Angel and Alyssa to front-act ‘Sikat Ka, Kapuso!’

Unknown to many, as Angel Ram was busy rehearsing for the GMA concert, “Sikat Ka, Kapuso,” she was doing gown fittings, checking her guest list, and just managing her nerves as a bride-to-be.

Angel, one of the front acts, wed her boyfriend on February 23 in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, a month-and-a-half before the SKK concert. The bride wore black, and looked very happily in love.

Meanwhile, teen singer Alyssa Shoemaker is another dynamo full of unstoppable energy. Another front act to the SKK concert, she is a senior at Morris Knolls High School in Rockaway, New Jersey. She is preparing for college at Marymount Manhattan College where she will be studying Musical Theatre.

Angel and Alyssa are just two of SKK’s curtain raisers, the performers who open a show and get the crowd pumped for the Main Act. They are the aperitif to a luxurious French meal, the sneak peek to an upcoming movie, the warmup to a long-distance marathon.

“As a front act, my job is get the crowd excited and give them a glimpse of what to expect,” said Angel. “Ayoko ng tatamlay-tamlay sila.” (I don’t want to see a sluggish crowd.)

“Sikat Ka, Kapuso” is a production of GMA Pinoy TV, a musical extravaganza featuring the network’s top stars Dingdong Dantes, Dennis Trillo, Jennylyn Mercado, Alden Richards, Lovi Poe, and Betong Sumaya. They will perform on April 7 at the Newark Symphony Hall in New Jersey with local headliners Angel Ram and Alyssa Shoemaker doing the opening numbers.

Angel is not saying if she will do some bluesy Angela Bofill or Etta James songs, which have made her so popular across the New York Tri-State, with a growing mainstream following. She is the first Filipina to sing at the famous BB King Blues Club & Grill on Times Square. This was in January 2016. FilAms can never get enough of her version of Etta James’ “At last.”

“I’ll probably do an upbeat number,” she said. “Something that will get the crowd on its feet.”

SKK is her second time with GMA, so she has met Dingdong Dantes. The rest of the stars she will be meeting for the first time. She is excited and nervous at the same time.

“It’s always awesome working with GMA. Many would love to be a part of their show. They’re very popular in the Philippines. I’m excited to work with them again,” she said.

Unlike Angel, this is Alyssa’s first time to front-act a GMA show.

“It’s amazing that I was chosen,” she said. “It’s very important to be part of a cultural show that has the support of the FilAm community.”

Alyssa is no stranger to community programs. She is almost a regular at PAFCOM not because her grandmother, Rose Javier, was a recent past president, but because she is known for her wide range of vocals from Whitney Houston to Meghan Trainor.

“I might be doing a theater number (for SKK),” she said.

As a GMA first-timer, Alyssa will be meeting the network’s stars for the first time. She is just as excited.

Alyssa and her mother, Maureen Javier Varco, sing at weddings as part of a band called RELM, meaning Risk Everything Love Music. A shared love for music keep their bond strong.

For ticket inquiries, contact Synergy Production & Marketing at (917) 858-2356 or go to Ticketmaster.com!

‘Sikat Ka, Kapuso!’ is a GMA-produced event which aims to bring Filipinos abroad closer to home via its international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International. Stay informed by following GMA Pinoy TV on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

© The FilAm 2018