Music Review: Fun for Pinoys of all ages at Hi-5's Manila show 

Fans of the Aussie children's TV show, with the same name as the group, say Hi-5 Island is the most fun-filled place in the world. It sure became the choice destination and the theme of Hi-5’s Philippine holiday show held at the Mall of Asia Centerstage, on the weekend of December 15 and 16, 2012. 

 

The five members of the Australian children’s pop music group, came to Manila to embark on a musical adventure with their Filipino audience.

 

The whole gang, Stevie, Tim, Casey, Lauren and their newest member Dayen surprised their young crowd with a stage set with big waves, penguins, bubbles and other colorful displays that added to the children’s delight.

   

Hi-5, an Australian television program that first aired in 1999, has been charming children of all ages through educational trends that are disguised as fun games, music and movement. Through its cast members, who act as unconventional teachers,  Hi-5 has always aimed to cater to the wide range of cognitive abilities and learning style of each kid that watches the show.

 

Each Hi-5 show is built around a simple theme, like colors, machines, adventure among others. While the songs and music have always been their preferred method of teaching, in the Manila show, the theme was that of setting sail on a quest to find their final destination: Hi-5 Island.

 

As the group drifted on their ship called Happy Parrot, the stage transformed into a pop extravaganza. The show was not short of props: there were icebergs and penguins when the group was stranded on icy shores, and then it turned into a tropical adventure as they neared their destinaiton.

   

There was also a lot of audience interaction. The cast threw questions at the crowd, kids were also asked to join in their songs and dance, on several instances, members of the group would reach out and give their fans a--what else?--high-five! All these thrilled the youngsters, but what was perhaps the crowd favorite was an unexpected “Gangnam Style” dance number. The quintet excited the Manila audience all the more with their rendition of Psy's hit song.

 

Hi-5’s Manila visit also made it possible for the group to reach out to the children of Balsa, Malabon City. Together with World Vision, they spent a day with less fortunate kids handing out goodies and giving them a show for free.

 

The Hi-5 holiday show was truly memorable both for their Manila fans and for Hi-5 themselves. As Tim Maddren tweeted: “Thank you Manila for such special memories. Maraming Salamat po!” – KDM, GMA News