What could be more daunting than performing as your idol? Well, for Vivoree Esclito, embodying Sarah Geronimo was a challenge meant for her to shine.
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Taking on pop star royalty can be quite the daunting task in any circumstance, even when being made into one’s own. But what more when challenged to fully live out a living legend in a performance forever etched as a pop culture phenomenon? It was a baptism of fire for the assemblage of artists taking part of the new season of Your Face Sounds Familiar, but for young actress Vivoree Esclito, this was her rite of passage. After all, her debut was no small task, because the icon she was impersonating? Sarah Geronimo.
Vivoree was certainly up to the challenge, even promising to be more “palaban.” That said, it couldn’t have been more fitting that she was assigned to portray Sarah Geronimo. “Idol ko po talaga ‘yan,” she reveals. Always bringing a sense of grit and grace to her performances, anything Sarah Geronimo does is meant for the tough and brave. From her mentoring sessions with Nyoy Volante and Jed Madela, Vivoree Esclito very much step up to the plate, proving that she is definitely in it to win it. “Sana ma-embody ko na ang Sarah Geronimo,” she says.
And embody she did.
Vivoree Channels Sarah Geronimo
With the premiere of Your Face Sounds Familiar, the sweet and charming Vivoree Esclito was nowhere to be found. Instead, emerging from a curtain of smoke and lights was her take on Sarah Geronimo, wearing the actual electric blue and white-feathered Neric Beltran original the pop star wore for her Tala Nation performance in January last year.
A determined Vivoree blazed through the melody and movements of the unparalleled hit that is Tala, proving that she is one to watch out for. Singing live and executing the signature choreography that is by no means simplified, she certainly came into her own in this performance—fierce and feisty, no less. Understandable as it is, the judges sensed initial nervousness from her. But with her strong overall showing, it she made a strong impression to the trio of Gary V, Ogie Alcasid, and Sharon Cuneta. The audience responded very well, too, because on that day, this number was a trending topic on social media.
For any wide-eyed wonder, this was a moment to reach for the stars—and she sure did. Making the moment all her own, under the guise of Sarah Geronimo, Vivoree Esclito was a shining force all throughout. Here, she finally made it known, that we should all be keeping an eye out for her even more, because clearly, she is a star.
