Sarah Geronimo‘s latest TV drama series, airing through TFC (The Filipino Channel), is one of the most watched soap operas since it first aired on September 3, 2007. Sara Geronimo is a Filipina young singer-actress who will surely continue to dominate the Filipino entertainment industry in the years to come. I rarely watch dramas, let alone a series or soap opera as I tend to miss some episodes due to my busy schedule, but I must say this one is a winner. Thank goodness for Comcast DVR my husband records it for me every day so I could watch with my daughter at night.
Sarah has proven her worth ever since she won in 2003 during the “Star for a Night”- a reality show aired on IBC 13 in the Philippines. Sarah, who was then 14 years old when she won with her outstanding performance of Celine Dion’s To Love You More, was awarded the grand prize of 1 million Philippine Pesos and a 10-year recording contract from Viva Records.
With multiple platinum records later, and hosting shows on ABC-CBN (a Philippine television network), modeling and endorsing different products, starring in movies and TV dramas, as well as performing concerts all over the world, there is no stopping Sarah Geronimo. Actually, at the time of this writing, she is in her last leg of her In Motion U.S. Concert Tour which will conclude on September 22, 2007 in Kodiak, AK.
We had the opportunity to meet with Sarah Geronimo days before her In Motion Concert in San Jose, CA. They had a brief press conference for her at one of the Philippine establishment in South San Francisco, CA last August 23rd signing autographs and meeting with fans. My daughter who is a fan of Sarah’s was lucky enough to meet Sarah whom she presented with a stuffed toy. Sarah is a humble, down to earth, friendly, approachable superstar. She was tireless in facing her fans and meeting with them even when she was exhausted from traveling to different cities during the tour. Her concert two days later at the San Jose Civic Auditorium, which was jam-packed with her adoring fans, was a complete success!
Pangarap na Bituin tells the story of three siblings known collectively as the Jewel Sisters. Orphaned at a young age, they are separated from each other. They were called Jewel Sisters because the three sisters who were the main characters of the show were named Sapphire (Rica Peralejo), Emerald (Sarah Geronimo), and Ruby (Maja Salvador) by their mother. Years later, they are reunited and become a singing sensation. However, the desire for fame and sibling rivalry will cause tension among the sisters.
The story began where the three rising stars were in conflict of their relationships, showing that there are rivalries between sisters, especially with Emerald and Sapphire. During the first episode Sarah’s Emerald character decided to quit from the group while performing on stage. Later on confronted by Sapphire, Emerald stated she did not want them to be famous but have animosity with each other. Her desire was to reunite with her sisters without the intrigues and constant competitions for fame. The second episode is actually the beginning of a series of flashbacks when they were children. It shows how the three who were happily traveling with their parents became orphans during a volcanic eruption that took the life of their father. Through the first few episodes, it will show how the two younger sisters (Ruby and Emerald) were separated from their older sister (Sapphire) then later on ending up in an orphanage. Later in those first episodes, Ruby will get adopted, leaving the older Emerald in the orphanage. The emergence of the male character Terrence Rodriguez, played by Jericho Rosales as an adult, shows how the relationship of these two characters got intertwined from the very beginning until they got separated at a young age then meeting again when they became adults. The love triangle begins as Terrence and Emerald start to fall for each other while Sapphire starts to get jealous and compete for his attention.
There are different twists and turns to the story which is common in any soap or drama. But it is too early to tell how the story will end up. The cast of characters lined up for this drama are truly one of the best picks one can ever hope for in a drama of this magnitude. Sarah Geronimo who is the lead character shows her excellent acting ability, while her charisma continues to enthrall her viewers. Since this is a familiar role for Sarah, being a professional singer in real life, she is able to show both her singing and acting talents much to the delight of her fans. She is able to hold up on challenging scenes especially scenes showing the confrontations between Emerald and Sapphire as they faced their fears, apprehensions, and challenges together.
This drama is another winner for ABS-CBN and its producers as the numbers of viewers in the Philippines and in countries with Filipino viewers, who are also followers of Sarah Geronimo, continue to rise. My only qualms about the show is that there is no English subtitle, so I have to translate to my daughter who speaks and understands very little Filipino for her to understand the show. Other than that, I still give this show a 5 out of 5-star because of the storyline and award winning performances of the cast members. I’d like to encourage every Filipino to watch this show and invite their non-Filipino friends and translate to them! Truly you will witness how Sarah Geronimo‘s star will continue to shine in this drama series as she proves herself to be an excellent actress as she is as a singer. Well done Sarah and more power to you and your career!
