MANILA ? The best part about being away from home is ? coming home. My two-month North American tour is over and I?m writing this on the flight back to the Philippines.

I had an absolute blast performing across the United States and Canada. The audiences were all fantastic! To everyone who came to watch, thank you all so very much.

Though the tour in its entirety was great, there are a few things that stand out in my mind, moments that I will not soon forget.

We are family

At just about every single stop, there was at least one family member or best friend in attendance. I can count with the fingers of one hand the cities where there was no one that I knew.

That minimized the loneliness factor that usually accompanies a tour. It was as if God was watching over me via those loved ones, who also brought food backstage (my Aunt Jutay in Texas brought her three-bean salad and ?beyond the grave? chicken salad to my Austin concert); watched my daughter backstage when our yaya couldn?t be there (thanks, Ate Grace from Toronto, and it was great meeting your Ila, too!); took me to lunch or dinner (Kuya Arnel, Ate Len and Auntie Lourdes, old high school friends Danny, Ria and teacher Luchie); or just hung out (the Imutans from Stockton, Ca.).

Beautiful venues

The venues were darn good. We played a couple of old houses and many new ones. All were nicely fitted as far as equipment was concerned, but my jaw dropped in awe of some performance spaces:

1) Cerritos Performing Arts Center. It was my second time performing here. I love the acoustics, and just how pretty the house is?from the seats to the chandeliers.

2) Tarrytown Music Hall. A lovely little theater only an hour away from Manhattan. Because it was built before the time of amplification, even the slightest whisper can be heard in the back row.

3) The Venue at Horseshoe Casino (Hammond, Indiana). This place was built especially for live events, and it shows.

4) Paramount Theater (Austin). Said to be one of the original Paramount Theaters in the US. As with a lot of older houses, the acoustics are amazing, and there was obviously much care put into the construction and interior design.

5) Pechanga Casino (Temecula, California). This is so beautiful! It?s a very new theater, and built very well. I also like that the casino allows kids to watch shows here.

New Aladdins

In November 2005, I asked an audience member to sing ?A Whole New World? with me in Carnegie Hall. Since then I?ve periodically called someone to the stage whenever it felt right. On this last tour I did that at every single performance. That meant a brand new Aladdin every night.

For the most part, a young (or young-at-heart) gentleman would volunteer, but from time to time we?d get a curve ball thrown in our direction! At one performance, a young lady came up; at another, seven people! It was a challenge subdividing the song so that everyone could get a turn at the microphone, but it was such fun!

I learned later that one ?Aladdin? had been told by his doctors that he would never speak, much less sing, ever again. His name is Aristotle and he?s from Toronto, and he shared this on Twitter. I was flabbergasted by this, and totally inspired. So, Aristotle, though you said thanks, let me thank you back for being an inspiration. You rock!

One more thing: Every single Filipino volunteer who came up on stage was nothing short of amazing. Magaling talagang umawit ang mga Pilipino.

Again, again

As this moment I have bookings for 2010 (a reading in February, a three-week cabaret engagement in March, and ?Cats? in Manila in July), and I already have requests for 2011 from many of the venues that I?ve performed at this year. Hurray!

Congratulations

To the cast and crew of Repertory Philippines? production of ?Sweeney Todd,? congratulations!

If you haven?t seen it, I urge you to go. This is one of Stephen Sondheim?s best, and one of my favorite musicals to listen to. I myself can?t wait to see it.

Congratulations also to Gerard Salonga and the members of FILharmoniKA! Yes, Ger, I know it?s hard music, but when did you ever shirk from a challenge?

My website is undergoing an overhaul. Watch this space for its unveiling date.