After addition of Lani, it’s Society of eight

Friday, Aug. 6, 2004 | 8:58 a.m.

The Society of Seven is back -- and this time the seven fabulous entertainers are not alone.

One of Vegas' (and Hawaii's) most popular groups, which has performed at the Las Vegas Hilton, Golden Nugget and Aladdin, will begin an afternoon show at Bally's beginning Saturday.

While they have always performed as one (sort of), the troupe of singers, musicians and impressionists are adding one of the Philippines' most talented vocalists (and impressionists, naturally) to its cast.

And this production might raise the standards for afternoon shows in Vegas.

SOS doesn't need any help in the entertainment department, but the addition of Lani Misalucha certainly enhances an already-outstanding production.

Lani (her stage name) has won award after award, including best singer in the 1998 Asia Song Festival, best female recording performer in the 1999 Aliw Awards (the Philippines' equivalent to the Grammys) and more.

The wife and mother of two stumbled into a career that has made her one of the most popular performers in her native country.

"I was in college, my fourth year," said the stunningly beautiful singer. "A friend of my sister's asked me to stand in for a female member of the (friend's) band -- the girl disappeared, eloped.

"All of a sudden I was singing."

Her business career was forgotten during her steady rise to stardom, which began in Manila in 1989.

"I really never thought that I would be singing professionally," Lani said. "I had other plans for my life. I was thinking of another future after college. This was really an accident."

She performed several engagements with her sister's friend's band, then joined other bands and along the way picked up a number of impressions -- including Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Gladys Knight, Celine Dion and many others.

Lani performed her blend of pop, jazz and R&B in nightclubs and hotels, traveling an entertainment circuit for several years and never considering becoming a recording artist.

She had been asked to record, but she wasn't interested at that stage in her life. She knew what it would mean -- long absences from her young family, plenty of traveling and lots of pressures.

"I wasn't into that idea," Lani said. "I was just enjoying singing with bands, simple things like that. And I was finishing school, singing at night.

"It took awhile for me to be convinced. I knew becoming a recording artist would entail a busy, busy, busy work schedule and I wasn't prepared for that. It wasn't my cup of tea -- I was already married and had my first child by then. I didn't want to be into that really, really showbiz stuff."

She finally came around. In 1996 she made her first record, which was released in January of the following year.

After a few more albums Lani began attracting attention, and within a year of the first record's release she was winning awards.

Lani became aware of SOS at age 8, when one of her uncles saw them perform in Hawaii and told her about them.

A twist of fate brought her to their attention.

Earlier this year Lani and her family were in the United States for a vacation (school was out for the children) and for business (her husband was looking at a couple of business investments).

A mutual friend of SOS suggested Lani attend a performance in Seattle. She decided to go, and SOS, which was aware of the singing sensation, invited her onstage to sing a song.

The room went wild. She sang a second song. And then a third. It didn't take long for SOS to ask her to join.

"They had been an all-male group for so long," she said, "They thought of adding a little twist to the act."

Lani is not merely a featured performer in the show, she is fully integrated into the production.

"I hope I will be with them a long time," she said. "I really enjoy working with them."

Lani says she couldn't be more excited.

"When I left the Philippines I never thought I would be staying for any longer than our vacation," she said.

She had lots of work at home -- two television shows, recording, performing.

But now, almost four months later, she and her family are living in Las Vegas.

She says it is all by accident.

"Just like the first thing that happened to me when I started in show business," Lani said.