Cirque du Pasay

R got invited by PAGCOR Chairman Efraim Genuino to the premiere of their show, Wanders, tonight, but his response was that he was unavailable and that I would be going instead. Luckily, T and I had only two other S.E.'s (Annika's term for Social Events) planned for the evening, so squeezing in Wanders was feasible.

The show was sort of PAGCOR's attempt to draw a wider crowd to its Airport Casino, which has a huge amphitheater. I was familiar with the theater because we had been able to use it for a couple of "Araw-Araw Premyo Sa Resibo" shows last year.

Wanders is basically a combination of Chinese acrobats with Pinoy singers and dancers. Tonight's premiere even included a cameo by Martin Nievera, as the President and First Gentleman, plus all the PAGCOR bigwigs were in attendance. Also in the main row were former First Lady Imelda Marcos accompanied by Teyet Pascual and pianist Ingrid Santamaria.

If one has been to Vegas and seen the Cirque du Soleil, then Wanders is clearly not in the same league. That said, Vegas is the center of the casino world, so it's unfair to compare. (Despite Macau's having beaten Vegas in total revenue last year, I still think Vegas is tops in terms of overall entertainment value - for now.)

When looked at purely for its entertainment value, then Wanders can be graded more fairly. PAGCOR has "spared no expense" (to use that well-worn phrase from Jurassic Park) in combining a very energetic Chinese troupe with equally eager Pinoy performers. Filling out the ensemble are six leggy models from Belarus who were more than adequate at their on stage performance - after all, all it involved were knowing just basic dance steps and getting in and out of feathery costumes.

After the show, T and I ran out of time for a swing by the Bastille Day festivities in Spirals at the Sofitel. Instead we headed to Cuisine to wish MVP a happy 61st birthday. It ended up being a full Saturday night, with two out of three S.E.'s completed.