The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Celebrated entertainer Willie Nepomuceno, or Willie Nep, is set to leave audiences breathless with laughter when he mocks our current batch of candidates for president in the “show that happens only once every six years”—titled this time as Pang^gulo ng Pilipinas—at the Music Museum on Saturday.
Through the years, Nepomuceno has done a good “jab” of poking fun of our country’s leaders with his satirical impersonations. When Ferdinand Marcos fled to Hawaii in February 1986, he gave chills to the mammoth crowd that gathered in Makati City to celebrate the victory achieved through People Power.
Imagine their shock on seeing “Marcos,” in the very same clothes he wore when he fled, on stage with security personnel and offering immediate reconciliation with the people. The crowd went wild after a few seconds of watching him in disbelief.
Then, when then-Col. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan went into hiding after staging several coup attempts, who would appear at a press conference but the “Mutiny Idol” himself? The other panelists there were trembling at the thought of a potential firefight the surprise guest might instigate. It was Nepomuceno, of course. Foreign correspondents went gaga over the “scoop” and the story landed on international newspapers
His Gringo appeared again when he became a “fugitive” senator and turned up at a “Kapihan sa Manila” morning forum. The area around the Manila Hotel was swarming with policemen and military personnel, expecting to capture the lawmaker. The major dailies featured his photos on their front pages. It turned out Nepomuceno was just promoting his shows at the Music Museum that time.
During the 2004 presidential campaign, veteran reporters had a difficult time cornering Fernando Poe Jr. for an interview. It was only the ANC News Channel’s Pia Hontiveros who got that rare one-on-one exchange with “Da King.”
Not a few newsmen and opinion-makers were fooled into believing that they were seeing the real action star. With pen in hand, they were ready to jot down the wannabe president’s action plans. As a result, the entire capital had more laughs than action instead.
He was even photographed as the just-ousted President Joseph Estrada, giving his successor Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the beso-beso at a party immediately following his removal from office, He even raised the hand of his bosom friend-turned-star witness Luis “Chavit” Singson as a sign of reconciliation.
Willie Nep also engaged in a repartée with former President Fidel V. Ramos in more than one occasion. Not-so-keen observers had a difficult time telling who the real FVR was when they saw two Ramoses in one photograph. Once more, it caught the fancy of news editors and the story landed on the front pages of major local dailies, as well as Singapore’s Strait Times.
Every election season, Willie Nep’s show is a much-anticipated event on the live entertainment scene. In 2010 he offered a hilarious glimpse of Philippine politics at the Music Museum with his Presidentiables’ Gut Talent. The presidential candidates took turns in exhibiting their performing prowess as they vie for the title of “Talentadong Pangulo.”
In that show, “Richard Gordon” was a ventriloquist with his doll (who else but his running mate, Bayani Fernando), “Manuel Villar Jr.” energetically rapped to the tune of his own jingle, Erap magically cut his vices, as well as a woman in half, “Benigno Aquino III” was in a sword-balancing act of a hypnotized lady (not necessarily Arroyo), and “Gilbert Teodoro” was a pilot who flew to Cloud Nine, and many more surprises.
That show got good reviews from leading national dailies, with one such review chosen as the lead feature in a book launched in Manila and New York. It also scored repeats.
Pang^gulo ng Pilipinas will be staged at the Music Museum, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City on April 30 at 8p.m. For tickets, call the Music Museum at (632) 721-6726 or Ticketworld at (632) 891-9999.