“Vina and I play singers from Bohol and we’re supposed to be rivals,” she says. “It’s so nice to work with her dahil nag-abot pa kami noon sa Viva when were teenagers.”
She did several movies with Viva, like “Mumbaki” where she was cast opposite Raymart Santiago. How come she stopped acting? “I had to make a choice. Acting can be very taxing, lalo na when you tape or shoot overnight with all the iyakan and sampalan. Your singing voice gets affected. I chose to focus more on singing.”
She did several musicals, foremost of which is “Avenue Q” where she played dual roles. She just returned from Singapore where they had a sold out two-week run of the hit Broadway show. Her next play will be “Rock of Ages”, which was such a hit when first staged here last June so it’ll have a repeat next year. She’s also recording a new album for Viva.
So how’s married life? “Still adjusting. We had a different kind of life in New York. I clean the house, I cook. Dito, we have a maid, but Carlos doesn’t want a stay-in. It’s hard for him to adjust to having someone in the house who’s a stranger. But when we travel, nagtitipid siya, he doesn’t mind asking strangers if we could share a taxi from the airport to our destination, to split the cost. At siya, ayaw ng aircon, kahit mainit. Ako naman, I love it. So we’re still adjusting. You learn to be more flexible.”
She’s glad she returned at a time when Sexy Chef is expanding and the country is on the upswing. “Sexy Chef now has its own place and commissary in New Manila. My sister Barni, our mom (Myrna de Mauro) and I, tulong-tulong kami as we’re getting more orders for the healthy eats that we offer. We have 11 different programs, depende sa preferences ng mga tao. We get orders from all over Metro Manila and as far as Cavite and Bulacan, lalo na we offer now 20% discount on selected diets. We might soon service Laguna and also Cebu. May nagre-request nga ng special healthy meals for Christmas eve. Sabi ko, Noche Buena naman, just eat what you want. For traditional food, our Mom has her own catering service, Chef Mom’s Delight, just call us at 7217399.”
Any plan for a baby soon? “We’re both so busy it’s not a priority. But kung ibibigay, we’ll welcome a baby. Just like my sister Barni Rennebeck. She got married early this year and they didn’t plan to have a baby but she got pregnant after two months. Now, she’s about to deliver a baby girl, Aria.”
