Featured art by Glacianne Lacerna. With images courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
MANILA, Philippines — Bagets has long remained one of Philippine cinema’s most iconic coming-of-age films, etched in the pantheon of Filipino pop culture. Audiences, to this day, still remember the vibrant dynamic of the barkada, the school scenes, the prom sequence, and the way the film captured the feeling of being young in the ‘80s. The characters Adie, Topee, Tonton, Arnel, and Gilbert have lived on in popular culture, and the movie continues to be discovered by new generations.
With its upcoming stage adaptation, the creative team offers audiences a new, due focus on the five women behind the leads’ journey. This time, the ermats, or mothers of the original barkada move from the sidelines to the center of the story in “Bagets: The Musical”.
The musical presents a spectrum of ’80s Filipina womanhood—working moms, high society wives, single parents, hustlers, and creatives. Once beloved supporting characters, they now emerge as layered and vulnerable, grappling with the same themes that remain relevant today: the mental load of mothers, the fear of failing her child, the struggle to communicate, and the hope for healing.
A talented line-up of actresses brings these characters to life including Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Virgie (Adie’s mother), Neomi Gonzales as Anna (Topee’s mother), Kakai Bautista and Natasha Cabrera alternating as Delia (Tonton’s mother), Mayen Bustamante-Cadd as Ditas (Arnel’s mother), and Ring Antonio as Luz (Gilbert’s mother).
Official poster courtesy of Newport World Resorts
Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Virgie (Mother of Adie)
(L-R) Andres Muhlach and Mico Hendrix Chua as Adie. Images courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
Virgie is the quintessential ’80s working mother: educated, busy, and always on the move. Carla Guevara-Laforteza approaches the role with grounded realism, drawing from her own life as a mother: “I have to find myself in the character so that it is genuine.”
As a multi-award winning performing artist, she brings three decades of acclaimed theater work to the role, having graced the international theater scene with roles such as Kim and Gigi in the original West End production of “Miss Saigon” at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, as the club singer and Flo Manero for the Asian tour of “Saturday Night Fever”, and as one of the official vocalists for the “Disney in Concert” tour around Asia, to name a few.
In the Philippines, she has starred in original Filipino musicals which include “Ang Huling El Bimbo“, “Joseph the Dreamer”, “Rak of Aegis”, “IBARRA the Musical”, “One More Chance: The Musical,” “Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical”, “3 Stars and a Sun”, “The Quest for the Adarna”, “Come from Away”, and “Into The Woods”. She has also staged her first major solo concert at the CCP as part of the “Triple Threat Series” in 2024 to celebrate her 30 years in the industry.
Neomi Gonzales as Anna (Mother of Topee)
(L-R) Jeff Moses and Sam Shoaf as Topee. Images courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
Anna is a single mother and an ambitious actress played by renowned theater actress, Neomi Gonzales who relates deeply to her exhaustion as a teacher, freelancer, and homemaker: “Mothers are always auditioning: for work, for family, for life.”
Her defining moment is choosing her son over a career-making Brocka film—a dilemma women still face today amidst social pressure and perfection standards.
Stepping into the role, the Gawad Buhay and LEAF Award–winning performer is best known for her roles in “Walang Aray“, “Rak of Aegis”, “One More Chance: The Musical”, “Rose”, “Tabing Ilog The Musical”, “Eto Na: Musikal nAPO sila“, and “Himala: Isang Musikal“, where she also reprised her role as Chayong in the 2024 film adaptation of Isang Himala.
As a long-time PETA artist-teacher, vocal coach, and homeschool mom, Gonzales brings authentic insight into the life of a performer balancing many roles.
Mayen Bustamante-Cadd as Ditas (Mother of Arnel)
(L-R) KD Estrada and Ethan David as Arnel. Images courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
Ditas was raised to prioritize image, tradition, and reputation. Mayen Bustamante-Cadd plays the role with empathy, showing a woman shaped by strict upbringing and societal pressure. Her arc softens when she realizes, “I can love my son even if he’s going against the grain.”
If she lived today, Ditas might thrive with more freedom or struggle with modern pace. One thing is for sure: Her journey towards acceptance remains universal.
