Four decades after defining what it meant to be young in the ’80s, Bagets is making a comeback—this time as a full-blown stage musical for today’s audiences.
The film classic is finding new life at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. A collaboration between Newport World Resorts, The Philippine STAR, and VIVA Communications, Bagets: The Musical officially introduced its 2026 cast during a press event on Oct. 10.
The new barkada, composed of ten young stars, will take turns playing the five characters fans of the original movie grew up with.
Noel Comia Jr. and Tomas Rodriguez portray Gilbert, while Milo Cruz and Migo Valid take on Tonton. Ethan David and KD Estrada step in as Arnel, Jeff Moses and Sam Shoaf play Topee, and Mico Hendrix Chua and Andres Muhlach bring Adie to life—the same role once made famous by Andres’ father, Aga Muhlach.
Under the direction of Maribel Legarda, the musical promises to keep the spirit of the 1984 hit while giving it a fresh pulse that speaks to Gen Z.
For the cast, many of whom started in television or pop groups, the transition to live theater has been both exciting and intimidating.
“There’s no take two in theater,” said KD, who returns to the stage after Walang Aray in 2023. “It comes with errors, but the good thing is that every show, you get better. By the end of the run, you already know the blockings, the signals—you just get bigger every time.”
Noel, already a seasoned theater performer, said the rehearsals have reminded him what makes stage work special.
“We have to be consistent every time. Everything has to be specific and intentional,” he said. “We’re not just thinking about ourselves when we perform—we’re thinking about our co-actors and the whole production team.”
Andres, stepping into the same role that launched his father’s career, called the experience “surreal.”
“It’s really a full-circle moment,” he said. “My dad started his career acting in Bagets, and now I get to play his character on stage. The biggest challenge is to bring back why people enjoyed it in the ’80s and translate that into a musical.”
His co-actor Mico shares the challenge of reintroducing Adie to younger audiences. “There are big shoes to fill, but I want to put some modern twists so everybody can relate—both those who watched the original and people my age,” he said.
Sam, alternating as Topee, described the jump from TV to theater as stepping into “a completely different universe.”
“Everything is so much more exaggerated,” he said. “You have to be more open. It’s a big learning experience for us TV actors going into theater.”
Jeff, also playing Topee, said the live stage pushes him to act “bigger” so the audience can feel every emotion, even from the back rows.
Their shared energy offstage has built the kind of chemistry Bagets is known for. “Above everything, the chemistry we share as a group is really important,” Andres said. “We’d like to replicate that on stage.”
Bagets: The Musical opens on Jan. 23 and runs until March 2026. Tickets are now on sale.
