The fourth edition in KDR Music House's Wish Date concert series has leveled up. Billed as "My Sweet Lady," the show was held on 6 November at The Theatre at Solaire.
Wish Date is a letter-based concert series that features songs related to a love story, presented like a silent movie with Wish 107.5 radio DJ Dr. Clark narrating the story.
However, the fourth edition had the lovers and other characters speaking and emoting, and moving around in well-chosen locations.
The featured love story was that of Vanessa and Paul whose parents, for undisclosed reasons, conspired to trap them into marriage while they were still in college. At the time, Vanessa had become intimate with a classmate, Carlo.
Vanessa did everything to make marriage hell for Paul. She didn't want to have a child with him.
One night she got drunk, all by her lonesome, and later learned she's pregnant. She gave birth to a son whom she completely ignored.
Paul endured Vanessa's behavior until she realized how noble a husband and father he had been.
She bore him a second son. But fate had another shocking surprise, like the day her mother forced her to marry Paul.
Ritz Azul and Arnold Reyes portrayed the ill-fated couple.
It wasn't only the sets, the locations and the acting of Azul and Reyes that were impressive. The singers, Nyoy Volante and Kimberly Baluzo, were remarkable, too.
Baluzo had previously joined Wish music contests. She's a belter in the mold of Regine Velasquez, Sara Geronimo, and Aegis.
Nyoy has been with ABS-CBN since 2015. With his reputation as a superb singer-songwriter, he is often asked to sit as judge in the network's singing contests, such as Tawag ng Tanghalan. He's also an acclaimed musical theater actor.
There was a TNT alumni at the concert: Resbak champ Mark Michael García, who had a solo concert at the Music Museum the previous night.
Another singer at the show, Peniel, was a winner in a Wish songwriting competition.
Aside from the vocalists, the show featured the bands Bradz and Plethora, both managed by Breakthroughs and Milestones Productions International, the company that operates UNTV and Wish radio.
Broadcaster Daniel Razon, a heads the company. The initials in KDR Music House refers to Kuya Daniel Razon.
Spicing up the show at certain points were the KDRMH dance troupe, orchestra and chorale.
The love story was presented in linear fashion and the songs performed in solos, duets, trios and choruses to suit the flow of the story.
The repertoire was a pleasurable mix of different genres and eras. You could never tell what kind of song would come next and who would belt them out. Happily, for the audience, every performer was engaging, with Volante and Baluzo shining through.
Oh, yes, the band December Avenue played four songs in a surprise appearance after the main program.