Mr. M gets star-studded birthday tribute
IT TAKES A MR. M — ALSO
known as Johnny Manahan — to gather a constellation of showbiz’s brightest stars in one place at one time. That’s exactly what happened on the night of March 16, when Mr. M’s many friends and admirers came together to pay tribute to the man they said they owed their careers to.
The gathering was the brainchild of super dynamic eventologist/party planner Keren Pascual, himself a good friend of Mr. M’s. According to Keren, it took a year to plan, organize and execute the birthday tribute. Those who know Mr. M are aware that he shuns the spotlight and hates big parties. He prefers intimate get-togethers over good food, good wine and stimulating conversation. And though our group sees him quite regularly (our eating group is composed of Mr. M, Mariole Alberto, Keren Pascual, Enrico Santos, Law Tan, Joel Mercado, Leo Katigbak and Korina Sanchez), we had no idea what Keren was hatching, save that he was planning a tribute for Mr. M. — that’s all he shared. We didn’t know it at the time, but he was conniving with Mariole and Grace Yap, Mr. M’s trusty and loyal assistant, to pull it off.
Two weeks before it happened, we got a text from Mariole to save the date. And then, days before March 16, we got an e-invite from Grace where all the details were finally shared. The invite called it “Night of 100 Stars,” and we were requested to be at the Ceremonial Hall of the Marriott Hotel at 6 p.m. The attire was elegant cocktail in black and/or white.
When I arrived at 6:30 p.m., the place was already teeming with celebrities. I immediately spotted Charo Santos, who was radiant in a beautiful black ensemble. When I approached her, she told me she was so happy to be there because the place was just pulsating with positive vibes. Everyone was relaxed and genuinely happy to see one another. A long charcuterie table of cold cuts, crackers, cheeses, and assorted fruits was the room’s centerpiece, while the bar was overflowing with drinks.
Around 7:30 p.m., Pokwang announced that we could enter the ballroom. She also gave explicit instructions about what we were to do and not do. She told us to take our seats at our assigned tables and wait for Mr. M’s arrival. She added that no one was to greet Mr. M, as he was told that this was Keren’s birthday celebration, whose natal day is March 13.
When Mr. M arrived, many people couldn’t help but go up to him and ask for a selfie with him. After a few minutes, Pokwang asked everyone to take their seats so the show could begin. Martin Nievera appeared on stage and greeted Keren “happy birthday,” but later confessed that the party was actually for Mr. M, surprising Mr. M. We then all stood up to sing him a belated happy birthday (he turned 77 last Feb. 11).
The cat finally got out of the bag, what followed was a beautiful night of music with performances from Martin, Buboy Garovillo, Jim Paredes, Nyoy Volante, Eric Santos, and Zsa Zsa Padilla. They all credited Mr. M for their showbiz careers and testified to how instrumental and influential he was in their lives. In between songs, there were short tributes from Heart Evangelista, Claudine Barretto, Maricel Soriano, Jericho Rosales, Korina Sanchez, Charo Santos and Sharon Cuneta. They all shared heartfelt messages of love and appreciation for Mr. M’s guidance and tutelage, friendship and for directing their career paths to soaring heights.
And though it is difficult to sum up the genius and impact of Mr. M in a few words, Charo and Korina came pretty close when they both described him as a “renaissance man” for his unrivaled skills, talents, and instincts not only in directing, but in talent management and star-making. And though his career has spanned more than 50 years, he continues to mentor budding artists.
A renaissance man is someone like scientist and artist Leonardo da Vinci, who was talented in many fields and is best known for his masterpiece, the Mona Lisa. At the March 16 surprise fete for Johnny Manahan, all one had to do to see evidence of Mr. M’s genius was to look around and see the likes of Piolo Pascual, John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo, Kathryn Bernardo, Sam Milby, Luis and Jessie Manzano, Maricel Soriano, Donnie Pangilinan, Belle Mariano, Joshua Garcia, Ruffa Gutierrez, Julia Barretto, Darren Espanto, Rica Peralejo, Carmen Soo, Maricar Reyes, Vina Morales, Sue Ramirez, Jake Cuenca, Robi Domingo, Kristine Hermosa, Oyo Boy Sotto, Kaye Abad, Dimples Romana, Rica Peralejo, Carlos Agassi, Francine Diaz, Jane de Leon, Roderick Paulate, Agot Isidro, Eric Quizon, Albert Martinez, and many, many more — being present for the man who helped mold them into the artists they are today. Renaissance man indeed. page