Forty years after Aga Muhlach first played Adie in the 1984 coming-of-age hit film Bagets, his son Andres Muhlach is making his stage debut in Bagets: The Musical as he essays the same role.
During the press conference, Andres said the opportunity still feels unreal for him and his family.
“Never namin na-imagine na magiging Adie din ako. It’s a full-circle moment for me, and it’s really an honor. I’m really just as proud to get the chance to say that I’m playing my father’s role in the past,” the young actor said.
Andres also acknowledged the expectations surrounding the character, especially for audiences who consider the original film a cultural touchstone.
“Para sa akin naman kasi, definitely there is pressure to live up and to produce the best performance I can, like the original Bagets did in 1984. But above all that, really, I see it more as an honor talaga to get the chance to play Adie,” he added.
As part of his preparation, Andres recently rewatched the film with his father and noticed how naturally the material leans into musical theater.
“When we watched the movie recently again, parang we realized that the original film in 1984 was almost like a musical because throughout the film there’s a lot of dialogue, but mainly throughout the film there’s a lot of music that’s being played,” he shared.
“And if you see the sequences, parang it’s blocked like a musical but in film. So ang galing talaga that we get to do this live on stage, and it’s also a musical,” Andres added.
He recalled asking Aga for advice after the rewatch, only to receive a response that was more reassuring than instructional.
“I asked, ‘Dad, ano yung puwede ko gawin sa Bagets The Musical? Anong mga tips mo?’ Ang sabi niya sa akin? ‘Kayang mo na ’yan!’ So ’yun na ’yun,” he said.
Despite the legacy attached to the role, Andres said he intends to interpret Adie based on who he is as a performer, not as a reenactment of his father’s version. Still, he hopes to retain one defining trait from the original portrayal.
“What I love about Adie in the film and what I’d like to portray as well in the actual live performance is the charisma and the charm that Adie brings,” he said.
“Even when you see the original film, when you see Aga Muhlach on the screen, kahit na tumitingin lang siya sa cam, talagang ang lakas ng charisma, ang lakas ng charm. So hoping ako sana na I get to do that as well here at the live performance,” Andres shared.
Beyond the personal milestone, Andres emphasized that the heart of Bagets remains unchanged.
“For all of us, the essence of Bagets is really the ensemble of the barkada, the group of friends, and the ups and downs that come with their life stories. And I think the biggest thing that we want to do really is, as much as possible, we want to portray that barkada feeling, the essence of what an ensemble really is. That is the difference that we as a cast and as a group really can make happen in this play,” the young actor explained.
The creative team behind the musical said that the adaptation will stay faithful to the story of five boys navigating friendship, romance, and growing up, but it also introduces a deeper focus on the characters’ relationships with their mothers, a shift the cast described as one of the biggest distinctions from the 1984 film.
Bagets: The Musical will begin its run at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in January.
