By REYMA BUAN-DEVEZA
abs-cbnNEWS.com

Action star Cesar Montano is hosting a show that's on the opposite extreme of "Pinoy Mano-Mano", the reality fighting TV series where Filipino celebrities--willing to risk damage to their good looks--faced off in the ring ala UFC or The Ultimate Fighter.

Now, instead of trying to bash each other's face in, contestants in the Filipino franchise of "The Singing Bee" will sing their hearts out and risk damaging listeners' ear drums.

Seriously, though, the whole competition is all about fun: contestants are not pressured to sing in tune but have to know the correct lyrics. "The Singing Bee," a franchise from Zeal Entertainment, is essentially a videoke contest combined with a spelling bee.

A live band called the Bandble Bee, headed by Musical Director Mel Villena, plays the tunes players will sing, while sexy dancers, known as the Honeybees, groove to it.

Just like a quiz bee, players will test their knowledge and hurdle several rounds before making it as a Singing Bee Champion.

Actor-musician
“Everyone can sing with us every night even if they don’t have a good singing voice. I am sure the viewers will enjoy ‘The Singing Bee’ since most Filipinos love to sing,” said Montano.

The actor also recalled how he fell in love with the guitar, his favorite instrument.

“I love playing the guitar. In fact, I had my first one when I was in grade school but I learned how to play it when I was already a teenager since all my friends play instruments. I used to play in front of people and have gigs back then,” Montano said.

In 2000, Montano released a solo recording album under Star Records entitled “Subok Lang” with ten tracks, mostly acoustic ballads.

It is because of his interest and passion for music that he immediately accepted the offer to host “The Singing Bee.”

He is now the Philippine counterpart of former N’Sync member Joey Fatone in the show’s US edition.

Mechanics
"The Singing Bee" challenges contestants right away in the first round, aptly called "To Bee Continued".

The Bandble Bee begins by playing a particular song.  When the band stops, the player must sing the next line with the correct lyrics.

The first four studio players to answer it right move on to the second round, called "JumbleBee",  where they must sing the lyrics rights using the jumbled words flashed on the screen.

Only two will proceed to the third round called "Showdown."  They take turns in completing the chorus of their respective songs correctly. Whoever wins this round will be hailed the Singing Bee Champion and get the chance to play in the Final Countdown.

In the jackpot round, seven songs will be played. The player must sing the lyrics of the next line correctly. Every correct answer corresponds to P20,000. If he gets 5 out of 7 songs, the player wins P1 million.  If he makes three mistakes, the game is over.
 
Catch the premiere telecast of “The Singing Bee,” on Monday night, April 21 after “Kung Fu Kids” on ABS-CBN.