DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The wildly popular Filipino TV game show "Wowowee" is in Hawaii for live filming at Aloha Stadium tomorrow night. The show's popularity has spread here via the Filipino Channel, and fans here were exuberant yesterday during a news conference at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. Show host Willie Revillame, above, accommodated fans seeking his autograph, including Jeannie Enriquey, left, Angel Socito, Patti Basa and Mele Rabara.
|
|
‘Wowowee’ says mabuhay to Hawaii
An encounter in Waikiki with Willie Revillame left Venus Florido Viloria weak in the knees.
"We are very proud -- this is a big opportunity for us," said Viloria, an on-air personality with KNDI AM radio. "He has such a big heart."
Live in Hawaii
Tickets to "Wowowee Live in Hawaii" at 7 p.m. Saturday are $25 to $100; call (877) 750-4400 or visit ticketmaster.com. To receive a 20 percent discount, pick up coupons at McDonald's restaurants. No purchase is necessary. For more on the show, see today's HiLife section.
|
Revillame, host of the wildly popular Filipino game show "Wowowee," is in town to film "Wowowee Live in Hawaii" at Aloha Stadium tomorrow.
The show's popularity has spread here via the Filipino Channel, and the exuberance of the local fan base was clear at a news conference yesterday at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort.
Happiness is the goal of the show, Revillame said. "I tell pregnant women in the hospital to watch my show so their babies will be born happy."
He brought his show to Hawaii, he said, to spread the joy.
"We want to reach the older Filipinos that may not be able to make the trip to the Philippines," he said. "It's not about the 20,000 people that will be at the show; it's about making one person happy."
Co-host Mariel Rodriguez promises "happy" is definitely on the agenda for tomorrow's show. "Everyone will leave that place with a smile on their face," she said. "And everyone is welcome. ... You don't need to be Filipino."
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
"Wowowee" host Willie Revillame leaned over to kiss Venus Florido Viloria yesterday at a news conference at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort to promote the "Wowowee Live in Hawaii" show, which will be held tomorrow at Aloha Stadium.
|
|
Arnel Bagason, a Marriott cook working at the news conference, caught the "Wowowee" fever, dancing along to show tunes playing in the background.
"I watch the show two times a day," he said. "I like it because it helps the poor people in the Philippines." Bagason's favorite game on the show is "Willie of Fortune."
Revillame listens to the contestants' problems -- one might have been left by a spouse; another could have medical problems -- and often hands out cash to help them. "For people that don't have hope in life, 'Wowowee' gives them hope," Revillame said.
For many Filipinos living abroad, the show offers a slice of home, said singer Jordan Segundo, who will perform at tomorrow's show. "It's filmed in the Philippines but connects everyone."
The "Wowowee" cast appreciates the feedback from overseas fans. "People know me," said Charisse Pempengco, a 15-year-old singer on the show who appeared on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" last year and is scheduled to appear Monday on "Oprah." "I feel like an important person. This is my dream. It's been so amazing."
