MANILA, Philippines?The scene has become almost routine?teenage Filipino singer Charice Pempengco wowing an international crowd with her powerful, soaring vocals.

Except that this time, four days ago, she was singing the ?Star Spangled Banner? at the 52nd season-opener of Major League baseball that pitted the Los Angeles Dodgers against arch-rival San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium.

Some 57,000 fans witnessed Pempengco?s performance.

The question is, why was Pempengco, a Filipino, made to sing the American national anthem on US soil?

Pempengco herself was wondering, and smiled while saying that she nevertheless enjoyed the experience in an interview aired on ABS-CBN.

So how did she get the gig? At press time Pempengco?s manager in the Philippines wasn?t so sure whether its her talent was directly invited or her services were offered by her US manager and talent agency.

A blogger in her jennys-corner.com website enthused: ?Wow what an honor for 16-year-old Charice Pempengco to be singing Star Spangled Banner, to think she is not even an American. We are proud of you Charice!?

Powerful talent agency

Pempengco?s career is guided by two groups?one in the Philippines and the other in the United States. All her overseas engagements are decided by Mark Johnson, who is also the manager of Josh Groban. But the one that looks for work for her is Creative Artists Agency (CAA), widely regarded in Hollywood as ?the most powerful talent agency in the world.?

CAA?s talent roster is practically a who?s who of A-listers and stars on film and television, and in music and sports.

They include Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, George Clooney, Drew Barrymore, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Orlando Bloom, Will Ferrell, Will Smith, the ?CSI? franchise, the creators and producers of dozens of shows like ?American Idol,? Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Radiohead, Green Day, LeBron James, David Beckham, Tony Parker?and the person whom Pempengco has acknowledged as the one who has made her dream come true, Oprah Winfrey.

New role

It was CAA that got Pempengco to audition for a part in the live action/computer generated imagery movie ?Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel.?

When Pempengco went to the audition, she thought she was just vying for one of the voice parts. But after singing a few songs and imitating the voices of the three lead Chipmunk characters Alvin, Simon and Theordore, the film?s producers decided to create an entirely new role?Pempengco as herself.

?I was made to play a contravida,? Pempengco told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a previous interview. ?When the Chipmunks join a singing contest, they are pitted against me.?

Pempengco was so happy to find out that in the movie?s credits, she enjoys star billing.

Prior to her guest stint at the Dodgers-Giants game, Pempengco appeared as one of the guests in the season premiere of ?Ti Lascio Una Canzone? (?Leavin? You a Song?), an Italian musical variety show televised from Teatro Ariston in the city of San Remo.

The episode was said to have earned the No. 1 rating of the night, peaking at 55 percent of the viewership share during Pempengco?s finale performance of Beyonce Knowles? ?Listen.?

She returns home to sing the Philippine national anthem at the Independence Day celebration on June 12. With Inquirer Research