Aspirants storm Protegé auditions in VisMin

MORE and more Filipino artista aspirants are auditioning for the newest reality-based search on Philippine TV, Protege: The Battle for the Big Artista Break!

Hopefuls from the different provinces in Visayas and Mindanao flocked the audition venues to showcase their singing, dancing and acting prowess in front of the celebrity mentors.

Contenders from the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Davao lined up for hours aiming to be the first on queue to display their talents last June 1 and June 2. Some hopefuls stood out in the screening because of their interesting personality and captivating life story as they performed in front of Protege Mentor Drama and Action Film Legend, Phillip Salvador.

A female cosplayer caught everyone's attention because of her lush pink hair and harajuku outfit. But during her one-on-one interview with mentor Phillip, she got very emotional when the actor uncovered her secret longing for her father's love and approval.

What's more, a 13-year-old male Dabawenyo was also a crowd favorite when he sang a rendition of a Gary V. hit with keyboard accompaniment. After his performance, he inspired the spectators when he openly talked about his desire to win Protégé in order to provide the medical needs of his autistic brothers.

Who will make it to the four Protege slots of the strict Mindanao mentor? What kind of challenges awaits the contestants who'll make it to the next stage of the competition?

Meanwhile, the Visayas leg for the auditions of Protege kicked off with an astounding attendance from artista aspirants from the islands of Cebu, Bohol, Panay, Iloilo and Negros last June 7.

Some Protege applicants from Mindanao sailed and flew to the Queen City of the South to try out the auditions. They came all the way from Dipolog, Cagayan De Oro and Davao despite the scheduled auditions in their region.

Hundreds of talents stepped on stage to get the nod of approval from the Visayas celebrity mentor, Kapuso actress Jolina Magdangal. Many of the hopefuls proved that one must try anything just to get a step closer to that elusive artista dream even if it entails giving shock or unpleasant amusement to the mentor.

One of the most notable performances that took place during this talent hunt was the jaw-dropping cirque dance-off of two Cebuanos -- a chubby boy and a flamboyant girl.

Protege: The Battle for the Big Artista Break will be hosted by multi awarded Kapuso star Dingdong Dantes as the Gala Presenter and versatile actress Carla Abellana as the Journey Host.

Jennylyn Mercado returns as the host of Inside Protégé, while Maxene Magalona is the Web Jock for the daily updates in Protege Webisodes.