By: Nestor Cuartero
JUST A THOUGHT: “No one is so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.” – Henry David Thoreau
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WE GOT HOOKED: It doesn’t take much to keep the press staying at a media event.
After the usual lunch or dinner, listening to a round of questions and answers (same-same every day), reporters normally, quietly leave the hall or venue either to sleep or to file their stories.
It wasn’t so that afternoon at the Dolphy Theater of ABS-CBN.
Most of us, or practically all of us, stayed, glued to our seats as we watched an episode of hit international kiddie talent-talk show “Little Big Shots.”
The show airs every Saturday and Sunday afternoon on ABS-CBN.
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AMAZING KIDS: “Little Big Shots” celebrates the most talented Filipino children below 12 years old from all over the world.
The episode we watched revealed children not just singing and dancing, but so much, much more. One girl amazed us with her pole dancing. Another with her skill in deboning fish. A wonder boy could tell the name of a continent just by looking at its shape.
Taking centerstage in “Little Big Shots” are kids aged two to 12 years old who have remarkable intellect, showmanship, and abilities.
Some of the Filipino kids showcased in the program have gotten invites from the show’s foreign counterparts for guesting abroad, according to unit head Lui Andrada.
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BILLY WINS THEM: After showing off their special talent, they engage host Billy Crawford in conversation marked by spontaneous banter.
To Billy’s credit, he establishes such wonderful rapport with the children, said to be the most difficult co-actors in a scene as they are natural scene-stealers, next to dogs and other animals.
But, Billy, ever child-like and carefree as a host, holds his own beside the super kids. That’s the reason why he landed the part after ABS-CBN presented his sample video to the show’s foreign producers. Billy was their choice from among several other male hosts considered for the part.
The foreign producers noted that he had the greatest connection with the kids.
It probably helped that Billy was a former child actor, and he knew how to relate to them.
In an interview, Billy said:
“It’s my first time to host a talent show where I am the only person from showbiz, because I usually work with people who are already big shots. But here, you’d be surprised by how the kids carry the show, and I’m here to let their personalities shine.’’
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PHILIPPINE VERSION: ABS-CBN’s “Little Big Shots” is the Philippine version of the show that has been adapted in 20 countries and was created by popular hosts Ellen DeGeneres and Steve Harvey. Steve Harvey hosts the US version, which has aired two successful seasons on NBC.
Some of the other remarkable kids who caught our attention in succeeding shows are: Hoola-hoop dancer Jane Arnado, Hiphop dancer JM Javier, Archer Kat Kho, Kent Abitona (kid with six-pack abs), and Wushu artist Vincent Ventura.