Wedding and Impromptu Reunion

We just attended the garden wedding of Ingrid and Jessie Mar tonight. Ingrid was my wife's dorm mate in college, and my co-performer in the 2000-2001 production of Les Miserables here. She was Fantine while I was Thenardier. Since then, we've performed together a lot of times in different events, and I was also fortunate enough to be a guest in her self-titled CD a few years ago. Even though I haven't really performed for a very long time, it was an honor to be able to sing a couple of songs for her and her husband during perhaps the best day of their lives.

Ingrid's wedding became more memorable when I saw a long-lost friend, Janett. We were batch mates in the first local production of Les Mis here sometime in 1995-1996 (she played Cosette), and we were supposed to be batch mates also for Ang TV Cebu had I pushed through with it a long time ago. I didn't know that Ingrid and Janett knew each other that's why I was surprised and elated to see both of them, especially Janett whom I haven't seen for a very long time.

Another person I didn't expect to see but I did see during the wedding was Kristian, one of my members in CTC, and was my understudy in Anastasia. He was there as part of the choir who sang for the wedding. Kristian is also a part of our planned Les Mis production hopefully next year.

If I had just known that some people from Les Mis, past and future, would be there, I would have brought my minus-ones and the people attending would have been treated to a glimpse of Broadway. Oh well, lesson learned: I will always bring my minus-ones whatever party I'll be going to. You never know when it will be needed.

Congratulations and Best Wishes, Jessie Mar and Ingrid! ♥

Wedding Songs

On December 21, one of my singing partners will be getting married, and she's asking me to sing for her and her groom as my gift for them. Not a problem except that for the past month, my voice is not 100%. Actually, it's been years since my voice hasn't been in condition so to speak. Working (talking a lot) in the graveyard shift has affected my voice terribly. Worst, she requested 2 particular songs that I haven't done before. Ever. Edwin McCain's I Could Not Ask for More and Bad English's When I See You Smile. Very beautiful songs, but just not within my style.

Since it has been a very long time since we last sang together, I thought that she might have forgotten my vocal quality, style and range, so I gently reminder her about that, and that the songs she requested, even if my voice will be back in condition, are songs not within my repertoire so to speak. She understood and told me to instead prepare around 3 songs of my choice.

Ever since I started singing for weddings, choosing the songs has always been my primary problem. Always. There are times though where the couple submit their requested songs which makes life a lot easier for me and whoever I'm singing with.

The garden wedding will be this Monday already, and I only have one song so far, my own arrangement of Dennis Lambert's Of All the Things.

Song

One of my closest friends in theatre, Candice, will be coming home next week from Norway for the wedding of her younger brother. Candice and I were the on-stage partners in Les Misérables years ago when we played The Thénardiers for many productions. I've also known Lloyd, her brother, since we were schoolmates back in high school. How fast time flies. Now Lloyd will be getting married. And since I will also be attending the wedding, there's a slight pressure for Candice and I to share the stage for a song or two. That is the problem.

Not really a problem, but until now, a few weeks before the wedding, we still haven't decided on what song/s to sing. Candice suggested Sun and Moon from Miss Saigon, while I suggested The Prayer. Personally, I want to do a Broadway medley but that will be too much considering the fact that we may not be able to rehearse. I also want to do the Forever-On the Wings of Love medley by idol Martin and Regine. Candice said it's too high. I agree, but at the same time, I think we will be able to handle it.

I hope we will be able to decide on the song/s soon, so we will just do the rehearsals once Candice arrives next week.

Unchanging Love

My greatest musical influence, Martin Nievera's wedding gift for Ryan and Judy Ann. I so love the lyrics and melody of this song...

Can Anyone love you like I do

It must have been fate that brought you here

A dream come true

No other love can make me feel this way

No other love for me but you

So now, as we go down this road

Forever will be, you and me

With a song and our prayer

Our biggest fears are far behind us now

So we can love eternally

There were days you won't believe

That I was meant for you and you for me

Time has come to make our hearts one

I found the love and now our life has begun

Life has begun

Unchanging Love, like a song

It can never change the way I feel

Every love song brings you back to me

With you in my heart

We can start a journey

To our destiny we'll see

That conquers all when you're with me

We can make it with unchanging love

You are the one that heaven sent to me

We are one heart, one soul, will always be

I'll love you more I did before

The day you walked into my life

Now our love today takes flight
There were days you won't believe

That I was meant for you and you for me

The time has come to make our hearts one

I found the love and now our life has begun

Life has begun

Unchanging Love, like a song

It can never change the way I feel

Every love song brings you back to me

With you in my heart

We can start a journey

To our destiny we'll see

That conquers all when you're with me

We can make it with unchanging love

You are what's best in me

We're strong

We've had it all when we're together

If you can show your love

We can make it and show them all

Forever and ever and ever

Unchanging Love, like a song

It can never change the way I feel

Every love song brings you back to me

With you in my heart

We can start a journey

To our destiny we'll see

That conquers all when you're with me

We can make it with unchanging love

Ethol and the 2 Morons

It was Ethol's wedding today with the love of his life, Mildred. Ethol is my bestfriend, brother, bodyguard, personal assistant, partner-in-crime, and when mom had her chemotherapy sessions, Ethol helped us take care of her. He's practically family to us than other people whom we share the same last name with but doesn't know what a family is.

It was bittersweet seeing Ethol promising forever to Mildred. I am very happy that they both have found their happiness, at the same time, I know life would never be the same as he now has his responsibilities and priorities, and he would not be able to be with me in all of my future adventures. He was with me in almost all of my adventures ever since we first met when he became my student. He will now be having new adventures with his new family.

The wedding was very simple but solemn, and was going on really well, until a couple of disrespectful bastards ruined it. Pardon my french, but there is no other nicer word I can use to describe them. Two insecure animals who lack attention and recognition trying desperately to be important: The pea-brain security guard and the lazy sacristan of Redemptorist Parish.

The wedding was scheduled at 10:30 in the morning, but since the priest came from a mass at Consolacion town (12 kilometers from Cebu City), the wedding started at 11. Before the wedding started, the sacristan was already complaining about how he was supposed to be going home already. He was very grumpy, prepared the things needed for the mass half-heartedly, and even shouted at the priest as if the priest was his slave. Though I was furious already, I tried my darnest best to control myself and just let it pass so as not to ruin the day.

During communion, we noticed that it was getting warmer and warmer even with the electric fans surrounding us. We found out that while the mass was going on, the guard was already closing all the doors of the church except one, as ordered by the sacristan. That was it. Their being disrespectful was too much. I was about to confront them when my dad beat me to it. The whole time, he was just silent in a corner, and was just observing. He jumped off from his seat and stormed towards the guard and sacristan. At the same time, we were forced to rush the ending of the mass, and we were not able to take pictures after the wedding. If not for my mom's intervention, there could have been a bloody fight from dad and the stupid guard, who instead of apologizing, was actually blaming the sacristan and anatagonizing my dad. I've seen disrespectful people all my life, and the stupid guard and hypocrite sacristan are on the top of my list.

It pains me to know that there are still heartless entities in our world today. That's the difference between humans and animals, we're supposed to be rational beings who can understand and make decisions based on what we see and what we know, rather than be like animals. We have the power to choose, I just can't understand why others would choose to be morons.