fIipto's video: Wowowee In Sun Winnipeg Newspaper

Philippines extravaganza to blow into town By ROSS ROMANIUK, SUN MEDIA A bit more of the colour and culture of the Philippines is about to hit Winnipeg. And much of the game-show-loving world may be watching. Wowowee, a television show which has taken the Philippines by storm since 2005, will bring its musical mega-production to MTS Centre on Sept. 28. The event will be the first and so far only Canadian stop for the variety and game program, which features colourful costumes, unusual contests, big prizes and a whole lot of dancing -- often for several hours at a time. "It's kind of like hockey in Canada," Ron Cantiveros, publisher of Winnipeg's Filipino Journal, said of Wowowee's phenomenal popularity in the Philippines and around the world, where it's seen via satellite. "It's a fairly long show. People are dancing and singing for prizes. People sing, dance and go crazy." After occasionally touring the U.S. with shows in centres such as New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco, the program hosted by Willie Revillame -- a huge star in his Asian country -- is expected to draw one of Winnipeg's largest-ever gatherings of Filipinos, with tickets ranging in price from $28 to $143. "The show is really exciting -- even if it's on for six hours," said 14-year-old Maree Rodriguez of Winnipeg, who has top-price seats with her mother on MTS Centre's floor. "There are games, prizes and dancing. A lot of dancing." Wowowee, however, has not been free of controversy. A massive rush for tickets at a Philippines arena in 2006 spurred a stampede that killed more than 70 people, many of whom had camped out for days.