PHILIPPINE IDOL: TICKETS
(Please, don’t shoot the messenger ha?)
How does one break this news gently?
Simply put, there’s no gentle way of breaking this piece of news to any follower of Philippine Idol.
There are no more tickets to give away for the twin show Philippine Idol Finale dubbed as BIG THREE AT THE BIG DOME.
No more tickets.
It breaks my heart to relay this piece of news that I gathered from the ABC studios and offices in Novaliches and Makati earlier tonight. I’ve been reading the forums and people are genuinely looking for tickets, hoping to get inside the Araneta Coliseum and watch their Idols perform live. A lot of you inquired about tickets here in my site and my email inbox, too. That made it doubly heartbreaking for me. How I wish I could help. I didn’t reply to any requests posted here because I wanted to make sure muna of the availability of the tickets before I pledge or promise anything. The whole day, Monday, I started my quest for the tickets and get information about their availability, so that I can pass on the info and share even. The search led me to the reality that there are no more tickets. Sadly.
Did they vanish? What happened?
Two weekends ago, the tickets were first released to the people who lined up during the last shows in Megamall. The other tickets were given away thru contests and the mall shows. More tickets were given away for those who stayed on for the taping for last weekend’s packaged show, held at the Idol Theatre. Media partners (print and radio firms) were also given tickets. Advertisers, understandably, were all given tickets too.
I was informed that all those in the Final 12 that didn’t make it to the Big 3, were given tickets for their friends, relatives and supporters. Of course, a bigger share of ticket allocation was given to the Big 3, so that their supporters (Gian-orange, Mau-yellow, Jan-blue) will be in full force inside the Big Dome. (tip: get your tickets from them, baka mayruon pa sila)
I got word from an official of the show that the capacity of the venue wherein they based their ticket printing was only from 9-10 thousand spectators. As of the middle of last week, the request for tickets already reached 14 thousand in number. (of course, the araneta site says the capacity is bigger than 10K http://www.aranetacoliseum.com/2006/seat.php, but according to the source, a huge part of the coliseum won’t be used by PI because of the stage set up, depende san ilalagay stage di ba, ang likod nun tiyak ng di mapapaupuan?)
Okay, I must admit, nabigla din ako at nasorpresa. Ubos na ang ticket? Ganuon ang clamor for tickets? Sabagay, Noemi and I already acknowledged the fact that as the weeks passed and right after the Dance theme episode, habang lumalaon ay naging pahirap na ng pahirap ang pagkuha ng tickets for the Sunday and Monday shows. Ang hirap ng makahanap ng tickets. But I must say, nabigla pa rin ang marami sa aming mga PI addicts and loyalists na naubos na ang tickets for the Finale. You must remember, we read blogs, we read threads in the forums and we read newspaper reviews. People were all too ready to predict that PI will never be able to fill up the Big Dome. Na hindi masa ang tinarget na audience. That the show and its contestants are not popular. Etc, etc. These are things we constantly read and hear in different forms of media, things na sa totoo lang, pinagtatakahan din namin dahil kung talagang flop at sobrang palpak, how come marami rami din naman ang nagkwekwentuhan about it? How come, walang tigil ang pag mention sa PI sa mga blogs at internet articles (as proven by the stats posted in technorati)? The point of this paragraph is this: Of course, we are not implying na ang hysteria sa PI ay ka level ng sa ibang network. The point is, according to the source, the people behind the show can’t over print tickets, just to accommodate everyone. That is a sure formula for disaster. Nag iingat lang daw sila dahil natuto na tayo lahat sa ganyan. The people behind the show are still finding ways of accommodating more people (in a maingat way, para hindi maulit ang trahedya ng Wowowee). He even volunteered information that they are trying to reduce the size of the stage so they could set up additional chairs in the space na matitipid nila pag nagbawas sila ng size sa stage. (and pwede din na hindi makadating ang iba or may mga no shows, right?)
In the midst of the bad news I gathered, I was able to let out a joke to the source. I told him, I am sad because there are no tickets left, but shouldn’t that make the people behind PI smile because at least, in the end, it showed them that at least they were able to reach out to many people pala (as opposed to the flop claim) through this show? That this is a weird measure of success na rin? Don’t take this the wrong way, we ae not gloating. Of course, we were both sad pa rin that there are no more tickets for the followers of PI.
They gave us a guarantee though that the Finale will be a good and satisfying show even if you are seated in front of the television watching it in the confines of your home.
Personally, I felt panicky about the tickets since last week.
