Has she worked with them before? “Kina Hajji and Rey, hindi pa. First time ko silang makakasama. But si Marco, siya ang kasama kong mag-perform nung first time kong mag-abroad.”
“May show kami noon sa Europe at naghahanap kami ng babaeng performer na makakasama,” Marco recalls. “Napanood ko siya sa TV na nagluluka-lukahan at sabi ko, patawag natin ito. Hindi pa siya kilala noon. We took her with us to Vienna, Austria at hit na hit siya sa mga kababayan natin doon. Then we went to London at nanood pa kami ng ‘Miss Saigon’.”
Ai Ai is well known for her risque jokes on stage, especially when she’s with the late Rico Puno. Is she ready to exchange bawdy jokes with these new guys now? “Actually, si Rico lang ang pinapayagan kong bumastos sa akin. Ngayon, dahil tatlo silang lalaking kasama ko, iba-iba ang klase ng pagbalahura ko sa kanila, ranging from mild to hard to hardcore. Pero nagbago na rin ako, kasi Papal Awardee na ako, e.”
Do they miss Rico J? “Of course, marami siyang magandang memories sa akin,” says Ai Ai. “Masaya siyang kabatuhan on stage, kasi iba ang galing niya sa timing, so we all miss him. Itong show na ito, alay namin sa kanya. He’ll never be forgotten.”
So what will she do with the hitmakers? “Well, sana, makanta ko ang hit songs nila. Let’s face it, mga singer sila talaga. E, ako, hindi naman ako talagang singer, so basta pagdating sa comedy, ako ng bahala doon.”
“Okay naman si Ai Ai sa seryosong kantahan,” says Marco. “I’ve seen her perform and she can carry a tune. She will do some duets and production numbers with all of us, lalo na sa opening and closing ng show, at may solo numbers din siya.”
Recently, she posted her photos with her in a red bikini posing ala-Jennifer Lopez. Some folks say it’s just photoshopped. “No, totoo yun. Walang retoke. Pero hindi ako nakahubad doon kasi naka-body stockings ako.”
So how did J Lo feel about it? “Wala pa, e. Hihinihintay ko ngang sumagot. Sabi ko nga, Teh, mag-react ka naman. Ha ha ha!”
Aside from the concert, Ai Ai is busy shooting three new movies. “For Viva, I’m doing yung ‘Sons of Nanay Sabel’ with my wards, the Ex-Battalion, then I’m doing ‘Feelennials’, feeling millennials, a comedy with Bayani Agbayani produced by Pops Fernandez, and I’m supporting the launching movie of Super Tekla sa GMA Films.”
Meantime, you can get tickets for “Hitmakers and Ai” at Ticketworld, tel. 891-9999, at Resorts World Box office and at the Starmedia website of producer Anna Puno, starmediaentertainment.com.
