Rufa Mae Quinto brought the house down with her incandescent finale performance on "Your Face Sounds Familiar: The Grand Showdown," channeling American pop icon Katy Perry.
Decked out in an extravagant costume, which was a nod to Katy's 'Prismatic World Tour' look, Rufa Mae performed "Firework” in full concert mode. And because she wasn't not holding anything back, everyone in the studio savored the moment and danced in their places too. The prod ended with a well-deserved standing ovation as fireworks burst on the sides of the stage.
After her very "todo" act, though, she switched back to what she does best—throwing punchlines. She was more than game to play along jokes about her past with Erik Santos, who happened to be in the panel. Nudged by the KaFamiliars, Erik came up to the stage as he shared his comments, praising Rufa Mae for her remarkable growth from Round 1 to the Grand Showdown. "For someone na hindi talaga forte ang performing, kasi alam natin ang forte niya pagpapatawa, at medyo mahiyain pagdating sa performing, I think you did great hindi lang ngayon kundi sa buong season na 'to," Erik told Rufa Mae. "Napasaya niya tayong lahat."
Mentor and guest judge Klarisse de Guzman echoed Erik's thoughts on Rufa Mae's improvement. "Siguro ikaw 'yung pinaka-least experienced pagdating sa pagkanta dito sa kanilang lahat, pero alam mo, ikaw ang laging pinakamalakas ang hiyawan," said Klarisse. "Ikaw ang naging firework talaga dito," she added, thanking the Comedy Bombshell for the fun and entertainment she brought to the show. "Ikaw 'yung isa sa mga rason kung bakit naging memorable 'tong season na 'to."
Juror Gary Valenciano, meanwhile, described the performance as "parang apoy na sumasabog," and said that Rufa Mae's greatest strength as a performer is her gift to light up a room effortlessly. "It's naturally who you are," expressed Gary.
When it comes to spreading good vibes, Rufa Mae is in a league of her own, never scared to deliver performances that are unfiltered fun—"laro" as Gen Zs would put it—and keeping the energy nonstop all season long. Because of this, she was presented with the "Ultimate Good Vibes Award" from "Your Face Sounds Familiar." Pepe Herrera, formerly one of the celebrity performers, handed her the plaque.
A grateful Rufa Mae expressed that at the end of the day, all that mattered to her was making everyone happy.
