Successful 'Kings and Ai' concert might go to US

Christopher de Leon, Gabby Concepcion and Ai-Ai de las Alas in 'The Kings and Ai.' Handout 

MANILA -- Christopher de Leon, Gabby Concepcion and Ai-Ai de las Alas were brought together for the first time onstage in “The Kings and Ai,” which was held recently at Newport World Resorts.

De las Alas even flew in from the US West Coast, where she has been based for nearly three years now.

With six musicians and two back-up singers onstage, De Leon and Concepcion sauntered onstage and loud screams were immediately heard from the audience.

The dashing actors dished out “Beautiful Maria of My Soul” from the movie “The Mambo Kings.” De las Alas then butted onstage when she entered, “Bakit, hindi ba ko pwedeng maging queen?,” complaining about the title of the concert.

She came out onstage in a metallic, all-gold, sexy get-up. “O, ano, bakit para kayong nakakita ng apparition?” she berated her audience.

Then she gamely segued to the upbeat “So Happy Together.” Never mind if she was off key or out of tune at times. No one really minded. She got away with it easily, with most of those in the audience simply laughing it off.

Gabby Concepcion and Ai-Ai de las Alas in 'The Kings and Ai.' Handout 

The Sharon-Gabby moment was relived with Concepcion and De las Alas crooning “Come What May,” the popular theme from the film “Dear Heart.”

“Nag-tooth brush ako ng todo,” De las Alas smilingly told Concepcion when they had to sing really close together, with their faces also beside each other. 

Then, Concepcion was left on his own for his spot numbers. He rendered popular OPM tunes – Ogie Alcasid’s “Nandito Ako,” Richard Reynoso’s “Paminsan Minsan,” Ariel Rivera’s “Sana Kahit Minsan” and “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin” – as snippets of Sharon-Gabby films were flashed on the LED monitor.

“Ang hirap talagang kumanta,” Concepcion complained. “Susmaryosep. Ang tataas pa ng mga kanta.”

Yet, the actor pulled it off. When he sang “Ikaw ang Aking Mahal,” he went down to the audience and fans swarmed on him, taking selfies and posing with him. The ladies were ecstatic. 

He ended his set with “Fly Me To the Moon” and crooned “Init sa Magdamag.”

De las Alas started her spot number dancing to Cher’s “Believe,” after which she belted out jukebox hits like Eva Eugenio’s “Tukso” and Imelda Papin’s “Isang Linggong Pag-ibig.”

Ai-Ai de las Alas in 'The Kings and Ai.' Handout 

Only De las Alas could deliver a well-loved medley of Disney hits and changed outfits in every number – as Ariel in “Part of That World,” Mulan in “Reflection,” Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” Princess Jasmine in “A Whole New World” for “Aladdin” and Elsa/Anna in “Let It Go” for “Frozen.”

The ever-dashing De Leon, meanwhile, crooned an old hit, “Sisikat Din Ako,” from Mike de Leon’s 1980 film, “Kakabakaba Ka Ba?”

Christopher de Leon in 'The Kings and Ai.' Handout

He also rendered Apo Hiking Society’s “Till I Met You,” from his 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “When I Met You in Tokyo,” opposite Vilma Santos.

The three artists regaled the crowd with a dance medley – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “Sway,” “Time of My Life” – followed by “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday.”

Carlo Orosa worked at the helm of “The Kings and Ai,” staged last Friday night at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at Newport World Resorts and mounted by Anna Puno’s Starmedia Entertainment.

Orosa admitted he didn’t have a hard time directing the artists who performed. “They complemented each other very well,” Orosa said. “Ai-Ai was the perfect comic foil for the two [dramatic] leading men.”

Christopher de Leon, Gabby Concepcion and Ai-Ai de las Alas in 'The Kings and Ai.' Handout 

Their finale was a dance medley of VST and Company hits that never grow old even after more than four decades – “Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko,” “Swing It Baby,” “Rock Baby, Rock,” “Tayo’y Magsayawan” – where the audience was up on their feet dancing to the music.

There is apparently a plan to bring the successful “The Kings and Ai” concert for a US tour, maybe early next year or even at the latter part of this year.