For this, the theater actress brings in more than thirty years of professional theater experience from productions such as “Alice in Wonderland”, “Joseph the Dreamer”, “Hairspray”, “The Bluebird of Happiness”, “Come from Away”, and “Going Home to Christmas”.
With her vast experience in the world of acting on stage and on screen, singing, doing VOs and ad jingles, hosting for live events, directing shows and plays, and teaching acting & musical theater to teens and adults, Bustamante-Cadd brings the emotional precision needed to portray a mother learning acceptance in a world evolving faster than she expected.
Ring Antonio as Luz (Mother of Gilbert)
(L-R) Noel Comia, Jr. and Tomas Rodriguez as Gilbert. Images courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
Luz is the ’80s Filipina mother married to a gambling husband and juggling endless side hustles to keep the family afloat. As a single mom of a teenage boy herself, Ring Antonio understands the character’s exhaustion but unrelenting devotion.
Antonio has built more than 15 years of stage experience with roles in Newport World Resorts’ Full House Theater Company productions such as “Delia D.: A Musical featuring songs of Jonathan Manalo”, “Annie”, “Bituing Walang Ningning“, “Priscilla: Queen of the Dessert”, “Cinderella”, “King And I”, “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy: Parokya ni Edgar The Musical”, and “Side Show”.
Her experience as a theater actress and head teacher of Children’s Musical Theater has honed her ability to ground characters in emotional truth as she makes connections with the character and the audience – strengthening Luz’s journey on stage.
Kakai Bautista and Natasha Cabrera as Delia (Mother of Tonton)
(L-R) Migo Valid and Milo Cruz as Tonton. Images courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
Delia is the loud, loving, nagging mom shaped by fear of failing her family. The musical reveals her not as a caricature but as a woman doing her best with the tools she had.
Her awakening arrives during a pivotal confrontation where she realizes that love requires listening, not just protecting.
Kakai Bautista, may have gained recognition for her supporting roles playing comedic or villainous characters in TV shows and movies such as Hello, Love, Goodbye and Four Sisters Before the Wedding, but her career began in theater back in 2000.
For over a decade, she has been a consistent performer in the musical “Rak of Aegis”. Bautista’s achievements, discipline, and work ethics on stage and on screen truly showcases her emotional and comedic versatility.
(L-R) Migo Valid and Milo Cruz as Tonton. Images courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
Natasha Cabrera has appeared in multiple productions like “Delia D.: A Musical Featuring the Songs of Jonathan Manalo”, “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy: Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical”, “Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady”, “Bar Boys The Musical”, and “Ang Huling El Bimbo the Musical”.
She has also played various roles in local productions such as “Lapu-Lapu: Ang Datu ng Mactan”, “Corazon Negro”, “Sandosenang Sapatos“, “Paglayang Minamahal“, “Ding! Ang Bato“, “The Silent Soprano”, “Rizal X”, and “Shock Value”.
A University of the Philippines Theater Arts alumna, and the recipient of the Gawad Kumintang sa Sining sa Larangan ng Teatro from the Batangas Culture and Arts Council in 2024, Cabrera has earned recognition for her vocal power and crisp character work.
“Bagets: The Musical” expands the audience’s view of the narrative by highlighting the mothers’ roles in the lives of the loved barkada. Their experiences and relationships provide a different perspective that complements the original film’s coming-of-age narrative.
Audiences can look forward to new insights when the five mothers—Virgie, Anna, Ditas, Luz, and Delia—step into the spotlight.
A production of Newport World Resorts with Philippine STAR and VIVA Communications, the show is staged by PETA plus led by director Maribel Legarda, playwright J-mee Katanyag, and musical director Vince Lim. This show is also presented in cooperation with Sun Life Philippines.
The highly-anticipated production runs from January 23 to March 2026 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Tickets are now available at Newport World Resorts Box Office, Ticketworld, and Ticket2Me: PHP 4,000 (SVIP), PHP 3,500 (VIP), PHP 3,000 (GOLD), PHP 2,000 (SILVER), and PHP 1,000 (BRONZE).
For inquiries, contact Customer Care at 7908-8888.
Learn more about the artists and the production through VIVA Communications Inc. (@vivaartistsagency), The Philippine STAR (@philippinestar), and Newport World Resorts (@newportworldresorts) on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
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