I usually avoid late-night outings, yet I managed to drop in on Bo Cerrudo’s new act celebrating his 35th anniversary as an entertainer at the Teatrino in Greenhills recently.  

Bo, whom I address more closely as Bimbo, his pet and former stage name, has honed his craft well through the years. I haven’t seen him in concert in a long time, so his performance that evening, the second in what looks like a series, showed how much his voice has grown, improved, and matured.

The two-hour show is set in a man cave, where Bo looks back to his years as a singer. The audience, comprised mostly of people within the same age range as his, if not older, is thus treated to well loved songs from  the 70s and 80s, which all of us celebrated and cheered. Think Bridge Over Troubled Water, Vincent, Both Sides Now.

Bo, with his deep vocals and amazing breath control, can never lose with these timeless anthems. One can feel that he pours every bit of himself to every song, from the standards to Sharon Cuneta, rendered with so much passion and love, intense and committed in the act of sharing his gift of music. 

Bo acknowledged his venture intomusical theatre (he was superior as the king in The King and I at the Newport Performing Arts Center) as the genre that trained him the most where discipline is concerned. True enough, he has infused a bit of theatrics in his new act, shown in the way the man carries himself on stage, comfortable in his own skin, relaxed while making a point or projecting his casually written, quite personal spiels.

Like any magnanimous Kuya, Bo Cerrudo gave the floor to upcoming singer Jeri Violago, who obliged with a duet with the main man (“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”), segueing to his own ABS-CBN single, Gusto Kita.

Over all, it was an enjoyable evening of old, lovely, evergreens and quality performances. Thanks to Reena Redoblado, Bo’s durable better half and the wind beneath his wings.

By the way, both Bo and Jeri are recent Aliw awardees. In a celebration held December 11 at the Centennial Hall of The Manila Hotel, Bo was honored for Best Concert Performance while his guest, Jeri was named Best New Male Artist.