Audiences may have grown used to seeing Rufa Mae Quinto poke fun at herself and revel in the sheer joy of performing since “Your Face Sounds Familiar” began, but during the ninth round of the competition, she surprised everyone when she did something entirely unexpected—taking her transformation very seriously.
For her portrayal of American pop star Fergie, Rufa Mae set aside her usual hilarious antics and delivered a performance that was restrained, heartfelt, and emotionally charged. While she opened her act with a familiar dose of humor—joking about how low her microphone stand was—she quickly shifted gears and went on to give a standout rendition of ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ that brought OG juror Gary Valenciano, mentor-slash-juror Klarisse de Guzman, and guest celebrity performer and juror Karla Estrada stand up from their seats.
Probably overwhelmed either by the emotions carried by the song to which she was able to connect emotionally or by the positive reception she earned from the jury and the live studio audiences alike, Rufa Mae couldn’t help but get emotional as soon she finished singing the song. Ever the comedian, she brushed it off with a joke, saying she cried because the song was ‘too high’ and because it stirred too many emotions all at once.
As hosts Vhong Navarro and Jhong Hilario quickly pointed out that it was their first time seeing her gazing at the audience and closing her eyes without relying on the teleprompter for lyrics, Rufa Mae confessed that she just thought that it might help her connect more deeply with the song, which apparently worked.
Her close friend Karla couldn’t be happy and proud of her because she was able to finish the song without her getting distracted, as well as proving to everyone that beneath the comedy lies a voice with real quality, especially when she chooses to be serious.
Mentor-judge Klarisse went on to comment on how different she was in this particular performance, as she saw and felt her heart, as well as her commitment and dedication, which makes her genuinely proud of her. She went on to add that among her transformations, this is where her vocals were the most on point, just on the very first note.
OG juror Gary Valenciano, meanwhile, noted how despite her admission during the mentoring sessions that she didn’t know who Fergie was, as well as her little blunder at the beginning of her performance, she still managed to pull it off. He thanked her for showing that she truly has the ability to excel when she puts her full focus into it.
The Comedy Bombshell added that another motivation behind her determination this round was her desire to finally impress Judge Gary, whom she claimed she often noticed shaking his head during her performances. Mr. Pure Energy was quick to defend himself, explaining that it was his way of expressing amazement at her unique and awesome acts.
Karla then reminded her not to lose hope just yet and to continue taking her upcoming transformations seriously, emphasizing that she may still have a fighting chance in the competition.
Catch the amazing transformations of your favorite celebrity performers on “Your Face Sounds Familiar,” Saturdays and Sundays, 7:15PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Channel sa ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL) and iWant.