Nadja and Anja's path intersect.

KAREN (Charee Pineda)

A fellow Midnight Phantom fan, Karen is Nadja's bestfriend and confidante. As Mike's sister, she becomes Nadja's crucial link to the Midnight Phantom.

DON HERNANDO (Spanky Manikan)

A successful businessman, a father and a hard-liner. He wants nothing but a stable future for his son but his tough-love has hardened Brandon, causing the frequent clashes between father and son.

YAYA ZENY (Beverly Salviejo)

Yaya Zeny had taken care of Nadja, Augusto and Anya along with their family and personal secrets. She had been a second mom to both Anya and Nadja.

AUGUSTO DELA MERCED (Cris Villanueva)

He is the bar owner where Anya sings and Brandon plays with his band. He is a widower with a little princess to raise- Nadja. He loved Anya unconditionally---accepting her past and the secrets that she keeps.

PETER (Jommy Teotico)
Peter is one of the band members and closest friends of Brandon. He now works for Brandon's radio station and only one of the few people who knows the true identity of the Midnight Phantom.

ESPY Awards 2010 Winners

ESPY Awards 2010 Winners. Here are the winners at the 18th annual ESPY Awards presented Wednesday: The ESPY Awards was televised live on ESPN, July 14, 2010, 9PM/ET (Wednesday) at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. See the winners below.

See the 2010 ESPY Awards nominees HERE

The Winners at the 18th annual ESPY Awards:

Male Athlete: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Female Athlete: Lindsey Vonn, skiing

Team: New Orleans Saints

Coach-Manager: Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers

Breakthrough Athlete: Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Game: Canada vs. US, men's hockey Olympic gold medal game

Record-breaking Performance: John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut, longest match in tennis history at Wimbledon

Championship Performance: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Play: Brett Favre pass to Greg Lewis, Minnesota Vikings

Moment: Landon Donovan, World Cup soccer, U.S. vs. Algeria

Upset: Northern Iowa upsets No. 1 seed Kansas in men's NCAA basketball tourney

Sports Movie: "The Blind Side"

Male College Athlete: John Wall, Kentucky basketball

Female College Athlete: Maya Moore, Connecticut basketball

Male Action Sport Athlete: Shaun White, skateboarding-snowboading

Female Action Sport Athlete: Torah Bright, snowboarding

Baseball Player: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

NBA Player: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

WNBA Player: Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury

NFL Player: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

NHL Player: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

MLS Player: Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy

Bowler: Walter Ray Williams Jr.

Driver: Jimmie Johnson

Fighter: Floyd Mayweather

Male Golfer: Phil Mickelson

Female Golfer: Lorena Ochoa

Jockey: Calvin Borel

Male Tennis Player: Roger Federer

Female Tennis Player: Serena Williams

Track and Field Athlete: Usain Bolt

Male Olympian: Shaun White, skateboarding-snowboarding

Female Olympian: Lindsey Vonn, skiing

Male Athlete with a Disability: Steve Cash, hockey

Female Athlete with a Disability: Amy Palmiero-Winters, track and field

Performance Under Pressure: Landon Donovan, soccer

Comeback: Kim Clijsters, tennis

College Athletic Program: Duke men's athletics and Stanford women's athletics

Arthur Ashe Courage Award: the family of Ed Thomas

Jimmy V ESPY for Perserverance: George Karl, Denver Nuggets coach

Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher: On wedding pictures cover

Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher: On wedding pictures cover. On the cover of People magazine, Carrie Underwood and her husband Mike Fisher, the pro hockey player, proudly show off their wedding pictures on the latest cover of People.

Here’s a run-down of their wedding:

– About 250 guests attended the wedding on saturday at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia.

– Carrie wore a chantilly lace and silk organza Monique Lhuillier gown and a diamond tiara, which was Mike’s gift to his new bride.

– Carrie walked down the isle to a string quartet playing Wagner’s Bridal Chorus.

– Carrie’s nephew Max was the ring bearer and Mike’s cousin Hanna was flower girl. Carrie’s dog Ace was also in attendance — he wore a Swarovski crystal-encrusted pink tuxedo.

– The wedding cake was a cupcake tower made by bridesmaid Ivey Childers and the couple’s first dance was “Love Never Fails”, sung at the wedding by contemporary Christian singer Brandon Heath.

“[Carrie] looked stunning,” Mike said at the wedding. “I was thanking God for her, for that moment. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Carrie added, “The night exceeded all the hopes I had. It was a great party.”

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem tie the knot

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem tie the knot. Penelope Cruz, 36 and long time love Javier Bardem, 41 wed in Bahamas.

“[They were married] at a friend’s house in the Bahamas,” the magazine report said. “It was a small ceremony with just family members. Penelope wore a dress designed by her longtime friend John Galliano.”

Penelope and Javier appeared together in three films — Jamón, Jamón, Live Flesh and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. This is the first marriage for both of them.