Good looks and talent are not enough to make one a star. But one thing could: Proper management.

Knowing this by heart, the GMA Talent Development and Management Department (formerly known as the GMA Artist Center) headed by Ms. Ida Ramos Henares, with the outstanding support of GMA President and CEO Atty. Felipe Gozon, has effected major changes to strengthen the foothold of the department for the benefit of its 100 plus artists.

For one, the division of Talent Management had been put under the care of Arsi Baltazar, an expert in this field with 25 years of experience. Arsi is considered one of the most competent, well-loved old-timers in the industry, his instinctive knowledge of this business honed through years of experience.

Arsi said the role of managing talents entails so much more than what is perceived publicly. “You recognize a talent when you see one. You immediately have to know what this specific talent can offer the public. But more than that, you also look ahead to know what he can still become. This job is never stagnant. You keep progressing.” He added that his job becomes easier because at GMAAC, “we are not operating on a lone ranger proposition. Everyone of us there are in synergy with one another. Under Ms. Ida’s stewardship, we are all bonded by one vision and commitment. And this helps a lot, especially when challenges come our way.”

Managing talents for the biggest and most successful TV network in the country makes the task even more challenging for Baltazar’s department. With the many platforms available to their talents by default, the GMAAC talent management department must make sure that the talents get the right breaks at the right time, ultimately for the network’s gain. “With this newly-formed department, we are just beginning to sink our teeth fully into it and we have high hopes that everything will be working for the best.”

Aside from the seminars and worshops that the stars need to go through every now and then, GMAAC also does make-overs, “we style for them, we let them go through John Robert Powers sessions, we give them crash course on personality improvement and even counseling, we field them in international competitions so they can best hone their skills and adopt a more global perspective. We make sure that they are visible in every medium available to us. We also branch out and gather resources outside because we feel that the artists, and ultimately the network, will benefit from those partnerships outside,” Arsi pointed out.

One of the rules that the GMAAC talent management division follows is not to play favorites – and for good reason: A talent may not be a star today, but he may be the biggest one, tomorrow. It’s all about timing. Making stars out of talents may be a hit or miss business, but with GMAAC, we don’t give just anyone a break. If you got in, then we saw something special in you. It’s our job to further hone that until you are ready for the big time.”

The job may sound glamorous (and it is!) but it also entails a lot of hard work and an objective mind-set. “We at GMAAC have to constantly think like a fan, a parent of the talent, a talent, a businessman, a boss and a friend. So many hats to wear all at the same time…”

As someone who has been managing talents for 25 years (even prior to his stint with GMAAC late last year), Baltazar knows that the best way to make his relationship with his talent work is to see them as people, not just commodities. “Stars are people, too, and therefore are not perfect. They make mistakes but very few who do are beyond redemption. The GMAAC talent management division is there to troubleshoot crises not only because it is our job to do so, but more importantly because, we care,” he ends.

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Sam joins ‘N.O.A.H.’

From the pigeonhole: Multi-talented artist and youth role model Sam Concepcion joins the cast of Trumpets’ major family musical “N.O.A.H. [No Ordinary Aquatic Habitat]” as the narrator. He will share the role with theater newcomer Fred Lo beginning on Sept. 4, at the Meralco Theater.

Sam is not a stranger to Trumpets. At the tender age of 9, he took on the demanding role of Edmund in Trumpets’ “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.” Sam’s performances were even then highly acclaimed and no one was surprised when he went on to win the grand prize on ABS-CBN’s “Little Big Star” (2006). Since then, he has graced kids and teen magazine covers (KZone, Candy), teen TV (MYX, “Boystown”), teen dance group Gigger Boys, various print and TV endorsements (Bench, Smart My Sandbox), the cast of Disney’s “High School Musical On Stage,” the soundtrack of Dreamworks’ hit animated movie “Kung Fu Panda,” among others. He was also awarded hottest “Candy Cutie” for three consecutive years (2006-2008), Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards’ Pinoy Wannabe Awardee (2006), and more recently United Nations Association of the Philippines (UNAP) Young Achiever Awardee for Entertainment (2009).

But despite all his successes in the showbiz scene, Sam’s heart has never left the theater. In 2004, he recorded the voice of Japeth for the puppet version of “N.O.A.H.,” which featured the vocal talents of Gary V. and Bituin Escalante. Now he goes live onstage in the full-scale production of “N.O.A.H.” under the stage direction of theater stalwart Jaime del Mundo.

In “N.O.A.H,” Trumpets retells the classic story of the Biblical patriarch and his famous ark with wit and humor, heart and compassion, hope and joy, and of course, fun!

For tickets and/or more information e-mail trumpetsinc@gmail.com. Tickets are also available at Ticketworld.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Aug. 27, go to former movie queen Amalia Fuentes, hitmaker Ogie Alcasid, Commission on Human Rights head Lilia de Lima, former Dagupan City Mayor Benjie Lim, Ben Chan of Bench, Ms. Liceria Soriano, Dr. Marilyn Marzan-Olalo, Marilou L. Lao, US-based model John Edgar Lara, John Delmer Go, Ms. Tessie Castro, Andrew Bryan N. Sapigao, Marcelino Banaria, Dr. Jose C. Benedicto, New Yorker Jillianne M. Mohammad, and Marietta Subang (a.k.a. Pokwang of “Wowowee”)...