PHNO-SB:: CHARICE ON 'GLEE': CUTIE CHARACTER IS REALLY ME / MANILA: RICK LO'S REPORT

CHARICE ON 'GLEE': CUTIE CHARACTER IS REALLY ME / MANILA: RICK LO'S REPORT
MANILA, SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 (MTV) By Jocelyn Vena (@jocelyn1212) , with reporting by Jim Cantiello (@jambajim) - Charice Loves Her 'Cutie' Character On 'Glee' 'It's really me. I love it,' rising pop star says of her 'Glee' character, Sunshine Corazon.
Charice might be one of the new faces on "Glee," but she certainly isn't new to fans of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" or pop aficionados in her native Philippines. On Tuesday, she made her big debut on the hit Fox show as exchange student Sunshine Corazon, a possible rival to Rachel Berry. And after seeing her bathroom "Telephone" duet with Lea Michele, it seems like now is a good time to find out just how the "Pyramid" singer got the high-profile gig.
When MTV News caught up with Charice at the show's season-two premiere party earlier this month, she dished on getting her mom to make the fateful call. "It was like three months ago, and my mom and I were talking about it, and so she talked to my manager," she recalled. " 'Glee' 's my favorite show, and so we tried. We talked to Ryan [Murphy]. I sang for [him] but I never expected that I would be a part of it. And I found out on Twitter. I was like, 'This is not true,' so after 30 minutes, I got an e-mail from them [saying], 'Congratulations.' "
What is it like to be one of the new kids at McKinley High?
"I love all the cast. They actually really gave me a warm welcome when I was on the set," she said. "I love my character. It's really me. It's very Charice, because I love wearing glasses kind of nerdy kind of cutie, fashionable clothes and all that. It's really me. I love it."
Charice shines in 'Glee' debut By Ricky Lo (The Philippine Star) Updated September 23, 2010 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - No, Charice didn't disappoint her fans around the world, particularly her kababayan, in her debut on the second season of the hit comedy-musical series Glee, which premiered yesterday, viewed by probably everybody in the Philippines, some of them in Metro malls which aired the ETC and Jack TV telecast on the big screen.
As the nerd Filipino exchange student named Sunshine Corazon, Charice only had a few speaking lines, but she acquitted herself impressively well, delivering her dialogue in smooth English with hardly any accent and acting very naturally. She expressed her feelings with the right facial expression.
But she was drop-dead stunning when she sang two songs in the three short scenes she appeared in, first Lady Gaga and Beyonce's Telephone in the toilet scene where she's encouraged by Rachel Berry (INSET IN PHOTO AT LEFT) , the lead character played by Lea Michele, to join the glee club, only for Rachel to retract when she recognized Sunshine as a competition.
As Sunshine Corazon, Charice was shown wearing a pair of nerdy eyeglasses, a red blouse under a vest and denim short, with a Hello Kitty backpack.
Rachel told Sunshine: "You are a foreign exchange student named Sunshine Corazon because you're from the Philippines where it's sunny every day."
Sunshine answered: "Except during the monsoon."
Then she proceeded to sing Telephone which floored Rachel.
Charice, who turned 18 last May, was one of the three new cast members introduce in Glee's pilot episode, together with Chord Overstreet (as Sam Evan) and Dot –Marie Jones (as Shannon Beastie, the football coach).
In her first scene, Charice was shown with members of the New Directions, McKinley High School's glee club, performing Jay-Z and Alicia Key's Empire State of Mind as a way of attracting new recruits.
In her third scene, Charice was shown singing Beyonce's Listen (from Dreamgirls, the Broadway play and movie), wearing a black beret, black blouse and short skirt. She sang with a voice so powerful that New Directions members gave a jaw-dropping reaction, prompting a member to exclaim, "Wow, welcome to the glee club!"
However, Charice was recruited not by New Directions but by the rival group Vocal Adrenalin.
Charice really made Filipinos proud.
Lea Salonga watched the show and tweeted: "Sunshine Corazon is the name of Charice's character in Glee, in honor of the late Pres. Corazon Aquino?"
Charice's Filipino colleagues congratulated Charice via the Twitter.
From Angelica Panganiban: "Charice ibang level! Kasama lang kita dati sa dressing room! Pinapanood ka na ngayon sa Glee. Proud kami sayo!"
From Tim Yap: "Goosebymps all over because of Charice. Go, Pinoy!"
Anne Curtis: "Congrats, Charice, for making so many Pinoys proud today!!! Such an amazing achievement! One day I know magiging ka-boses din kita!"
Tim Stack, said to be a member of the Hollywood press, was all praise for Charice. An excerpt from Stack's review: "I wanted to stand up and cheer, but that seemed odd given that I was sitting alone in my office watching this episode. And Charice wasn't even singing live! Holy tiny lady! And she was wearing a beret! It was just all too good! Even the reactions from the crowd were fantastic, especially Rachel's attempt to hold it together."
In an earlier interview with Fox. Charice said, "Sunshine is very, very Charice. She's simple and shy. Sunshine Corazon is a very amazing character and I can just relate to her."
After yesterday's airing of Glee, Charice thanked her kababayan via her Twitter for watching and for giving her all the support.

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