The Philippine Online Chronicles

Who would have thought that a bunch of nobodies could take a television show with an almost untried genre straight into the stratosphere.  In its first season, Glee has reached unparalleled heights of popularity and has made its stars household names.

Musicals have certainly made a comeback in the movies for the last couple of years but it has not invaded the boob tube save for the reruns on HBO of hits like “Chicago”.  And who doesn’t know the HSM (High School Musical) franchise that have made stars out of Zac Ephron and Fil-Am actress Vanessa Hudgens.

Now that Glee has put the music back on TV we can expect a lot of spin-offs both internationally and locally.  Given the abundance of talent on our shores, can you imagine what it would be like to have a local version of Glee?

Naturally, the networks will most likely tap the most bankable stars in their stable of talents.  Say for instance using the tried and tested Kimerald tandem to play Finn and Rachel.  Despite lacking the warbling skills required, this will most likely produce a hit based solely on star power.

However, wouldn’t it be nice to see the local networks go the same way as Fox did with Glee?  What about plucking virtual nobodies who have nothing but raw talent and sheer determination?

Lets begin with Finn Hudson the singing jock slash heartthrob.  The role must start with the face, the guy has to be hunky at the very least. In the case of Cory Monteith, he was cast because he could play the drums very well.  Looking locally, besides Gerald Anderson or Richard Gutierrez, we have PJ Valerio.  WHO?  PJ Valerio!!  This fellow is not only good looking, he can sing.  Experienced in both theater and television, PJ can fill the shoes of Finn pretty well using talent alone.

Then there’s Rachel Berry, the talented self-centered diva.  Locally we have Denise Laurel who has been in the business for some time now.  She started doing theater at a very young age under the tutelage of her uncle, Cocoy Laurel.  She can sing, dance, and act and if you look very closely, she even resembles Lea Michele, the actress who plays Rachel on the show.

As for the role of Mr. Schuester, the irrepressible glee club mentor who not only sings, but can do a mean breakdance routine, there isn’t anyone on the local front who can match this except for Mr. Pure Energy himself…the great Gary V.  But the guy’s famous, you might ask?  Weren’t we supposed to be looking at non-stars to fill in the roles?  Well, consider the age factor. Who among our middle-aged performers can sing and dance as well as Mr. Schuester?  None.  But Mr. Pure Energy can not only match Mr. Schuester’s vocal and terpsichorean skills, he can even surpass them if need be.  And the guy can act, too.  So let’s give him a break and say that he’s a shoo-in for this role.

For the role of the acerbic Coach Sue Sylvester we can match that with our very own Ms. Pilar Pilapil who can probably out-bitch Jane Lynch any day of the week.  She with the sky high eyebrows and cool as ice demeanor, Ms. Pilapil can aptly play the role and most likely scare the Cheerios into doing their backflips and triple somersaults properly.

The role of Kurt Hummel may be given to the up and coming Rap Salazar, a belter of international acclaim who, like his contemporary Charisse Pempengco, has graced the stage of Ellen and wowed the crowd with his melodious voice.

As for the rest of the cast, there is a huge pool of untapped talents waiting for a break.  There are the various theater groups that have produced talents like Lea Salonga that have in their fold artists with enough magnitude but remain undiscovered except for the few adoring theater aficionados.

So should we make a Pinoy version of Glee?  With the amount of “birit” power the country has, yes we should.

Photo: “Glee” by Kristin Dos Santos, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved

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