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'Bagets the Musical' to hit the stage in 2026

Published Jan 31, 2025 3:46 pm

A musical adaptation of the 1984 coming-of-age comedy film Bagets is coming in 2026.

The timeless story of five friends, originally brought to life by stars Aga Muhlach, William Martinez, J.C. Bonnin, Herbert Bautista, and Raymond Lauchengco, is set to captivate audiences, this time on stage.

Viva Communications Inc. and The Philippine STAR have teamed up to bring this classic to a new audience, with a formal signing ceremony attended by top executives including Viva chairman and CEO Vicente del Rosario Jr., STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte, Viva president and COO Vincent del Rosario III, and PhilSTAR Media Group executive vice president Lucien Dy Tioco.

Also present were PhilSTAR Media Group vice president for sales and marketing Jay Sarmiento and Viva corporate public relations head Baby Gil.

In an interview with PhilSTAR L!fe, Del Rosario III said they chose to create a musical adaptation of Bagets because the film was a huge hit during their teenage years.

“‘Yun ang kinagisnan namin nung kami ay bagets pa in the past. Panahon namin ‘yan eh, ang lakas ng nostalgia vibe nitong project na ito,” he said, adding that they will be bringing in the right people to develop the material.

He said that fans should keep an eye out for the five guys who will play the leads. “If you remember, the original Bagets launched three or four actors. Sa Viva side, doon kami naeexcite, ang maka-discover ng bagong talents, lalo pa ito na may requirements sa singing.”

While the musical is still in its early stages, the Viva executive said they will strive to retain the heart and soul of its source material.

“Gusto namin na ‘yung DNA ng original, nandyan pa rin. Syempre modern na,” he highlighted.

Del Rosario III hopes that Viva, together with STAR, will have more opportunities to revive classic films and transform them into musicals in the future.

Viva live events consultant Ana Chua, Viva president and COO Vincent del Rosario III, Viva corporate public relations head Baby Gil, Viva chairman and CEO Vicente del Rosario Jr., STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte, PhilSTAR Media Group executive vice president Lucien Dy Tioco, PhilSTAR Media Group vice president for sales and marketing Jay Sarmiento, and STAR business development consultant Boo Atayde-Alvenida

Meanwhile, Belmonte said that STAR pitched this particular project to Viva because they consider them "the best in the business."

“It’s a no-brainer for us to pick a partner [that is] very competent na entertainment conglomerate,” he said. “We already partnered before for a smaller project but was very successful, so [we have a] feeling that our partnership has good luck attached to it. May match talaga.”

When asked what the partnership means for the industry, Belmonte said, "The industry has been going through a lot of change. All of us are continuously trying to reinvent ourselves—innovating—especially in the part of Philippine STAR because our business is very traditional. So, this is one of the areas we are trying to innovate."

Dy Tioco also expressed his excitement for Bagets the Musical, which he regards as a passion project.

“It’s a project that we have the privilege of doing that is iconic, that is really part and parcel of the 80s and Generation X—that generation where a lot of music and fashion flourished at the time. Bagets is something that everyone remembers, so doing a project together with Viva is something that’s full of excitement,” Dy Tioco told L!fe.

The musical joint venture is an offering of PhilSTAR NEXT, a new division of the PhilSTAR Media Group that explores ventures beyond the traditional scope of newspaper operations.

“Part of this dream is to really produce a musical and other formats, whether it’s an event or content that is outside the confines of a newspaper. That’s one of the dream objectives that we did, especially with Bagets,” Dy Tioco said.

Bagets the Musical is targeted to premiere in the first quarter of 2026.