'Die Beautiful: The Musical,' 'Victorina' starring Eugene Domingo, 'Teorya ng mga Tanong' slated for 2027-2028 staging
Theater fans, get ready because your watch list for next year is about to be jam-packed.
IdeaFirst Live, the theater arm of IdeaFirst Company, officially unveiled four upcoming original shows for their 2027-2028 season at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater on Oct. 25.
Read on for a peek into what's coming next.
Die Beautiful: The Musical
Die Beautiful: The Musical opens in June 2027 at the Proscenium Theater. It stars Drag Race Philippines season 3 winner Maxie Andreison and Slaysian Royale’s Viñas Deluxe, who will alternate in the role of Trisha Echevarria.
The musical will be directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio, with a new book and lyrics co-written by Jun Robles Lana and Elmer Gatchalian.
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Based on the original 2016 film Die Beautiful, which focuses on Trisha, a transgender woman who passes away after winning a pageant with a wish to be styled as a different celebrity for every night of her wake.
Lana also hinted that the musical would be different from the film.
“In 2014, long before it was produced, it had a slightly different story, and we basically went back to the story we had presented to the film market,” Lana told the press.
Moreover, Lana also confirmed that despite controversies surrounding one of the lead stars, Maxie will remain in the show.
“Nakita namin 'yung remorse ni Maxie and we decided to choose accountability over cancellation. By accountability, we mean that yes, Maxie is still going to be part of Die Beautiful, but make no mistake about it, we will be watching closely,” he explained.
The drag artist got into hot water after an old video resurfaced of her allegedly assaulting a trans woman. Maxie has since apologized for her actions.
Victorina
Eugene Domingo is returning to the stage after Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 4. The veteran actress will headline Victorina, which is slated for an October 2027 staging.
Inspired by Doña Victorina from José Rizal’s novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, the play focuses on her as she challenges conventions and narrates how she killed Jose Rizal, “Or so she says.”
Bringing something new to the table, the play will be spoken in a “bastardized” mix of Filipino and Spanish.
The “almost a one-woman show” is written by Lana and will be directed by Chris Martinez.
“Eugene Domingo is going to own the stage for almost two hours; that's the kind of storytelling we envisioned,” Lana said.
Teorya ng Mga Tanong
For March 2028, About Us But Not About Us stars Elijah Canlas, Romnick Sarmienta, and Epy Quizon will reprise their roles in Teorya ng mga Tanong, a controversial book featured in the film and play
Written by Lana and directed by Rutaquio, Teorya ng Mga Tanong challenges love, ambition, and human impulse.
Untitled project
IdeaFirst also teased an untitled original project still in development that challenges how they tell stories but also how the audiences experience theater.
The company also officially launched the First List, a membership program that offers early access to new shows, events, ticketing, and more.
Registration is now open via The IdeaFirst Company’s website.
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