Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion headlined the sold-out ‘Dear Heart: The Concert’ last 27 October with KC Concepcion in a special participation
GABBY Concepcion and Sharon Cuneta with their daughter KC Concepcion at the reunion concert.(Photograph courtesy of ig/sharon cuneta)
"Para naman akong nasa isang panaginip…Kinikilig ako. (It's like I'm in a dream. I'm so thrilled.)"
Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion's only child KC Concepcion pretty much summed up the sentiments of those who turned up at the ex-couple's sold-out reunion concert, Dear Heart, and filled to the rafters SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
KC, who was three years old when her famous parents separated after three years of marriage, opened the show with a video narration "about the story of a boy and a girl for making a movie about first love." That movie was titled Dear Heart and released in 1981, thus giving birth to the phenomenal love team of that era, on and off-screen.
Excitement grew as an overture from the Dear Heart theme song started playing in the background. Sharon emerged onstage to deafening screams and shrieks while singing "I Don't Want You to Go" (popularized by American singer Lani Hall in the 1980s).
She was then joined by Gabby, crooning to "Kumusta Ka" (by Nonoy Zuniga). He teasingly asked his former spouse, "Kumusta ka? (How are you?)." She cooly replied, "Okay naman," and joined him in a duet. Afterwards, he quipped, "After 42 million years, nagsama kami (we reunited). Buti nga nag-uusap na kami ngayon (Good thing we're on speaking terms now.)"
They went on taking their audience to a nostalgia trip, starting when they were filming Dear Heart. The young stars eventually developed a friendship that led to a romantic relationship that produced hit movies, such as P.S. I Love You and My Only Love.
Sharon and Gabby continued making movies together after their fabled wedding in 1984. They performed songs at the concert that were used in their movies, including Pati Ba Pintig ng Puso? and Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin?
Q&A portion
Sharon and Gabby revealed more of themselves and their past relationship while answering questions thrown by guest musical stars and real-life couple Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid. Sharon also took the opportunity to acknowledge the presence of her costars in the now defunct action-drama series Ang Probinsyano, notably Coco Martin and Julia Montes, who sat beside each other in the audience, as she cautioned the interviewers to go easy with their queries.
When asked about the best part while they were still married, the ex-couple agreed it was being parents to KC. Then came Sharon's disclosure that they originally planned on having eight children.
As for their greatest regret, Gabby said he had none and explained that everything happened for a reason.
When Sharon and Gabby started whispering to each other, Ogie blurted out, "Mahal n'yo pa ba ang isa't-isa? (Do you still love each other?" Sharon clarified that there are different levels of love. She then sang an ode to a lost love, "A Long, Long Time Ago" (by Kuh Ledesma).
Gabby's cue to sing came when Regine asked for his personal theme song for Sharon. He knelt down in front of Sharon and then proceeded to singing Ogie's own hit song, "Nandito Ako." Sharon made it a duet, which then became a quartet with Regine and Ogie joining in with all two pairs holding hands.
Complete family for a night
Towards the latter part of the concert, Gabby told the audience, "When it was announced that we're having this concert, a lot of our friends and fans were thrilled. But it's more than just for this special person."
Sharon added, "She wasn't just thrilled, she had a wish and a dream. We would like to fulfill that dream for her. Maybe let us all three stand here together as a family once more and we'll always be."
Gabby went down the stage to fetch KC, who was sitting in the front row. Sharon announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, Maria Kristina Cassandra Cuneta Concepcion." As KC reached the stage, she and her mother hugged, with Gabby commenting, "I often prayed that one day we could sing a song together."
"Usually, this is a love song for weddings, for someone you love. Tonight, I will sing it for my eldest daughter. I have four children. I do not have three. I have four. The first child to make me feel a mother was this not-so little girl beside me. She made my life complete," Sharon said.
"If there's anything I regret," she added, looking apologetically at KC. "Sorry, Kayce, we couldn't give you that complete family… Papa and I never stopped loving you. You were never the problem."
KC replied, "I love you." The audience teared up as they knew mother and daughter have had their differences blown out of proportion on social media.
Sharon dedicated her next song, "Ikaw," to KC, who then made it an impromptu duet. "My gosh, ang sarap n'yo makita sa isang stage (it's so nice to see you together on stage)," she then told her parents. "Para po itong isang panaginip talaga (This really feels like a dream)."
KC told her parents, "I love you, Ma, Pa." She then turned to Sharon, "Sa lahat ng single moms na nandito or naging single moms, (to all the single moms here or had been single moms), thank you for loving your children the way na minahal ako ng mommy ko (the way my mom loved me)."
Then to Gabby, "Papa, thanks for being there. Just like mom, no'ng lumaki na 'ko (when I grew up). 'Yung past, past na 'yun, e (Past is past). What matters is 'yung ngayon at bukas (today and tomorrow). And so, pareho ko kayong mahal na mahal (I love you both). You are both my Dear Heart."
Sharon and Gabby also acknowledged those who love KC. She also then told KC's boyfriend Mike Wuethrich, who's also in the front row, "Take care of my baby."
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