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WINNIPEG – An estimated 12,000 Filipinos trooped to the MTS Centre in Winnipeg on Sunday, September 28th to experience in-person the much-awaited Wowowillie (Wowowee)world tourfor its first ever stop in Canada.

Cheering with the Winnipeg audience were hundreds of Pinoys who came by bus and plane from across Canada and the United States equipped with homemade placards displaying greetings to relatives in the Philippines in hopes that they would be seen on TV. The Winnipeg show was recorded for broadcast on ABS-CBN Network’s Channel 2 and internationally on The Filipino Channel. It is expected to air on Saturday, October 4. During the taping of the show, TV cameras panned the arena zooming in on the multitude of placard-waving Filipino-Canadians.

The audience paid ticket prices ranging from $35 to $150 to see the charismatic TV host Willie Revillame in action and to experience the spectacle that they only know from watching the show on television. The chance to win cash give-aways and prizes including a new car also helped to pack the house.

To the delight of the fans, Revillame also brought his co- hosts Valerie Concepcion, Mariel Rodriguez and comedienne Pokwang whose impressive vocal performance was no joke – except, of course, when it was meant to be a joke.

Guests Pops Fernandez and composer Lito Camo complemented the roster of Filipino talents. Pops Fernandez, who has been dubbed as the Philippines’ Concert Queen, performed a medley of her songs from the 1980s but received only a polite, lukewarm response from the otherwise excited audience.

Many also came to the show simply for the “eye candy” of the extravaganza – the sexily clad and limber Wowoweedancers – Luningning, Mariposa or Milagring, who were very ably backed by scores of local dancers.

“I came (not only to watch, but) because I wanted to see Luningning in person,” said contestant Danilo Mendoza who in flew from Calgary to watch the popular game show. Mendoza, a security guard, won the grand prize – a brand new car from sponsor Larry Vickar of the Vickar Automotive Group – in the Pera o Bayong contest segment. When asked why Luningning was his favourite, the former seaman said that the dancer is, “… mukhang Columbiana (she looks like a Columbian).”

Like so many past Winnipeg concerts, ticket sales were initially sluggish only to soar in the days leading up to the show, thanks to the stars’ promotional appearances at Portage Place mall and the efforts of the Manila-based promoter Maribel Aunor, Filipino-Canadians Ulysses Maribojoc (Red Deer, Alberta) and Roy Oquendo (British Columbia).

The addition to the show of YouTube phenomenon, Charice Pempengco, provided an extra boost to ticket sales. Charice came from the United States, fresh from her guest performance with Canadian Diva, Céline Dion at her New York Madison Square Garden concert on September 15. Charice received standing ovations after each song (Beyoncé’s Listenand Céline’s Because You Loved Me.) The crowd was literally shouting for more as Charice made her way off stage, which prompted host Revillame to delay the petite Pinay’s exit as production assistants scrambled to get another CD of Charice’s musical accompaniments from her mother backstage. Charice did not disappoint her fans and sang another song, this time an OPM, Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin. During her finale – the emotional, if not actual climax to the show – her beautiful and solid voice never wavered even as she stepped into the audience and allowed fans to hug, kiss and shake hands with her.

Winnipeg talents played their parts, too. Jessica Viray, Kristoff Abrenica, Andrew Briol and Chris De Guzman warmed up the audience to start the show with close to 30 local and out-of-town Canadian hip hop dancers, including Synergy Dance Productions and Unite Dance Group. Their professional-level performances blended well with the stars from the Philippines. Unfortunately, their names were not announced during the show and some members of the audience were heard asking their seatmates if they knew who was singing.

The Wowowillieshow can be put on record as the biggest only all-Filipino touring show to come to Winnipeg and the first ever at the MTS Centre. The Winnipeg Sun’s reporter Shannon Vanraes gave it a very apt description in her article published in the local paper’s September 29 edition, “If you mixed The Ed Sullivan Show and The Price is Right inside a Filipino disco, you might see a phenomenon close to Wowowee…”

The marathon five-hour show ended at 9:00 p.m. leaving the fans at the MTS Arena tired but very happy. Wowowille Live in Winnipeg lived up to all the high expectations.

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PHOTOS BY REY-AR REYES, PAUL MORROW, MIDAS GONZALES & MAUI ZAMORA