IT WAS exactly a year ago when Awra Briguela won in the first season of “Your Face Sounds Familiar for Kids”. Now, its Season 2 will start airing on May 5 and 6 and its 8 new contestants were introduced to the press by ABS-CBN exec Louie Andrada. It’s quite an impressive lineup of talented kiddie performers.
The more familiar kids are those who’ve been seen before in regular shows, like Simon “Onyok” Pineda, tagged as the Bibong Astig, who was discovered in “Ang Probinsyano” and also did movies with Coco Martin; Chun Sa, the Bulilit Kikay who’s on TV in ‘Goin’ Bulilit’, the movie ‘Just the Three of Us’, and impersonated Maja Salvador in “Showtime’s” Mini-Me contest; Marco Masa, called Anghel ng Masa because of his past hit show, “Nathaniel”, where he played an angel; Noel Comia, the Poging Lodi, who has won three Aliw Awards for theatre and the Cinemalaya best actor award for “Kiko Boksingero” where he played the title role; and Esang de Torres, the Kiddie Kontesera who previously joined “The Voice Kids” and “Mini Me” and did musicals on stage like “Matilda” and “Les Miz”.
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| Krystal Bimmer |
Also competing are Krystal Brimmer, tagged as the Precious Darling, who won the best child star award in the Metro filmfest as John Lloyd Cruz’ daughter in “Honor Thy Father” and played Annie on stage, and Sheena Belarmino, the Inday Wonder who’s a grand finalist in Tawag ng Tanghalan Kids. The last contestant is actually three-in-one, called the Big Shot Trio, who gained their own following when they individually joined Tawag ng Tanghalan Kids. These are Francis Concepcion, the very lively kid from Zamboanga, Mackie Empuerto from Davao and Kiefer Sanchez from Manila. They even got to join “Little Big Shots U.K.”
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| Onyok Pineda |
How were the kids recruited? “We held an audition at ang daming dumating,” says Louie. “Ang hirap mamili kasi puro magagaling, pero talagang sinala namin sila. I think we got the best ones for this new season. Iba-iba ang personalities nila, may bibo, may shy, but they’re all talented. Actually, noong first season, nagulat ang Endemol, the show’s mother company, kasi the kiddie contestants all went solo. Sa ibang bansa kasi, laging may kasamang adult contestant yung mga bata. Dito, nagulat sila nang maging global ang impersonations nina Xia Vigor at Awra. Na-realized nila, kaya palang solo lang yung mga bata. Ngayon, we asked their permission as we introduced another innovation, ito ngang 3 in one contestants ng Big Shot Trio who were a big big hit talaga when they guested in ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’.”
For the pilot episode, Krystal will do Miley Cyrus, Onyok will be Bamboo, Chun Sa is Megan Trainor, Marco is Bruno Mars, Esang is Lady Gaga, Sheena is Sarah Geronimo, Noel is Michael Jackson and the Big Shot Trio will do the Bee Gees. We ask the kids who they think is their toughest rival among themselves and all they say they’re all very talented and they’re just in the show for a friendly competition. Their mentors are Nyoy Volante and Jed Madela. More of them later.
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| Noel Comia |
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| Esang De Torre |
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Chunsa Pineda
Marco Masa
Big Shot Trio
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