'Bagets: The Musical' cast reflect on their 'bittersweet' journey as they bid farewell
After two months of bringing youthful joy and nostalgia on stage, the cast of Bagets the Musical took their final bow.
The musical adaptation of the 1984 coming-of-age comedy film followed the lives of five teenage friends—boy next door Adie, "overstaying" Tonton, geeky Gilbert, athletic Topee, and wealthy Arnel—navigating the rollercoaster ride of their personal and high school lives.
In the staging, new actors reimagined the quintet: Milo Cruz and Migo Valid as Tonton, Ethan David and KD Estrada as Arnel, Tomas Franco Rodriquez and Noel Comia Jr. as Gilbert, Jeff Moses and Sam Shoaf as Topee, and Mico Chua and Andres Muhlach as Adie.
With the curtains now closed, the cast looks back on a journey marked by camaraderie, growth, and the bonds they built both on and off stage.
'Bittersweet'
KD Estrada, who played Arnel, shared with PhilSTAR L!fe that after working together for over four months, they're now experiencing separation anxiety.
"It's a satisfying feeling in a way, na parang grabe ito yung pinaghirapan namin. But also, wala na kaming nilu-look forward to every weekend," he added.
Jeff Moses, who portrayed Topee in the musical, and Mico Chua, who brought Addie to life, both described ending their Bagets journey as bittersweet.
"Para sa akin, parang ang bilis na ang tagal na gusto kong hindi muna mag-stop. Kasi parang nakakabitin eh. Ganun feeling. Nakakabitin in a sense na ayoko munang matigil yung ganitong feeling na kapag performing, sobrang buhay na buhay ako. Parang lahat ng hilig ko, all at once, ginagawa ko—pagkanta, pagsayaw, pag-arte," Moses said.
"Nakakalungkot. Bittersweet talaga," he added.
Chua echoed this sentiment, reflecting on both the challenges and the deep bond he formed with the cast.
"It's been a long journey. Sobrang hirap din lahat ng pinagdaanan namin to get to where we are ngayon. Kaya, I'm happy na at least nakaya namin. But syempre, malungkot kasi parang I really consider them as my brothers na. Especially, I'm away from home eh. Parang, they gave me a new family. So it's a sad feeling," Chua said.
Tomas Rodriguez, who made his theater debut as Gilbert, shared how he fell in love with theater.
"Masaya ako sa mga nangyari, sa proseso, and na-inlove talaga ako sa mga boys na 'to. Sobrang mahal na mahal ko talaga," he said.
"First time ko mag-theater pero sobrang na-inlove ako sa theater din," he added.
Moses went on to reflect on how the musical has left a lasting impact on the cast.
"Mamimiss namin 'yung eksena. I feel like na hindi na rin nalalayo kasi sa totoong buhay. Nakikita ko rin sa mata nila, sa actions nila. Mami-miss namin yung isa't isa at yung happenings on stage," Moses added.
Chua echoed this, saying the musical "has become a part of [their] lives."
"It has really become a family. We're surely gonna miss everyone," he said.
"Sana kung pwede lang, kumpulin kami ulit para magkaroon ng isang project talaga," Moses added.
Unconditional love from their ermats, on and off stage
Jasmine Baga / PhilSTAR L!fe
Beyond the youthful energy of the five teenage boys navigating their personal challenges in the ’80s, the musical also highlighted their mothers, whose guidance shapes their lives. These women—from working moms and overprotective parents to single parents, hustlers, and creatives—revealed their own struggles in motherhood, including the fear of letting their children down, the challenges of providing for them, and the pursuit of understanding and healing.
Carla Guevara-Laforteza, who played Adie's mom, Virgie, reflected on how mentoring the younger castmates was both challenging and rewarding.
"It was quite a journey because kami (moms), matagal na sa teatro, tapos 'yung mga gumaganap na mga anak namin, they're fairly new. So we had to have extra patience, extra love, [and] extra guidance with them," she said.
Kakai Bautista, who played Tonton's mother Delia, shared how the relationship they built offstage strengthened their onstage performances.
"Sobrang rollercoaster ng ride naming mag-iina and kami ring mga nanay. Kasi rehearsal pa lang, I made sure na magkakaroon talaga kami ng offstage and onstage relationship na nakatulong talaga kung paano kami nag-deliver as our characters," Bautista said.
"Mahirap na meron kang gagabayan pa, pero at the same time, masarap sa feeling. 'Yung journey ng mga bata, habang tumatagal, lalo silang gumagaling," she added. "Nakakaproud," Guevara-Laforteza added.
Mayen Bustamante-Cadd, who played mother Ditas for Arnel (both played by Estrada and Ethan David), shared how they also learned from the newcomers, adding how the process of giving and taking allowed them to "create magic onstage."
"Kahit sabihing mga newbie sila, we learn from them, and like what the theme song says, we're still growing up. We're growing up how to be a mom, mentors, and how to be ates," she said. "I'm really sad that it's gonna end, I'm really gonna miss those boys."
Natasha Cabrera, who also played Delia, expressed her gratitude to her co-moms onstage.
"I am so happy, kasi nagkaroon ako ng mga karagdagang ate," Cabrera tearfully said. "Iba 'yung words of wisdom na nabibigay nilang lahat sa' kin," she added.
"Punong-puno 'yung puso ko ng pagmamahal mula sa aking mga co-actors, hindi lang sa aking mga ate, kundi pati na rin sa Bagets and [ensemble]. Kahit na baguhan sila, nandu'n 'yung effort at pagmamahal para sa ipinakatiwala sa kanilang trabaho.
Ring Antonio, who brought to life Gibert's mom, Luz, echoed this.
"Kahit jina-judge sila when we opened, we saw their heart, we saw their effort, and walang makakabasag no'n," she said. "Also, the whole company—backstage, the cast, the crew, everyone, it's a teamwork na puno ng puso."
Neomi Gonzalez, who played Topee's mom Anna, said portraying her character helped her reflect on motherhood.
"The part where Anna realizes her faults, everytime I do that in the show, favorite ko siyang pagdaanan. Kasi nakaka-reflect ito sa motherhood ko na you can make mistakes, you can say sorry, and you can start again," she said. "It reminds me that this is the kind of parenting na I also want to apply sa pagiging mother ko."
The moms noted how everyone grew so close that their onstage sons would always call them "Mama" whenever they were in NPAT, or say ad-libs like "I love you" or "Thank you, Ma" during the performances.
"'Yung eksena namin sa Bagets, parang na-imbibe na namin 'yung characters na kapag nandon kami, kami na talaga 'yung mga nanay," Bautista continued.
during the matinee show on Sunday, March 22. Jasmine Baga / PhilSTAR L!fe
"Hindi lang 'yung mga sarili naming assigned son na napamahal sa'min, we actually love all 10 of them. They've become equally special to all of us," Guevara-Laforteza added.
After Bagets the Musical, each cast member will continue with their careers—some diving into new projects, others taking a well-deserved rest. Even though the show has ended, what they built together will stay solid.
"Hindi namin sure kung itong mga batang 'to pagkalumipad na sila sa mga karera nila ay maaalala pa nila kami...Pero kung hindi na kami makilala, nandito lang kami," Bautista added. "Sobrang worth it lahat… sobrang proud kami at mahal namin 'yung mga bata. Isa kaming buong pamilya."
