JLo Leaves Manila With A Party Hangover
By ANNIE S. ALEJO
November 27, 2012, 4:52pm
Jennifer Lopez opens the show with all the glitz and glamour worthy of a true global superstar (Photo by Jasper Lucena)
MANILA, Philippines – Her first headlining tour has finally brought Jennifer Lopez to our shores for the first time all the way from its kick-off show in Panama in June, by way of stops in South America in the same month, Europe throughout late September until mid-November, and its most recent stop in China last Nov. 24. En route to Hong Kong where she will perform in AsiaWorld Arena on the 28th, JLo bids Manila goodbye shortly after her concert via Twitter: “Thank you MANILA! To all the Filipino LOVE!RS who came out tonight...Mahal Kita #untilnexttime #DanceAgainWorldTour2012.”
While the “Dance Again” hashtag has already fallen off the local top trending topics on the microblogging site by now, the dance diva’s message has been retweeted over 2,400 times by her fans on the night following the rousing show—including by celebrities Ruffa Gutierrez, Cristalle Henares and Maja Salvador, among others. Indeed, those who have witnessed JLo’s one-night-only “Dance Again” performance are left with a bad case of dance party hangover judging from the flood of messages, thanks yous and photos her fans have posted online.
“Dance Again” World Tour is practically an overview of JLo’s own career arc. It kicks of with the Old Hollywood Glamour theme, in which JLo is seen on giant monitors prepping up, Broadway style, backstage while a handful of dancers in top hats take the stage. Marking a glamorous entrance, she appears at the top of the set, hoisted by her dancers on their shoulders, in a feathered skirt that she removes to reveal a stunning, sparkling nude couture catsuit by international designer Zuhair Murad—whose new couture creations custom-made for the tour she would wear throughout the night. Here she performs her hits like “Get Right,” “Love Don’t Cost A Thing,” “I’m Into You” and the turn of the millennium party anthem “Waiting For Tonight.”
This part of the concert pretty much harkens back to JLo’s dreams of becoming a “famous movie star” when she was younger, after she landed a part in a 1986 low-budget film “My Little Girl.” Although discouraged by her parents who reminded her that no Latino has ever become successful in that field, the young JLo persisted by joining musicals that toured abroad, landing a backup dancer gig with then famous boy band New Kids on the Block, becoming a regular cast member as a Fly Girl dancer on the US TV show “In Living Color,” and later, even a backup dancer for Janet Jackson. All this before she even appeared in her breakthrough title role on the movie “Selena” in 1996.
After a short interlude featuring her song “Louboutins” and a short video, a boxing ring materializes at the end of the catwalk and soon JLo appears dressed in a flashy boxing cape and an outfit that showcased her killer abs. With a message of perseverance and getting back up when you’ve fallen down, this “Back to the Bronx” segment of the concert lets JLo take her fans back to the beginning of her meteoric rise to success. Singing hits “Goin’ In,” “I’m Real,” “All I Have” and even “Jenny From The Block,” JLo proves that she still got the moves and, despite her glamorous A-Lister persona, the street cred to back it up. As artist and performer she hasn’t forgotten where she’s from—she is still the same girl who wowed the world with a critically acclaimed performance in the movie “Out of Sight” with George Clooney (1998), the albums “On The 6” (1999) and “J.Lo” (2001) and many more.
Another video interlude featuring “Baby I Love U!” marks the transition to the next segment, which she then kicks off invoking “some funk” and emerging in a blue outfit for an energetic performance of “Hold It, Don’t Drop It.” The set slows down here with JLo re-appearing in a flowing drape dress to an acoustic version of “If You Had My Love.” She halts the song to fish out a lady fan from the audience to sing with her on stage, serenading the nervous fan and giving generous hugs after the number.
The segment that most deals with a truly important aspect of her life now, here she delivers a heart-warming rendition of “Until It Beats No More” while a video clip plays on the giant screens behind her showing a rather touching footage with her four-year-old twins Max and Emme. More than a performer, a businesswoman and a global brand name and icon, JLo’s role as a mother to her kids with ex-husband and Puerto Rican star and top salsa artist Mark Anthony is one she clearly cherishes the most.
The last segment is when the party reaches fever pitch. Showcasing her mean skills on the conga, she then launches into “Let’s Get Loud” before doing an on-stage costume change from the glittering suit to a stunning red number. When the song ends, she returns to the edge of the stage to reach out to her Filipino fans and, at one point, drapes a Philippine flag over her shoulder, borrows a camera from the audience and takes a picture of herself with the crowd below as a background. Before she resumes the singing and dancing, she gives a shout out to the beautiful ladies in the audience, as well as all the men in the house then launches into “Papi” and the rousing last number “On The Floor.”
JLo’s performance showcases her strength, marked by her Latin roots and urban influences thus setting her apart from contemporaries, her own idols like Madonna, and even those that have followed her from Rihanna to Lady Gaga. The last part of the concert represents where she is now as an artist—a driving force in entertainment and a benevolent mentor to many that will follow, as seen in her short judging stint on “American Idol” to the talent show “¡Q’Viva!,” among her many endeavors; and as a woman—strong, beautiful, larger than life and an inspiration to many.
Winding the show down with an encore, a buzz-worthy performance the song “Dance Again” finally sees her on stage with her boyfriend, dancer and choreographer Casper Smart. This is JLo looking to the future, ticking off milestones as she brings the year to a close with a handful of show stops in Australia and in Puerto Rico this December.
Even local celebrities could not help but gush about the dance diva. Annabelle Rama, who was in the audience with her busband Eddie and son Raymond, expresses to media partner Bulletin Entertainment how big of a fan she is and thanks concert co-sponsor PLDT Fibr for their tickets. Anne Curtis tweeted not having tickets but later thanks MOA Arena for getting her into the show co-produced by Vista Land. Other celebrities spotted at the show were Kim Chiu, Kris Bernal, Boy Abunda, Sharon Cuneta, among many others. Those that took their elation to Twitter were Isabelle Daza, Divine Lee, Victor Basa, Sarah Lahbati and Richard Gutierrez, to name a few.
It was a show-stopping concert that has become a major highlight of the year. It is also a spectacular fulfillment of JLo’s own promise to her many Filipino fans—whom she sees on Twitter and describes as “supportive and loving”—of giving everyone a “great night” to remember.
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