I watched in anticipation last Sunday’s Party Pilipinas after someone told me that changes were about to happen as the show is now being alternately directed by Mark Reyes and Rico Gutierrez.
I am not sure who directed last Sunday’s show at the studio (it is now back after touring the Philippines). The opening number was staged on the road between the old compound and the new building with a couple of cars, which later would be the props for the “Carwash” number with Rochelle Pangilinan. Nice try there, but still lacked the glitter that makes Asap visually more pleasant to watch. Where were Mark Bautista, the network’s power couples Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid, and Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera? Oh, they were on a US tour, that was why.
I still can’t understand what those guys, headed by self-proclaimed “eventologist” Tim Yap, were doing there, struggling very hard to make an impression on the audience with their synthetic American slang. (Is GMA-7 no longer targeting the household audiences in the C, D, E economic segments? Because if they have changed its target market they should as well changed the people in the show, because they are incongruous to that marketing strategy!)
The director introduced graphics that are kind of dated in execution (guys were we doing a retro show? Please explain!) that didn’t flow in smoothly before each number. Worse, the show didn’t have the star power that could compel someone like me who has seen variety shows come and go watch it without having a smirk on my mouth each time someone not familiar to my eyes would appear onstage.
Meanwhile, Asap XV didn’t have to try too hard. It had more than a thousand stars (it’s Star Magic’s 18th anniversary celebration) and, oh la la la, the numbers were all properly staged (well rehearsed to be specific). Never mind, if most of the stars are unfamiliar as well. But they did do well and that’s good enough a reason for people to hang around.