If Martin Nievera has performed in Wish Date, a quarterly production of KDR Music House, won’t Gary Valenciano be next in line very soon? 

Well, Nievera indeed graced the unique concert-cum-movie series of KDR Music House last Sunday night (23 February) at the Araneta Coliseum, so it is unthinkable that his supreme “rival” Valenciano wouldn’t be far behind.

Another enduring major pop idol in this music-loving country performed in Wish Date on Sunday night: Marco Sison.

Unfortunately, Sison couldn’t sing his once wildly popular playboy ditty, “Si Aida, Si Lorna, O Si Fe.” It’s not because the now 67-year-old balladeer couldn’t be as bouncy as that naughty song. It’s just that “Si Aida, Si Lorna, O Si Fe” is out of theme in the unique show. That’s even as it happened that the lead female character in the movie within the concert was named Lorna.  And we’re serious in disclosing that the Lorna character’s love interest in the film is named Rudy.

A little different

By the way, KDR Music House titled its latest edition “Endless” — as in “endless love.” The mini-film was top-billed by ABS-CBN young stars Bianca de Vera, Aljon Mendoza and Zach Castañeda. Seasoned actresses Rio Locsin and Louella de Cordova portrayed significant roles in the story. 

Sison sang his hit “My Love Will See You Through” and other well-loved songs he recorded decades ago. He sang more than the others. Happily, he still sings with full tonality though in a less tender, wooing voice than in his romantic youth.

Wish Date sounded, looked and felt refreshingly different last Sunday. The show has always been predominantly a concert. There are more song performances than the movie scenes — even as the songs are meant to enhance the film storyline.

“Bossanova Gurl” Sitti was among the singers in the show. She performed only one bossa nova song and manifested her sultry personality in other song genres. She actually opened the concert with the romantic “In Other Words” (which most people mistakenly know by the capricious title “Fly Me to the Moon”). She later sang Coldplay’s “Yellow” and had a duet with Nievera and another with the male lead vocalist of the lone guest band performers, Letters from June, a discovery of KDR Music House which has been managing them.

The concert’s backing musicians is actually simply called Wish Band — with John Quitane as concert musical director.

Wish Date usually had two bands as main performers, along with solo acts who sing with the backing bands and backup singers. It’s those guest bands that make the show noisy and elicit screaming, shrieking reactions from the audience that includes Gen Zs and younger people, including pre-teens.

Letters From June is a six-member alternative pop band formed in November 2022 by members who met in a theater group at Lyceum of the Philippines University in Cavite. Those members are Lourence Neil N. Compuesto (main vocals and rhythm guitar), Michelle Anne C. Fajkovic (keyboards and backup vocals, and she is half-Bosnian), Arvy Skye Perez (electric guitar), Sean Levin D. Villa (electric guitar), Danielle Felicity E. Porol (bass guitar) and Ken Adrian T. Lunas (drums). 

At the recent Wish Date, the band did “Alon,” a Valentine’s Day release narrating a love story destined by fate. They belted out other songs they wrote in poetic Tagalog.

A tour is next

Rob Deniel, a young actor-songwriter-singer discovered by Viva Records from the digital platforms, now belts out more dynamically than he used to. He seems to have become a favorite KDR Music House artist. The company made him sing Ogie Alcasid’s hits at the Wish Music Awards last month held also at the Big Dome. 

At Wish Date, Deniel sang his hits “Miss Miss” and “RomCom” plus Apo Hiking Society’s “Panaginip,” and the foreign hit” I Don’t Want to a Miss a Thing.” The crowd loves him and sings along with him at his energetic prodding.

Nievera appeared, of course, at the finale segment of the show. He was both charming and clowning even in the middle of some songs. He opened with “The Promise,” went backstage, and sang again much later, including that duet with Sitti. 

The Concert King sang one after the other “You’re My Everything,” “I’ll Be There,” “You” and “After All.” Before belting out that suite of ballads, he faced the screen and blurted out: “Ano na ba ang ending (So what is the ending really)?!” He must have been watching at a monitor at his dressing room. 

He sang in a grey suit at the beginning, but when he came back for the ballads, he had taken off his coat and wore the grey shirt under it. He gamely went down to the audience, and allowed hugs and quick pecks, and selfies.

The crowd reacted noisily to the live acting scenes on stage of De Vera, Mendoza and Castaneda (the villain in the love story). The three acted well.

KDR Music House will not air the show at all on its YouTube channel because the company will tour the show in March and April in Cebu and Davao. Nievera will not join the tour. KDR though might release in their social media snippets of the show to promote it.