The dawning diva

Everybody loves a song or two, or ten, for that matter; so it was no surprise that Teenee Chan's concert for songs from past and present Boradway shows, “Some Enchanted Evening” with special guest Felix Rivera filled the Luce Auditorium to the brim with happy people a cool October 26 at Silliman University .

The dawning diva, a rising star in the near horizon, and a talent to reckon with, a graduate of musical theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and voice with Christian Fletcher, soprano Teene Chan certainly had the musical pedigree “par excellence” for this show.

After all, she's the niece of famous singer-songwriter Jose Mari Chan—she was probably served Rodgers and Hammerstein for breakfast as a baby! And she sang their songs to perfection, accompanied in duets by handsome young rising star and multi-talented Felix Rivera. Their duet of the legendary piece from “West Side Story,” “Tonight,” caused many a goose bumps and misty eyes in ritzy audience.

Songs from “Carousel”, “South Pacific” and “ Oklahoma ” were a revelation to the youngsters who were hearing them for the first time, and opened the doors to many memories we thought we had forgotten long ago. It wasn't all Rodgers and Hammerstein however—Cole Porter, Gilbert and Sullivan, Borodin, Forrest and Wright (again their duet of “Stranger in Paradise” from “Kismet” awesome!), Berstein and Sondheim, Lerner and Lowe, George Cohan and Irving Berlin, Andrew Lloyd Webber (their “All I ask of You” from “The Phantom of the Opera” brought the musical connoisseurs and aficionados to their feet) and others were also heard from. With beautiful stage settings by the one and only Evelyn Aldecoa and instrumental backup by Dr. Myrna Lopez on the piano, Rosario Cruz—violin and Victoria Chang—cello, it was an enchanting evening indeed; for those present, “wasn't it absolutely fabi? And you folks absent, you missed half-your life!

Dinner reception followed at the chateau of quintessential social giant Dr. Rico Absin and there was nothing but raves from the select crowd and organizers.

Kudos to the Bais Foundation for Needy Children Inc., the Miguel Angel Memorial, Inc. and the Dumaguete City Tourism Council for the early Christmas gift of the very enchanted evening. More please!…. Nous.*