Featured image courtesy of NWR Musicals.
MANILA, Philippines — Following months of all-out preparations to go with the media hype, Bagets The Musical opened to a packed theater at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Newport World Resorts on January 23, quickly tailed by more sold out shows on its first weekend, marking a successful debut for the stage adaptation inspired by the 1984 coming-of-age film.
The musical, as was made popular by its cast of ’80s lead stars, follows Adie, Topee, Arnel, Tonton, and Gilbert through live performance and Original Pilipino Music. The opening week performances drew audiences across different age groups, including longtime Bagets fans and theatergoers discovering the barkada story for the first time.
The cast of Bagets The Musical take a bow on opening night. Image courtesy of NWR Musicals.
As previously announced, the lead roles are shared by ten young performers alternating across performance dates. Noel Comia Jr. and Tomas Rodriguez portray Gilbert. Milo Cruz and Migo Valid alternate as Tonton. Ethan David and KD Estrada portray Arnel. Jeff Moses and Sam Shoaf alternating roles as Topee while Mico Hendrix Chua and Andres Muhlach take on Adie.
Taking center stage in amplifying the heart and, not to mention, the humor to the story are the ermats, or the mothers of the barkada, with the musical enlisting the help of acclaimed stage mainstays. Neomi Gonzales plays Ana, the mother of Topee. Kakai Bautista and Natasha Cabrera alternate as Delia, the mother of Tonton. Mayen Cadd portrays Ditas, the mother of Arnel. Ring Antonio takes on the role of Luz, the mother of Gilbert. Carla Guevara Laforteza plays Virgie, the mother of Adie.
All out support for Andres Muhlach as he takes on the role of Adie, previously played by father Aga Muhlach. Images courtesy of NWR Musicals.
On opening night, a full circle moment was enjoyed not just by Muhlach, who crosses over from acting for the small and big screens to the stage, taking on the character played and made iconic by his father, but by Aga Muhlach himself, who sees his career-making role adapted to an entirely new medium of creative expression come to life. The original Adie then walked the stage to join his son on curtain call. Joining him in the audience for the production’s opening show are wife Charlene Gonzales-Muhlach and daughter-actress Atasha Muhlach.
Staged with PETA Plus, the musical is led by director Maribel Legarda, playwright J-mee Katanyag, and musical director Vince Lim.
Official poster courtesy of NWR Musicals.
Bagets The Musical runs until March 2026 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Tickets are now available online at https://tickets.newportworldresorts.com/products/bagets-the-musical and all Ticketworld and Ticket2Me outlets priced at: 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.
Don't Miss
