Friday, November 21, 2008 Serna: Nikki Taylor goes behind the scenes By Roger Serna Sounds and images
A WEEK from now we will be hearing the songs like The Best That You Can Do, Sailing, Ride Like The Wind, Say You’ll Be Mine and Think of Laura, to name some, which are actually some of the greatest hits of Grammy and Oscar winning singer-composer Christopher Cross as he mounts the stage of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel’s Pacific grand ballroom.
Christopher Cross – Live in Cebu is scheduled next Friday, Nov. 28. Be part of the crowd which will be reminiscing the wonderful moments of their lives punctuated by the above songs that come with them.
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It turns out that what night denizens saw at Vudu during the Halloween special event was just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. During the lounge’s reopening last Friday, young entrepreneurs John Paul Chiongbian and Jaja Chiongbian-Rama talked, dined, sipped favorite drinks with us and revealed that Vudu will soon usher back the afternoon disco days which was the craze not only in Cebu but perhaps in the entire country not too long ago.
Not only that, Vudu will also transform from being a lounge on weekdays to a club on weekends with matching events and exciting treats. For these things to happen, John Paul said that some chandeliers, dividers and other fixtures had been and still had to be put in place for the desired effects.
In that same evening, the lounge-club’s cuisine consultant (or something like that) Miguel Martinez gave us an overview of the joint’s menu, some of which we had been munching with delight.
It was an enjoyable night, needless to say.
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Also on that same night, we bumped into a statuesque and stunning young lady, which at once gave me an impression of familiarity—if not for something in her face that has changed but which I cannot immediately pin-point.
It turned out that the fashionable looker was Marguerite Nicole “Nikki” Taylor, who became a finalist in the Ms. Teen Philippines beauty pageant a couple of years or so ago and was last year’s member of the elite Palmolive Shining Circle of 10.
The second attribute immediately struck me and right then and there made me realize that the reason why I did not recognize her at once was that she no longer sports long, shining locks but had opted for a short, boyish hairdo.
Nikki, in fact, is into a new endeavor, that of being the producer and host of Behind the Scenes with Nikki Taylor, which is aired over Cebu’s infotainment channel RCTV.
Honestly, I still have to catch Nikki on this show but I was told that the host-producer just pops out unannounced in dressing
rooms, kitchens and work places to do ambush interviews of chefs, designers, “eventologists” and others red handed, so to speak.
As the program’s name suggests, the show gives the viewers the chance to peek on happenings that are not seen quite often or are simply hidden from public view.
Not content with being a student, model, beauty queen, producer and host all at the same time, Nikki will soon embark on a more exciting career development related to modern technology as she is the type of person who never shuns from challenges that come her way.
Let’s wait and see.
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Last weekend, Cebuana power belter Dulce excitedly sent a message describing how excited the Manila media was after the press preview of Hairspray which she has sunk her teeth into lately.
She narrated that she talked with Boy Abunda till 1 p.m. The latter was reportedly overwhelmed at what he saw. Boy had KC Concepcion, Erik Santos and Jed Madela in tow.
Right! I wished I were there to share the excitement. I still have this ardent wish that an enterprising and “cultured” Cebuano will invest on this play for his or her paisanos to be able to see this award-winning play (eight Tony awards, in fact) right in our own place.
Directed by Bobby Garcia, this Philippine adaptation is shown at the Star Theatre at the CCP Complex all weekends until Dec. 7.
Paging, enterprising Cebuanos or even those from other places but have a soft spot in your hearts for Cebu.
