Events
Back to the 80s: Everything You Need to Know About 'Bagets The Musical'
It promises to be faithful to the 41-year-old teen movie blockbuster.
by Eric Cabahug
Published on Jul 3, 2025
(SPOT.ph) “Here's to the old times and the best of new ones.” And here’s to what promises to be the first big theater production of 2026: Bagets: The Musical.
Yes, the iconic Viva Films teen flick from 1984 is indeed getting its own stage musical adaptation—which it totally deserves. After all, it’s one of just a few Filipino flicks able to pull off a perfect marriage of moments and music.
To refresh your memory, or plug in those who haven’t seen the film yet, Bagets is about the lives and loves, families and friendships, adventures and misadventures of five young boys during their senior year in high school. There’s boy next door Adie, "overstaying" high schooler Tonton, geeky Gilbert, martial arts buff Toffee, and rich guy Arnel.
The acclaimed box-office blockbuster successfully launched the careers of Aga Muhlach, William Martinez, Herbert Bautista, J.C. Bonnin, Herbert Bautista, and Raymond Lauchengco who played the above mentioned roles respectively. And because of the film's success, it also launched a slew of youth-oriented flicks that marked the era: Hotshots, D' Punks, Campus Beat, 14 Going Steady, and of course, Bagets 2 among others.
Yes, the iconic Viva Films teen flick from 1984 is indeed getting its own stage musical adaptation—which it totally deserves. After all, it’s one of just a few Filipino flicks able to pull off a perfect marriage of moments and music.
To refresh your memory, or plug in those who haven’t seen the film yet, Bagets is about the lives and loves, families and friendships, adventures and misadventures of five young boys during their senior year in high school. There’s boy next door Adie, "overstaying" high schooler Tonton, geeky Gilbert, martial arts buff Toffee, and rich guy Arnel.
The acclaimed box-office blockbuster successfully launched the careers of Aga Muhlach, William Martinez, Herbert Bautista, J.C. Bonnin, Herbert Bautista, and Raymond Lauchengco who played the above mentioned roles respectively. And because of the film's success, it also launched a slew of youth-oriented flicks that marked the era: Hotshots, D' Punks, Campus Beat, 14 Going Steady, and of course, Bagets 2 among others.
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Philippine Star President and CEO Miguel Belmonte, Alliance Global's Kevin Tan and Viva Entertainment's Vic del Rosario. Photo from Kevin Tan Facebook.
Here's what we know about the stage adaptation so far
It wasn't Viva who first thought of adapting the film to stage
It actually originated from the newspaper Philippine Star, particularly its sub-unit NEXT. Lucien Dy Tioco, Executive Vice President at PhilStar Media Group, explains to SPOT.ph: “There were a lot of jukebox musicals being launched and it seemed like the right time to reimagine the film as a musical given that the music was the driver of the narrative in the film. We really thought of Bagets because it captures the ‘80s so joyfully. When you talk about the movie to people who remember it, they can’t help but smile because it reminds them of their fun memories with their friends, the outfits, the music. And the music of the ‘80s is making a comeback as well so it really was a concept worth pursuing.”
The show is a collaboration among four industry giants
Aside from Viva and Philippine Star, Bagets: The Musical also boasts the participation of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and Newport World Resorts.
PETA, the 58-year-old theater group is no stranger to screen-to-stage adaptations, having previously brought the iconic romance film One More Chance and top-rating youth-oriented TV series Tabing-Ilog to thrilling life on the musical theater stage. Working on Bagets are PETA stalwarts — director Maribel Legarda (Rak of Aegis, Care Divas), playwright Jmee Katanyag (Maria Clara at Ibarra), and musical director Vince Lim (Walang Aray).
As for Newport World Resorts, Bagets adds another shining title to its ever-growing list of pop spectacles already loaded with hits like Ang Huling El Bimbo and Buruguduystunstugudunstuy: Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical.
It actually originated from the newspaper Philippine Star, particularly its sub-unit NEXT. Lucien Dy Tioco, Executive Vice President at PhilStar Media Group, explains to SPOT.ph: “There were a lot of jukebox musicals being launched and it seemed like the right time to reimagine the film as a musical given that the music was the driver of the narrative in the film. We really thought of Bagets because it captures the ‘80s so joyfully. When you talk about the movie to people who remember it, they can’t help but smile because it reminds them of their fun memories with their friends, the outfits, the music. And the music of the ‘80s is making a comeback as well so it really was a concept worth pursuing.”
The show is a collaboration among four industry giants
Aside from Viva and Philippine Star, Bagets: The Musical also boasts the participation of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and Newport World Resorts.
PETA, the 58-year-old theater group is no stranger to screen-to-stage adaptations, having previously brought the iconic romance film One More Chance and top-rating youth-oriented TV series Tabing-Ilog to thrilling life on the musical theater stage. Working on Bagets are PETA stalwarts — director Maribel Legarda (Rak of Aegis, Care Divas), playwright Jmee Katanyag (Maria Clara at Ibarra), and musical director Vince Lim (Walang Aray).
