"InFEctious Fe"
While other concertgoers left their
chosen events humming the tunes of their favorite singers’ hits,
the audience at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center went home aching
all over -- predominantly in their jaws and bellies. And the culprit
was one Fe de los Reyes -- the featured performer of the June 14 show
entitled “IndeFEndence ‘day!”.
From the very first moment Ms. de los Reyes got on stage, she immediately
had everyone in stitches. Her bits about Filipinos living in America
had people laughing about their very own personal experiences to the
point of keeling over from too much laughter. And her catchphrase “Ooookay
lang yon!” became everyone’s line for the night.
And as if Fe was funny enough, Bernardo Bernardo was there as well to
put more kindling to the fire. Openly gay, Bernardo had everyone guffawing
over his musings about the gay life. To everyone’s surprise, Bernardo
actually wowed people with his singing abilities - from the moment he
sang “Blue Moon” with Fe doing back-up to his own rendition
of Ricky Martin’s She Bangs.
But let it not be said that “IndeFEndence ‘day!” had
no serious music in it. With Ms. Joey Albert treating the crowd to a
rendition of her mega-hit “Tell Me,” the concert had as
much hits to brag about as any concert that night. But while Ms. Albert
has always been known as a serious singer, she showed how much of a
trooper she was with her “Jukebox Queen” medley wherein
she poked fun at some of the Philippines’ most beloved hits of
the 70s.
Most interesting however, was the finale of the show which had Fe and
Joey singing “Dancing Queen” while Bernardo tried to be
the actual dancing Queen - in full drag.
It is interesting to note that most of the audience felt that the Filipino
community actually needs more shows like “IndeFEndence ‘day!”
in these trying times. Considering the tough economic condition the
country is in now, and all the paranoia terrorism has inflicted on the
populace, it is great to know that people like Fe (probably one of the
most determined comedians of our time), Bernardo (one of the savviest)
and Joey (one of the cutest) are still out there to bring joy into our
lives. Or as Fe would say “Oooookay lang yon!”
“Absolutely FEbulous” | An Interview with FE | There's More About... | June 12 – Greetings Thank You from CJFILAM | A "FEbulous 'day! | The Show... | InFEctious FE