I’ve been reading the blogs and the forums, and it puzzled me that a lot people have yet to get tickets for the show. I kept asking myself, nasaan na kaya ang mga tickets? Ang laki laki ng Araneta para maubos iyun ah?
Then I asked my trusty ticket source from our Makati offices. She was non committal, mejo nag-alala na ako.
Until I visited our newsroom in Novaliches. Napahinga ako ng maluwag when our department secretary asked me to sign up for the tickets and note in a sheet of paper how many tickets I needed. Dinamihan ko na ang lista, may duda ako, hahatiin iyun or babawasan sa final distribution eh.
My hunch turned out to be true. I got a call from our secretary this afternoon, they are shaving my reservation to half the original number. Sabi ko na. Fine. And the clincher? Hindi pa sure kung mabibigyan pa nga ang mga empleyado.
That’s very understandable. Alam naman namin iyun. We know for a fact that the employees are the last priority in events like this. Of course, we know that our viewers and advertisers should always come first. Tanggap namin iyun. One friend and former segment producer of mine, who is now a staffer for PI, informed me that kahit sila, wala ring tickets. They can enter the venue, syempre, but those who know that they work for PI and are asking for tickets, malabo din nila bigyan ng ticket.
As for me, I guess I will have to work (cover it) or be on duty (covering it) to get inside the Araneta Coliseum. Of course, I can always remind my co-ABC5 employees connected to PI that I’ve been supporting them since day 1 (ahem, hehehe, ahem desperado), but as I said above, employees are always last in the list. Tanggap namin iyun. SRO on Saturday and Sunday? No problem for me and my newsroom gang!
So, good luck to Mau and Gian, break a leg kayong dalawa! Galingan ninyo!
Galingan ninyo din sa Sunday show, Pow, Drae, Arms, Reymond, Jeli, Stef, Ken, Miguel and Apple!
Goodluck too, to the whole PI staff and crew! Especially to Perci, Bobot, Norgee, Anthony, Rich Ilustre and everyone else!
+++
Can you believe that everything’s wrapping up on Sunday?
I saw the taped PI show, Sunday night, and it was pure nostalgia. Aside from the segments for Mau, Gian and Jan… there was this long recap of the whole Philippine Idol process. From the auditions until we reached the selection of the Big 3.
I remember being in Bicol for the Mayon coverage during the audition phase of the show, now the show is winding up. And yes, at a time when Mayon volcano claimed lives by way of mudslides instead of an actual eruption. (downer ba? Sorry, nagulat lang ako sa book ends ng PI viewing ko eh)
It was a joy seeing the audition tapes of the Top 24, Top 12 and the Big 3. Maiisip mo talaga, tama! Nakita ko na nuon pa si Pow, si Mau, si Gian !!! And yes, look at Drae and Reymond! At si Arms ayun iyak ng iyak! Grabe, memories hehehe.
Parang kailan lang!
Then tonight, there was this I LOVE PHILIPPINE IDOL Top 12 reunion!
When they sang “Stand By Me” during the opening of the show, the changes in each of them were palpable/noticeable. Ibang iba na ang confidence nila in performing. Relaxed, confident, may aura na sila ng recording artists. Hehehe.
Ang babaw lang ng show, “I want to say sorry to…”, “I want to say I love you to…” and “Mr and Ms Friendship”.
But, I enjoyed it, because it is a joy seeing these talents that we loved, hated and embraced along the way. Pakiramdam mo, kaibigan o mga kaakanak mo na kasi sila e. you can’t help but feel really happy for all of them. Ken looked really relaxed, stress free, kind and very sincere kanina, sa totoo lang. Miguel looked like he’s really smitten kay Apple ah? Hehehe. And Arms, bagay talaga kayo ni Drae. Dapat kayo na, para mainis nyo ng todo si Reymond. Si Stef laging mukhang totoo. Jeli was pleasantly giggly kanina. Pow was also giggly but at times, she’s overwhelmed with emotions. We miss you in the newsroom Pow!
After a weekend na walang Live show sa Megamall, nakaka miss pala sila ano, Greg at Dyakee?
So where was Mau and why was she MIA? She’s in Lucena for her “homecoming segment shoot”.
BTW, I was informed that we should all look forward to the videos of the BIG 3, maganda daw!
Can’t wait for the final two shows for this season!
Hope we will enjoy it, whether we will see it live inside the venue or in the comfort of our home!
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Again, my apologies regarding the tickets. If only i have the powers. Hehehe.
