Eight years of entertaining the madlang people
individual members that bring something different to the table and contribute to the show’s massive appeal. There was the introduction of groups Hashtags and GirlTrends, the arrival of Joey Marquez and Amy Perez, and more recently, the addition of the love team of James Reid and Nadine Lustre as hosts.
But more importantly and more often, It’s Showtime hosts Vhong Navarro, Anne, Vice, Billy Crawford, Karylle, Amy Perez, Nadine, James, Jugs Jugueta, Teddy Corpuz, Ryan Bang and Jhong Hilario showed Filipino audiences what and how a family is — they accept instead of shun, they support each other despite their differences and they stick through thick and thin.
Vhong even referred to the program as his “second home” in a tearful speech, alluding to the controversies he has had to deal with, “I thank my Showtime family and the madlang people because you never made me feel like I was alone. Whenever I am here in my second home, I forget about my problems in life. I forget about them whenever I see that I make the madlang people happy. It feels good to do that with the talent God gave me.”
This sentiment was what inspired Vhong’s Magpasikat winning performance — a mirror illusion dance routine that tackled isolation, loneliness and hopelessness.
But it also offered an important message and a glimmer of hope to those who are going through dark times: You are never truly alone. In Vhong’s case, the madlang people and his It’s Showtime family have always been there for him.
The other hosts’ performances for Magpasikat also explored love in its many forms.
The Magpasikat second placer, the team of Vice, Jugs and Teddy, orchestrated the ultimate gesture of love that made viewers swoon. Teddy proposed to his wife Jasmin, married her for the second time and swore to her his undying love for millions to see.
The team of Karylle and Jhong, meanwhile, made a unique depiction out of the familiar “true love knows no bounds” trope by staging a hilarious and inventive live musical with all-original songs that told the love story of a caterpillar and a cockroach.
The team of Anne, Ryan and Nadine also made a vibrant spectacle when they invited the madlang people to join their “love parade.” The team of Billy, Amy and James, meanwhile put magic at the forefront but anchored on a prince’s search for love. What’s even more impressive about these performances is how the hosts managed to still come up with refreshing concepts and neverbeen-done executions on TV after all these years — which speak more and loudly about their dedication to entertaining the madlang people and making them happy.
Only that kind of enthusiasm and willingness to take risks can come from a special place of love — molded and made stronger by eight years of fun, tears and laughter.