Fil-Am Teen in the Running for Next Pussycat Doll
by Arianne Magat (excerpts from BalitaNews March 2007)

Eighteen year-old Melissa Reyes portrays everything a Pussycat Doll member embodies: female empowerment, confidence, talent and beauty. Her undeniable abilities in singing and dancing have earned the bubbly Filipino American from Cypress, California a spot as one of nine finalists in the new CW network show, "Search for the New Doll".

Thousands of girls throughout the nation auditioned for the show but were narrowed down to only 18. Last October and November, the 9 finalists spent two months of "boot camp" in a local Los Angeles hotel where they trained and rehearsed songs and dances. Cameras followed them throughout the process, in which the judges later narrowed it down to 9 girls. The final winner, however, will not be announced until another 8 weeks.

According to Robin Antin, the producer of the show and the creator of The Pussycat Dolls, she wanted to add another member because "there could never be enough Pussycats." However, she finds that the show's main purpose is to give a woman an opportunity to accomplish their dream at becoming a star.

Already fans and critics alike have dubbed Reyes as one of their favorites in the shows. "For me, you're the full package," said Mikey Minden, co-choreographer of the Pussycat Dolls. "If I were one of those girls, I would be intimidated."

Melissa is the youngest of three children of Tony and Belle Reyes, both of whom have established successful medical careers in California and are active in the Filipino Ministry and the Marriage Encounter in the Filipino Perspective of which they are chair couple.

She has been performing since the age of 8 and has trained with, among others, the Aldeguer Sisters Performing Arts Center and various other groups. She is represented by Bloc Agency, which also represents the dancers of Justin Timberlake among other top performers.