JM Dela Cerna and Marielle Montellano a.k.a. JMielle were in for double the thrill and double the pressure when they learned they’d be transforming into no less than OPM’s ultimate power couple, Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, for Round 3 (Week 5 to 6) of "Your Face Sounds Familiar."
But come the November 9 episode, JM had to face the spotlight solo since Marielle wasn't feeling well and couldn’t perform. However, she still managed to join the mentoring session and rehearse with JM beforehand. Vocal coach Klarisse De Guzman even said Marielle would’ve been the perfect Regine because they share that same bright, crystal-clear tone. Still, Marielle trusted JM to carry the performance on his own.
Wearing a suit reminiscent of Ogie’s wedding outfit, JM transformed solo and poured his heart into the timeless love song "Ikaw Sana." And what better validation that he nailed it than that standing ovation from Ogie himself at the end of his performance? The Chief of OPM remarked that he felt chills throughout the number and personally thanked the "Tawag ng Tanghalan" alum for honoring his song so sincerely.
As Sharon Cuneta pointed out, of course, no one can fully sound like Ogie—he’s in a league of his own—but she also noted that JM had plenty of moments where he really copied Ogie’s unmistakable tone.
Guest judge Klarisse, who sat beside Nyoy Volante that night, said you’d never guess there were last-minute changes to the performance because JM sang so flawlessly it felt like he’d been rehearsing it for three weeks straight. Nyoy added that he honestly thought JM might slip in the rankings since Marielle couldn’t join him, but JM proved he’s not the type to back down and settle for a low score.
Singing? Check. Dancing? Double check! Ogie is an all-around performer who’s got the moves, too. And since he was already face-to-face with his “mini-me” JM, he decided to teach him his signature dance steps, with hosts Vhong Navarro and Jhong Hilario dancing along.
Do not miss an episode of “Your Face Sounds Familiar” every weekend night, 7:15PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z and iWant. Viewers can also catch it on TV5 every Saturday, at 8:15PM, and Sundays, at 8:30 PM.