Meet the cast of 'Bongga Ka, 'Day!: The Annie Batungbakal Musical'

What makes the play 'bongga?'

Chris Millado, the play's director, highlighted that the "wonderful music" and "visual styling" are what make the production "bongga."

"It goes back to that age, not only the nostalgia of the disco days, but beyond that, we're also redefining 'bongga.' That bongga is not just about flashiness and sparkly things, but the real bongga comes from inside," he said.

Muhlach echoed the same sentiments, saying, "When you strip away everything, all the external factors, [all] the glitz and glam, it's really what your heart is and being you. So that is the meaning of 'bongga!'"

The characters adding sparkle to Annie’s story

Concepcion, Rosaldo, and Moses will share the role of Romer, the leading man of Annie Batungbakal. He is a flight attendant who also dabbles in photography and brings the latest trends to share with his friends.

Rosaldo described the character as having "seen the world."

"He knows that he's handsome. So in the world of Annie, I think vital 'yung role ni Romer [kasi] kay Romer nakikita ni Annie 'yung pangarap niya—the glitz, the glamour. So he embodies it being in the high society, so I think Romer is going to be a big inspiration to Annie," he said.

For Concepcion, one of the things he likes about Romer is how he's the "life of the party."

"He's that kind of person. But I think on the inside, he has similarities with Annie in that he has dreams, [and] he wants to be a photographer. Merong [pressure] 'yung family sa kanya. The society around him wants him to be something else from what he wants to be, and I think he gets inspired by Annie because Annie's just this amazing and just full of life," he said.

Moses, on the other hand, is ecstatic to portray Romer, who's entirely different from him in real life.

"Baliktad naman sa akin sa pagiging confident. Hindi pa ako ganun ka-Romer enough, but excited ako to explore Romer more and makita namin kung ano pa 'yung pwede naming idagdag sa kanya," he said.

Meanwhile, Estrada is set to play Burn, a folk rock singer who does cover songs but also wants to be known for original songs.

According to the Fruitcake star, Burn is a "different kind of character."

"Hindi ako sosyal dito, rakista lang ako, pero musician pa rin, which is very close to my roots," he said.

Blanco is set to play Aurora, the owner of House of Pasion where Annie works as a dispatsadora or sales clerk. The actress shared that she sees her character as someone "who's a hard worker, but she is stuck in the past.

"Ayaw niya buksan 'yung isip niya at 'yung damdamin niya sa mga pagbabago na gustong gawin [ng anak niyang si] Romer. So titignan natin throughout the musical kung papaano mabubuksan 'yung isip niya hindi lang ng anak niya, but also Annie. That's where I'm most excited about," she said.

Blanco shares this role with Antonio.

Adding color to the story is Lapus' character Tarurit, who serves as the larger-than-life proprietor of the famed Malate disco Coco Banana.

Describing his role, Lapus said, "Si Tarurit kasi maldita, suplada, laitera. Ako ay hinahanda ko na ang sarili ko na ma-bash or ma-cancel ng fans ni Atasha Muhlach sa musical na ito. Ganung level si Tarurit. But that's part of the job, so kapag nagalit sa akin 'yung mga fans ni Atasha, isa lang ang ibig sabihin nun: job well done."

Lapus alternates this role with Divinagracia.

Bongga Ka, Day!: The Annie Batungbakal Musical is presented by Newport World Resorts in association with VIVA Communications and The Philippine STAR. The collaboration staged Bagets The Musical earlier in January. 

The production will transport audiences back to the 70s as it features hits from the decade such as Hotdog's Bongga Ka Day, Annie Batungbakal, Manila, and Ikaw Ang Miss Universe ng Buhay Ko, among others.

It premieres in September 2026 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. The TicketWorld waitlist pre-sale starts on July 8, while general sale starts on July 10.