The big audience turnout exceeded the expectations of the organizers of the celebrity premiere of “New Moon” on Nov. 19 at the Promenade’s Cinema 3 that some movie and TV personalities ended up sitting in monoblock chairs that were brought in to accommodate the SRO crowd.

Pre-screening program hosts Bianca Lapus and Sherilyn Reyes explained that the people behind the event didn’t foresee the sizeable attendance but went on with the show just the same.

Thankfully, the celebrity guests were cooperative. For instance, Janno Gibbs and his teenage daughters Alyssa and Gaby quietly waited in a corner until seats were found for them.

Valerie Concepcion, with her toddler Fiona, patiently went around the theater looking for a place to sit and ended up in one of the plastic chairs placed at the back. Jennifer Sevilla and Matet de Leon, accompanied by their husbands, also didn’t mind their improvised seats.

Everybody just wanted the movie to start.

“New Moon” is the highly anticipated movie based on the second book from Stephenie Meyer’s hugely popular “Twilight” series whose story revolves around the romance between teenager Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). 

The audience – from showbiz or not – reacted favorably to the movie released locally by Pioneer Films. Regular screenings started on Nov. 20 to coincide with the U.S. release.

Other celebrities spotted during the Promenade premiere in Greenhills, San Juan, include spouses Gelli de Belen and Ariel Rivera, Gary Estrada and Bernadette Allyson, William Martinez and Yayo Aguila, and Mark Lapid and Tanya Garcia. 

Chynna Ortaleza was with her fellow GMA-7 talents and boyfriend Railey Valeroso while Isabel Oli, also of the Kapuso network, sat in another section with non-showbiz companions. Ditto for Aiza Marquez, Manuel Chua, Jackie Aquino, among others.