As for Newport World Resorts, Bagets adds another shining title to its ever-growing list of pop spectacles already loaded with hits like Ang Huling El Bimbo and Buruguduystunstugudunstuy: Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical.
It will be a faithful adaptation
Same story, same characters — everything fans loved will be retained but with a few tweaks and enhancements here and there. “We will keep the barkada, the heartbreaks, the ‘80s music and dance,” Katanyag noted during the presser to announce the project. Among the enhancements to be made is a further emphasis on the role of the parents in the story, the mothers in particular. “We also want to highlight na yung film isn’t just a coming-of-age nung kabataan. Coming-of-age din siya nung mga tao na nakapaligid like the ermats.”
Legarda added: “We’re really planning to make the mothers another set of characters. I want to build on the relationships between the mothers and their sons (but) in a fun kind of way. Hindi mabigat na melodrama. Sana maka relate ang mga kabataan ngayon.”
There will be new original music
Audiences can expect to enjoy all the hit songs from the film performed live on stage, from Gary V’s “Growing Up” and JoBoxers’s “Just Got Lucky” to the Raymond Lauchengco ballads “So It’s You” and “Farewell,” which quickly became a graduation anthem after the movie was released. And because this is a full-on musical, the original soundtrack will be expanded with one or two new songs written specifically for the show.
Same story, same characters — everything fans loved will be retained but with a few tweaks and enhancements here and there. “We will keep the barkada, the heartbreaks, the ‘80s music and dance,” Katanyag noted during the presser to announce the project. Among the enhancements to be made is a further emphasis on the role of the parents in the story, the mothers in particular. “We also want to highlight na yung film isn’t just a coming-of-age nung kabataan. Coming-of-age din siya nung mga tao na nakapaligid like the ermats.”
Legarda added: “We’re really planning to make the mothers another set of characters. I want to build on the relationships between the mothers and their sons (but) in a fun kind of way. Hindi mabigat na melodrama. Sana maka relate ang mga kabataan ngayon.”
There will be new original music
Audiences can expect to enjoy all the hit songs from the film performed live on stage, from Gary V’s “Growing Up” and JoBoxers’s “Just Got Lucky” to the Raymond Lauchengco ballads “So It’s You” and “Farewell,” which quickly became a graduation anthem after the movie was released. And because this is a full-on musical, the original soundtrack will be expanded with one or two new songs written specifically for the show.
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The announcement for cast auditions..
It won’t be pure fan service
The adaptation will keep the period of the film but it will not be a relic. It will be “reimagined, but what we’re trying to do is how that period play is also relatable now,” Katanyag said.
Dy Tioco adds: “We want to make it relevant for the audience who remembers it back then and the audience who are young and will be discovering it for the first time.” The adaptation, he says, will somehow bring to fore how the challenges the youth of the ‘80s faced are the same as those that the Gens Y and Z are experiencing. “Iba iba lang ang reaction.”
There is no cast yet
At least no one has been announced yet and it’s unclear whether some roles have been filled. What’s certain is auditions will be held “for lead roles and ensemble cast” on July 14-15 at the PETA Center in QC. Open to male and female performers, 16-22 years old, who can sing, act, and dance. Legarda said Viva would like the musical to be a platform to find fresh young talents, just like what the film was.
Will members of the original cast appear on the stage adaptation?
“Wishful thinking kami that some of the original cast will be part of the musical,” Katanyag said.
Bagets: The Musical is scheduled to debut on the Newport World Resorts stage on January 23, 2026.
The adaptation will keep the period of the film but it will not be a relic. It will be “reimagined, but what we’re trying to do is how that period play is also relatable now,” Katanyag said.
Dy Tioco adds: “We want to make it relevant for the audience who remembers it back then and the audience who are young and will be discovering it for the first time.” The adaptation, he says, will somehow bring to fore how the challenges the youth of the ‘80s faced are the same as those that the Gens Y and Z are experiencing. “Iba iba lang ang reaction.”
There is no cast yet
At least no one has been announced yet and it’s unclear whether some roles have been filled. What’s certain is auditions will be held “for lead roles and ensemble cast” on July 14-15 at the PETA Center in QC. Open to male and female performers, 16-22 years old, who can sing, act, and dance. Legarda said Viva would like the musical to be a platform to find fresh young talents, just like what the film was.
Will members of the original cast appear on the stage adaptation?
“Wishful thinking kami that some of the original cast will be part of the musical,” Katanyag said.
Bagets: The Musical is scheduled to debut on the Newport World Resorts stage on January 23, 2026.
Eric Cabahug is the Palanca-winning writer of the 2017 comedy Deadma Walking, which is now streaming on Netflix.
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