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| Krista Kleiner: 2010 Miss Philippines International on concert tour with Julio Iglesias |
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The Ballad of a Beauty Queen
Krista will represent the Philippines in the Miss International Pageant to be held in Shanghai, China later this year. In the summer of 2008, the 5’9" willowy Krista won major honors at the annual US-Philippines Expo in Fairplex, Pomona. Eight months later, she took a step towards a career in showbiz in the Philippines. Acouple of weeks after her she won the Miss International title, she was discovered by internationally-acclaimed balladeer Julio Iglesias and was promptly asked to join his troupe.
She related that Julio Iglesias invited around nine Miss Philippines International contestants to a dinner at the Araneta’s family home in Manila. Later on, they were asked to demonstrate their singing and dancing talents at a hotel in Manila. "He (Julio) called me over and began interviewing me and asked me questions about my family, my interests, my work, my training, and after those, he asked me if Iwould be willing to tour with him for about a month, and Isaid, "of course," and he said okay.Mr. Iglesias then asked Krista to perform with him at his show in Araneta Coliseum and she did. "He had me dance a solo number as a back-up dancer; very sexy Latin-type dancing, and once he saw me perform, after the show, he asked to speak [with] my mom and I, and he asked me to join him, not just for one month, because now, he wanted me to join him for three months." Krista thought about the offer for a few hours, and with her parents’ blessings, agreed to Julio’s offer. "
Ireally wanted to take this opportunity, even though it was nerve-wrecking," Krista revealed. "Everything was happening so fast; Iwouldn’t let this opportunity pass me by, so Iinformed him the next day that Iwas willing, and he told me to get myself ready, pack up, because in a day or two we would be leaving for Australia.Krista’s talents in singing and dancing were showcased in a two-week tour of Asia, including sold-out performances in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, Japan, and shows in Maui and Honolulu, Hawaii. "
The auditoriums were all first-class, and the shows were attended by high class people; and they were all sold-out," Krista relates. "The crowds were encouraging and very supportive. Ienjoyed the tour, being in different countries, getting a feel of the cultures, the vibe, and it’s just amazing." She says of Julio: "He’s so experienced and so smart, and Ilearned much from speaking with him."Now that the Asian tour is over, Krista will be leaving her Fullerton, California home to prepare for the remaining segments of Julio Iglesias’s World Tribute Concert Tour. "In about a week, we are going to start training in his (Iglesias’) home in Miami (Florida) [and] the Dominican Republic," Krista shared. Part of their itinerary includes a show in Egypt, Morocco, Canada, New York, Las Vegas, Nevada, and selected cities in California. These performances can be seen at Julio Iglesias’s website.Leaving her family behind in the United
States, Krista plunged herself in the vortex of Philippine showbiz – with all its intrigues -- and learned the hard way how to compete and to make friends in a country where she stood out like a sore thumb. It was bad enough that she looked very American; it was worse that her name was very Caucasian sounding.| < Prev | Next > |
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