Memorabilia exhibit. Shown cutting the ribbon at the opening of the Gary Valenciano/Martin Nievera memorabilia exhibit at The Block are Gary, SM North Edsa mall manager Arch. Renee Bacani, and Martin.

Putting together the two concert kings, Gary Valenciano and Martin Nievera, in a concert is a casting coup already. But having them together to host a TV show is more than fans would expect. Especially if it’s a game show like “Twist and Shout,” an entirely different kind of singing contest which ABS-CBN is set to premiere tonight.

This is a musical game show with a twist that will surely make you shout, Gary and Martin said during the press conference for “Twist and Shout” held at ABS-CBN’s Dolphy Theater. “It’s really a different kind of game show,” Martin stressed. “It’s all fun, there’s no pressure, especially peer pressure. We’re here to make you laugh till your ribs hurt… you don’t have to be an excellent singer to win in this contest. You only have to be a good sport…”

In the show, you don’t have to be a good singer but if you surpass distractions while singing, you could be the winner, they said.

Gary has never been a game show host before, “this is my first time, but I have Martin and I know we’re both going to learn from each other, and we’re ready for the challenges.”

Martin added: “ABS-CBN has created a lot of games show but the core element in ‘Twist and Shout’ is not to try to be a game show and us hosts not to be like Edu Manzano, Cesar Montano, or Kris Aquino. We will just be Martin and Gary.”

The show will have celebrities singing top hits while facing distractions such as running on a treadmill, becoming a human roulette, or being dipped in ice-cold-water.

Judges are Aiza Seguerra and Jimmy Bondoc plus a weekly celebrity guest judge. They will be giving the contestants points and the team with the highest number of points will proceed to the final round called the “Turn Table.”

It will premiere tonight at 8:45 and will also air every Sunday at the same time on ABS-CBN.

Memorabilia exhibit

Incidentally, Martin and Gary’s memorabilia exhibit opened recently at The Block at SM North EDSA. The exhibit, which features mementos (posters, trophies, clothes, photos, write-ups, and a Song Hits dated l985 among others) which they accumulated from decades of performances, will run for two weeks.

The exhibit will surely delight fans of Gary and Martin who, by the way, will once more stage their highly successful “As One” concert on July 16, at the Araneta Coliseum. Those who missed the concert (which has also been presented, successfully of course, in several countries abroad) can now have the chance to see the Concert King and Mr. Pure Energy share the stage once again.

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MMFF announces 8 winning scripts

The Metro Manila Film Festival’s Selection Committee announced recently the eight winning scripts from which the official entries to the 2010 MMFF will be based. There were 12 scripts submitted and the eight winners are:

“Agimat ni Enteng” (M-Zet/GMA Films/OctoArts Films), “Ang Tanging Ina Mo Rin (Last Na ‘To)” (ABS-CBN Film Productions), “Dalaw,” “Father Jejemon” (RVQ Productions), “Rosario” (Cinema Buhay), “RPG” (animation film, ABS-CBN Film Productions), “Shake, Rattle & Roll XII” (Regal Entertainment), and “Super Inday and the Magic Bibe” (Regal Entertainment).

The entries are a mix of comedy, drama, horror-suspense, fantasy and action.

Ms. Cora Cruz, chairman of the Selection Committee, said the criteria for the selection of the eight official entries are story, creativity, writing excellence, innovation and thematic value (40%), commercial viability (50%), and Filipino cultural and/or historical value (10%).

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings on July 3 go to Sunshine Dizon, Louie Heredia, Tommy Manotoc, Viring S. Ongkeko, Nora Zabat Saba, Jesus Ernesto R. Sibal, Roselle Villanueva, Vicky Veloso-Barrera, Ma. Luz Dominique M. Martel, Louie Ablaza, Crisanta S. Aquino, Rodolfo Baluyut, Rose B. Pena, Reggie Bonoan and Jessica Lace Evangelista.