Waiting for Sharon

Auckland – Thursday, Nov 10. Dinner Date.

My husband told me that we were invited to join Sharon Cuneta for dinner in the posh Grass Hopper Thai restaurant in Stamford Plaza Hotel. Dinner was by invitation only. I was finally going to meet Sharon in person to see what does she really looks like and what makes her shine.

Back home in the Philippines, when my sister and I were kids, we staged a beauty pageant titled ‘Little Ms Philippines’ (copying a segment with the same name in the popular noontime show ‘Eat Bulaga’). My sister became ‘Sharon’ as she had striking resemblance to the mega star - fairer skin, a chubby and rounded face. She would dance on top of our wooden dining table for the talent portion.

Sharon was already very popular then, the 80’s. We loved to watch her movies. She has this exquisite face, a radiant complexion and she was a great actress to boot. Is it any wonder she was linked to some of her handsome co-actors.

If truth be told, at that stage I was not really into showbiz. My focus was on completing my studies at uni. But I do recall Sharon was one of the most popular actresses and a much sought after commercial endorser at that time. We would never miss her show on TV.

As Editor of the Chika Muna page in FMN, I’ve developed a keen interest in our artista. I wanted to do the Sharon interview myself. What a thrill to actually meet this Megastar. I can tell my sister that I got to meet and watch the concert of her idol ‘live’.

So there we were at the restaurant eagerly waiting for Sharon at 6:30pm. The kids loved their recent photo opportunity with Jericho Rosalles and were looking forward to another brush with a celebrity, even if it meant staying up late and missing school the next day.

The dinner guests were offered a set Grass Hopper menu and would be served when Sharon arrived. Fortunately the kids got to eat first as it was 8:00pm and still no Sharon.

To kill time and as a distraction from the pangs of hunger I photographed and interviewed some of the guests.

“I like Sharon very much, I watched all of her movies way back then,” said Jean from the Northshore. “I’ve seen her recent movie ‘Caregiver’, she did really well. I like her as an actress, singer and entertainer. She is gorgeous.”

“It’s the charisma,” said Gemma Quiambao. “She knows how to deal with people. She’s very sweet but tough. She is very straight forward, totoong tao. And I love her music. I was a little ‘Miss Sharon’ once.”

We were told that Sharon was on her way down. And we were instructed not to mob her. We would get to meet her one table at a time for a photo op, after Sharon and her entourage had finished dinner. I was told that my interview would be after dinner as well. We had to do what we were told, but it was getting well past the kids bedtime.

My husband was not pleased to have to wait over two hours to have dinner. We argued about protocol but I gave in because he said the rules had changed as it was nearing 9pm and they were late. We ordered our food.

Sharon arrived just before 9pm, just as my son and I were coming out of the washroom. I saw Sharon and her husband Senator Francisco ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan passing. We would have bumped into her if we were a few seconds earlier.

The Mega star and her entourage were ushered into a private room. Guests were on their best behaviour, pretending they didn’t even see her. They had the same expression on their faces before I went to the washroom.

Nothing was happening except in the private room as minders dashed in and out ordering food and drinks.

Would the interview be before the entrée is served? I was told it would be after dinner, possibly even after the photo opportunities.

Oh dear, Sharon’s group was just being served the appetiser and our kids were getting restless.

I made a brave decision. I would gate crash into the private room and deliver copies of our paper to Sharon. “Something to read about New Zealand" I mumbled incoherently. She was very thankful and handed the papers to her manager. I suppose that’s what artists do. Their manager scans it first and decide if their artist should read it or not.

We said our byes to the other dinner guests and went home.

Saturday, Nov 12. Concert Day.

We were told that Sharon would be rehearsing at the show venue at 2:30pm.

Here we go again. Interview questions – check. Camera – check. Voice recorder – check. Pen and notebook – check. Kids – check. Sharon CD for signing (I bought it in the Philippines in 2006) – no required. We didn’t want to overwhelm her as she would be busy preparing for the concert. Very considerate.

We arrived at the venue at 2:30pm but Sharon was nowhere to be seen. We checked out the venue and saw people busily setting up the sound system, the lights, and rehearsing. Louie Ocampo was already there.

The kids went to play football outside, good to keep them busy so they will not realise they were waiting. I went to lie-down on the grass. I could sleep. It was a very nice cloudy day. If only I had a nice pillow instead of a basketball.

It was 3pm. Sharon was expected a bit later - at 4pm. The kids were getting agitated inside the car as it was now raining. They went home. I stayed on to wait for her. I couldn’t afford to miss my first interview with a Megastar of this stature. Never mind if I did not have a chance to dress up for the concert at 6:30pm. I notice most reporters look haggard on TV, but they don’t mind waiting as long as they got their story.

I was standing in the lobby area when I realised Sharon had already arrived. She was singing. Wow! I dashed inside - and there was Sharon on stage rehearsing.

I was so excited to see her. To hear her melodic voice - up close. I had to pinch myself. This is it - a live performance! It was well worth all the waiting around.

I approached Sharo’s minder, who took my list of questions. I asked if I could interview Sharon in the dressing room. Definitely no! Tita Shawie will be busy with her make-up and hair and the rest of it. But I was assured that I would get my chance after the show.

When rehearsals were over, fans were starting to arrive in groups and lining-up to have their photo taken beside a Sharon Cuneta poster in lobby. You could sense from their voices that they were really excited.

Fans came from all over - Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Tokoroa, Rotorua, Whangarei, Hastings, Nelson and further afield. When asked: Are you a Sharonian? one person responded ‘who is not a Sharon fan?’

The concert was spectacular. Great sound. Amazing audio-visuals. The fans had their fix. Sharon has great rapport with the audience. Amazingly, she answered all the questions that I was supposed to ask in between her songs on stage.

Yes, it was her first visit to New Zealand. She is not used to such clean air. The roses given by her husband were very red, not like those in the Philippines that were wilting because Dangwa flower market is quite far away.

She loved the cheese, ice cream and dairy products. She wanted to visit Wellington to see the set of the Lord of the Rings. And yes, she is not returning to ABS-CBN her home TV network for many years. Hello TV5!

After the show I went back stage to her dressing room. I had a chance to take a photo with her but the interview will still have to be after she finished signing autographs for the adoring fans waiting outside.

Goodness me. It was time to go home, my kids were waiting.

I simply had to get a comment from her, otherwise all this waiting would have been in vain. I had to act or regret this moment for the rest of my life.

At this stage, I was part of her entourage. I was standing next to her while she happily signed autographs and posed for photographs. When I had the opportunity, I pointed my voice recorder at Sharon and asked her a question; (ambush interview): Success at last! Now I can happily set off for home.

Sharon’s message to fans in New Zealand: “I’d like to say thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I’m very touched. I hope to come back.”

Thanks Tita Shawie.