The Time Is Ripe For Direk Mel Feliciano

He enters the studio and promptly gets to work, checking on the OB-van first. The audio and studio lights come next, and finally, the stage and the performers. Having done due diligence, he settles into the Director's Chair, satisfied, and on cue, he signals for the take to begin.

“Direk” is Mel Feliciano, a familiar face in noontime and primetime television. Having trained under the best directors in the land throughout his 30-year career, he’s now ready for his very first directorial job helming TV5’s Sing Galing, which is set to make a comeback on Philippine television on April 5, 2021, after 16 years.

 "Hindi pwedeng uupo na lang ako doon, [tapos] 'Take tayo' -- hindi ganu’n," he says of his directing style.

 It's really no surprise that he has this hands-on attitude, having worked in the industry for three decades as a choreographer, stage director and floor director, but Mel really started out as a dancer.

 "Hindi dati uso ang mga recording company dancers. Ang uso noon, ‘yung mga night club sa Dewey Boulevard," he explains. In the ‘70s, he says he auditioned for and got accepted as a dancer at Wells Fargo, a popular night club along Dewey Boulevard (now Roxas Boulevard).

 "Doon ako nagpunta at nag-audition para makatulong ako sa mother ko, para [hindi na ako hihingi ng] baon, at the same time, nag-aaral ako," he adds. Life was hard for him and his six siblings, who were raised singlehandedly by their mother Grace after their father died.

"Nag-audition ako sa Discorporation Dancers, ‘yun ‘yung Donna Summer ang mga music nila. From there, nakakatulong na ako sa magulang ko, di na nahihirapan Mama ko kasi meron na kaming mga show, ‘yung ‘Seeing Stars with Joe Quirino,’ ‘Superstar,’ ‘Student Canteen,’" recalls Mel.

Thanks to his brother Zaldy, whom he credits to be the real dancer in the family, Mel got his first stint as a recording company dancer under Dyna Dancers. He later joined The Alma Moreno Dancers, which is how he met and got the chance to work with Comedy King Dolphy in 1978.

"Si Dolphy, tinuruan niya ako maging choreographer ng pelikula, pagtingin sa camera, mag-cut-to-cut, and in the long run, nagustuhan na ako ng Regal, kinuha na ako ng Seiko, ng Viva, Sampaguita Pictures. ‘Yung mga nagsasayawan sa beach sa mga pelikula? Ako ang gumagawa noon."

There was no stopping Mel’s career from flourishing from that point on, as he became the choreographer for “Eat! Bulaga” in 1984, when the noontime show still aired over RPN9.

Solid Gold Dancers

While he learned stage direction from respected TV directors like Bert de Leon, Lito Calzado, Robert Tongco, Al Quinn, and Ding Bolanos, another opportunity came up for Mel.

"Tinawagan ako ng OctoArts. I think it was Ricky Ilacad, sabi n’ya, 'Magtayo ka ng grupo. Ipangalan natin Solid Gold Dancers,’" says Mel, who was an upcoming choreographer up to that point.

"Ang Solid Gold Dancers, makakapag-back-up ng artista nang walang rehearsals. Makakagawa kami ng impromptu na sayaw sa ibabaw ng stage nang walang rehearsals. Ang ginagawa ko lang, may library ako ng sayaw. Ganu’n ako mag-choreograph noon. Tapos kami in two hours kasi ang bilis nilang mag-catch up,” he says proudly of his dancers.

Their signature dance move? "Magaling mag-lifting,” says Mel, referring to acrobatic-like movements where they lift a member off the floor and catch her. “D’yan kami sumikat nang husto. Maricel Soriano, Snooky, Alma Moreno, Dina Bonnevie – ‘yan ‘yung mga ‘pinagtatapon’ namin noong panahon."

With 100 dancers from the first batch in 1984 to the fourth batch that last performed in ABS-CBN’s noontime show ASAP in the 2000s, Solid Gold Dancers had a total of 100 members.

Game shows and musical variety shows

In the early ‘90s, game shows and musical variety shows became the trend on TV.  As dancer-choreographer-stage director for the Sunday noontime show “Sa Linggo nAPO Sila,” Mel learned everything he could from directors Vic de Guzman, Danny Caparas, and Laurenti Dyogi.

When “ASAP” premiered in 1995, Mel was again tapped to join the production crew under director Johnny Manahan, popularly known in the industry as Mr. M.

Putting together a game show was something Mel had to learn too under director Bobet Vidanes, as it required a different discipline altogether. This genre paved the way for some of the most memorable shows the network has produced, from “The Singing Bee” to “Game Ka Na Ba?”

Incidentally, during Edu Manzano’s stint as “Game Ka Na Ba?” host, Mel achieved another feat as the choreographer behind the famous “Papaya” dance craze which not only trended nationwide, but also in different countries, even getting featured in the U.S. TV program “Good Morning America.”

Through shows like “Wowowee,” “Umagang Kay Ganda,” and “It's Showtime,” Mel honed his craft even more in the last twenty years.

Back on TV with Sing Galing

Before the pandemic struck, Mel had already retired from TV. Using some of his savings, he set up a water refilling station and QualiTea, a milk tea business. He had resigned himself to the idea that this was it for him, which was okay, because he could spend more time with his wife, choreographer May Francisco, and their kids Fiona, Diego, and baby Maxi. But then, the call from “Sing Galing” came.

"Nu’ng sinabi sa akin na director [ang trabaho], hindi ako nagdalawang-isip," Mel says. Getting such an offer after he had already gone into retirement, and in the middle of a pandemic at that, is so much more than he could have asked for.

"Lahat ng bagay na ginagawa natin, hindi tayo ‘yung nasusunod. Kung ano ‘yung God’s perfect time, ‘yun ‘yung mangyayari sa ‘yo," he says.

Life lessons

Mel says he is extremely grateful to the management of “Sing Galing” for their belief and trust.

"Gusto ko talagang magpasalamat sa Cignal at TV5. Asahan nila na hindi sila mabibigo. Lahat ng natutunan at pinag-aralan ko for 30 years, ilalagay ko lahat sa ‘Sing Galing.’"

Asked about the secret to longevity in the showbiz industry, Mel, 60, says that in all his years in production work, "Wala akong nakitang 'sikreto.'

"Sa trabaho namin, wala namang mahirap. May mahirap, pero pwede namang ituro. Ang pinakamahirap, ‘yung pakikipag-kapwa tao mo. ‘Yun ang pinaka-importante sa akin. ‘Pag meron kang respeto sa tao, ang lakas ng ibabato nila sa iyo na respeto.

“‘Yung ina-acknowledge mo ‘yung ginagawa nila, ang laking bagay sa kanila ‘yun."

"Naikutan ko lahat, from sayawan, drama, comedy. Isa lang talaga ang importante sa buhay ng tao: ‘yung pakikisama.”

Catch the premiere of Sing Galing on April 5, 2021, 6:30 pm on TV5.