For sixteen years, the integrated resorts’ award-winning Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT) has long stood its ground to offer a front row vantage point of harnessing and watching Filipino talent grow.
Home to Filipino creativity
When NPAT opened its doors in 2009, it was envisioned as a premier destination for large-scale performances. The 1,710-seat auditorium, designed by Joseph Sy, set a new benchmark for local venues.
Complementing the venue, with its massive LED backdrop, top-tier acoustics, and refined interiors, NPAT quickly earned accolades, including the 2011 Perspective Award and the title of Best Theatrical Venue.
Image courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
From Broadway to the West End and beyond
Early on in its mission in bringing world-renowned productions to Filipino audiences, Newport World Resorts made a splash with grand, family-friendly productions that brought Broadway and West End magic to Manila.
“Kaos”, in 2010–2011, was an original Filipino-produced extravaganza blending musical theater with acrobatics and magic, that opened the NPAT in spectacular fashion. This was followed by beloved classics “The Sound of Music” (2011–2012), “The King and I” (2012–2013), “Cinderella” (2013), and the vibrant “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (2014)–all gracing the NPAT stage, championing all-Filipino cast in world-class adaptations.
“Kaos”, staged in 2010–2011, stood as the inaugural production that demonstrated the scale and ambition of Filipino musical spectacle at the newly opened NPAT. Image courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
“Annie” was mounted as part of NPAT’s family-oriented programming. Image courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
The power in homegrown
Even as it continued to stage international fare like “Annie” (2016) and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (2017), the seeds of Filipino musical theater had firmly taken root.
While international titles were drawing crowds, Newport World Resorts quietly nurtured a more homegrown ambition. It can be remembered that it launched its first major all-Filipino musical “Bituing Walang Ningning” in 2015, adapted from a local classic film of the same title that also featured an original Filipino soundtrack.
Even as it carved out space for new, local voices, NPAT stayed true to its roots in family entertainment. And in late 2025, it brought the Broadway hit “Shrek The Musical” to Manila, opening on Halloween to packed auditoriums that then extended through the holiday season.
“Bituing Walang Ningning“ was a stage musical in 2015, that was a theatrical adaptation of the 1985 blockbuster film, tracing a young singer’s rise to fame. Image courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
The jukebox musical breakthrough
A new era arrived in 2018. Newport World Resorts premiered “Ang Huling El Bimbo”, and with it, a new chapter began not just for NPAT, but for Filipino musical theater.
Set to the beloved discography of the Eraserheads, the production captured the country’s heart. Over two separate runs, it clocked 175 live performances and drew more than 220,000 attendees. When the pandemic shut theaters down, it found a second wind with audiences online, amassing over 7 million views and becoming the most-watched Filipino stage musical of all time.
Riding on this success, the production company doubled down on original Filipino productions. In 2024, it staged the tongue-twisting “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical”, an aptly, absurdly fantastical show built around the OPM rock hits of Parokya ni Edgar.
The next year then saw the iconic birth of an all-original Filipino musical with a queer lead character in “Delia D.: A Musical Featuring the Songs of Jonathan Manalo” (2025), a bold, heartfelt celebration of pop music and queer identity wrapped in Filipino emotion.
“Ang Huling El Bimbo” made a resounding return to NPAT in 2023 to sold-out shows that renewed the interest of the theater-goers to the magic of live show experiences. Image courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
It was then, “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical” that became the most expensive production ever mounted at NPAT. Image courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
Acclaimed multimedia actor Phi Palmos brought the character of Delia D to life. Image courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
Celebrated theater stars Krystal Kane as Fiona and Jamie Wilson as Shrek in the 2025 all-Filipino adaptation of Broadway hit, “Shrek: The Musical”. Image courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
New interpretation for a new generation
In 2026, NPAT has opened its doors to a new generation of theatergoers with “Bagets The Musical”, which ran from January to March for a total of 36 shows.
Adapted from the iconic 1984 coming-of-age film, the stage version pulsed with youthful energy, ‘80s nostalgia, and a soundtrack that captured the spirit of a generation. Bagets The Musical is a fitting tribute to the legacy NPAT has built and the future it continues to nurture.
The production marked a notable first for the venue—a musical was produced by a collaboration between Newport World Resorts, VIVA Communications Inc., and The Philippine STAR, staged in partnership with PETA Plus.
On its final night, the production offered something more than a curtain call. As the last moments of Bagets played out, the ‘80s stage gave way to the groove of the ‘70s, as “Annie Batungbakal,” one of iconic musical group, Hotdog’s most iconic hits, filled the space, telling the familiar story of a hardworking dispatcher from Frisco (San Francisco del Monte) who then becomes a glamorous “disco queen” at Coco Banana.
Serving as the surprise reveal, the performance ultimately announced “Bongga Ka, ‘Day!: The Annie Batungbakal Musical” as the next major production coming to the now-iconic theatrical stage in September 2026.
The “Bagets The Musical” barkada found young actors in alternating roles, including Andres Muhlach as Adie, KD Estrada as Arnel, Tomas Rodriguez as Gilbert, Milo Cruz as Tonton, and Jeff Moses as Topee. Image courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
Following its final curtain call, a Coco Banana–themed performance revealed “Bongga Ka, ’Day! The Annie Batungbakal Musical” as the next production in the Newport Performing Arts Theater pipeline. Image courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
The show goes on, stronger than ever
For sixteen years, NPAT’s curtain has risen on dozens of Original Pilipino Musicals, each one bearing witness to Filipino creativity in motion. In 2023, this sustained commitment earned formal recognition from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, which cited the theater for its role in promoting original Filipino music and artists.
Over time, NPAT has become a vital seedbed for Filipino talent and imagination. What unfolds on its stage today is the result of years of deliberate cultivation—of investing in local stories and giving them the time, scale, and audiences they deserve.
“Filipino creativity flourishes when it is supported by spaces that believe in its value over time,” shared NCCA Executive Director Dr. Eric B. Zerrudo. “Sustained platforms allow our artists to build work that speaks not only to the present, but to future generations.”
This World Theater Day, NPAT’s journey serves as a reminder of what the arts are ultimately for: to create space for truth, courage, and creativity to take root and endure.
For more information on Newport World Resorts, visit www.newportworldresorts.com and follow @newportworldresorts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Join Newport World Resorts Viber Community at https://newportwr.com/nwrvibercommunity for exclusive updates.
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