Get to know the cast of 'Bagets the Musical'
The stars who will light up the stage in Bagets the Musical are ready to step into the spotlight!
As the musical adaptation of the 1984 coming-of-age comedy film prepares to open in 2026, let's take a closer look at the cast members who will transport audiences back to a time of unforgettable friendships and first loves.
The original film featured Aga Muhlach, William Martinez, J.C. Bonnin, Herbert Bautista, and Raymond Lauchengco portraying five teenage friends—boy next door Adie, "overstaying" Tonton, geeky Gilbert, athletic Topee, and wealthy Arnel—navigating their high school life.
This time, new actors are portraying 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.
Read on to know more about the Bagets the Musical cast and the characters they'll portray.
Andres Muhlach
Andres Muhlach will step into the shoes of the barkada's charming leader Adie, a role originated by his father, Aga.
Born to Aga and Charlene Gonzales, Andres is Atasha Muhlach's twin brother. The 23-year-old joined showbiz in 2024, starring in Da Pers Family, Ang Mutya ng Section E, and Minamahal.
Earlier in August, Andres and Atasha won the German Moreno Youth Achievement Award at the 73rd FAMAS Awards.
"I understand how big Bagets was, and still is, in the Philippines... To be part of it, let alone play my dad's role, feels surreal," Andres said.
The young actor is also excited to make the role his own. "I'd want this to be my own path."
"At the end of the day, the hard work is on us, the new Bagets cast. What we put out isn't because of what the original actors did, but because we want to create something worthy for today's fans," he said.
Mico Chua
Serving as Andres's alternate is Mico Chua, who is known for his stint on the reality competition Born to Be a Star.
The 22-year-old artist broke into the business in 2021, performing in local theaters in Iloilo before moving to Manila. He's a fan of Dear Evan Hansen and was inspired to get into theater by Lea Salonga.
After Born to Be a Star, he relocated to Dubai, where he worked multiple jobs while studying. Now, he's back in the Philippines and making his acting comeback.
"During the auditions, I was anxious, especially with so many callbacks. At first, I didn’t expect anything. But the more I went through the process, the more I wanted the character," he said.
While Chua hoped to play Topee, he found that he shared some things in common with Adie, too.
"We’ve all had that time in our lives when we were young, naive, and just letting our emotions get the best of us.”
Chua told PhilSTAR L!fe that he's most excited about how the film will be translated to musical theater.
KD Estrada
KD Estrada will bring to life Lauchengco's character Arnel, a polished teen who is torn between following his heart and meeting his mother’s expectations.
Estrada certainly channels Arnel's energy, whether it's the accent or the height or his well-mannered charm.
"When I auditioned, my number one pick was Arnel because I see myself in him. I’d say if he were real right now, he would be exactly like me," he said.
He shared that he admired the character's responsible and chill personality, noting how "you can always see his hesitance, that he just doesn’t do things because they’re ‘in’ or what you’re supposed to do."
But it isn't just looks that the 23-year-old actor shares with Arnel, but his inner struggles, too.
"I’m grateful to have a strong support system at home. But I guess we all go through that phase where we don’t know whether to follow our own dreams or what other people want for us," he said.
Bagets the Musical is set to be his second theater production, after Walang Aray in 2023.
He is also known for his roles in several TV series like Unloving You, Bola Bola, Run to Me, and Pira-pirasong Paraiso.
Ethan David
Estrada's alternate for Arnel is Ethan David, who is also known as a member of the P-pop boy group G.A.T.
"I did theater abroad, but since coming home, I’ve focused more on screen work than stage. On TV, subtle expressions can work. On stage, I have to make my movements bigger and project my voice for the audience," David said.
He described his character as being "always all-out for his friends," and that's what he wanted to emphasize with his performance.
"I want the audience to feel that energy and see he’s there for them, whether in big gestures or small ones," David said. "Despite his flaws, I hope the audience sees how he musters up courage and motivates others to do the same."
Aside from being a P-pop artist, David also boasts a solid acting resume, having starred in shows such as Seducing Drake Palma, Ang Mutya ng Section E, and Avenues of the Diamond.
Jeff Moses
The barkada's martial arts ace Topee, originally portrayed by Bonnin, will be brought to life anew by Jeff Moses.
Born and raised in Negros Occidental, Moses can relate to his character in the upcoming musical.
"Let's go home to Bacolod. That's what [Topee] often tells his mother. I can really feel the weight of that because I only get to go home during the holidays," the actor said in Hiligaynon.
Moses has starred in Under a Piaya Moon, for which he won Best Actor during the 1st Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival. He's also known for his appearances on Abot Kamay na Pangarap and Magpakailanman.
Sam Shoaf
Also stepping into the role of Topee is Sam Shoaf, who has appeared on The Voice Kids and Your Face Sounds Familiar.
"I see a lot of similarities between me and Topee. We love staying active, but at the same time, I think we both prefer keeping much of what's going on in our lives to ourselves," he said.
Shoaf also starred in Ang Mutya ng Section E and loves 80s fashion and music. "Everything was just full of life back then."
In 2018, he released the single Wimwy, and in 2024, he dropped the song 'Di Ka Na Maalis.
Tomas Franco Rodriguez
Tomas Franco Rodriguez will be reimagining the character of Gilbert, the geeky member of the group originally portrayed by Bautista.
Rodriguez is known as a member of the boy group Alamat, but he initially made his debut in showbiz when he joined the reality show Pinoy Big Brother: 737 Teen Edition in 2015.
His fondest memory of the 1984 film is the moment Gilbert told Melissa that he loved her.
Rodriguez told L!fe that he's excited about the whole production process.
"Bago kasi sa'kin and maganda siya kasi nakakarelate ['yung movie] nung pinanood ko, and at the same time musical siya!"
Noel Comia Jr.
Meanwhile, Noel Comia Jr. will also play Gilbert.
The 21-year-old actor began his career in musical theater and commercial modeling before gaining recognition as a contestant on The Voice Kids Season 3.
He went on to win the Best Actor Award at the Cinemalaya 2017 for his performance in the independent film Kiko Boksingero.
His latest acting credits include Incognito and It's Okay to Not Be Okay.
On what he's most excited about in doing the play, Comia told L!fe it's working with PETA again.
"The last time I worked with them on a production was seven years ago. Also, I’m looking forward to experimenting and creating the characters and their worlds with my castmates and directors!"
Milo Cruz
Known as a member of the P-pop group Xerenade, Milo Cruz is now dipping his toes into acting with his portrayal of Tonton, Bagets' resident daredevil, who was originally played by Martinez.
According to Cruz, his character is more than just a screwup.
"Tonton is a repeater, yes, but if we move past that—past his kalokohans—we see that he’s really just a normal kid who has to learn life the hard way," he said.
"Masaya maging high school. ‘Yung tipong pwede kang mag-procrastinate ng assignments tapos tambay lang pagkatapos. Pero kailangan nating maintindihan na hindi tayo pwedeng maging bata lang habambuhay," he added.
Tonton is actually the P-pop member's favorite character from the film.
Cruz told L!fe that he's looking forward to the performance. "[It will] bring music, dancing, and acting all together."
The 25-year-old actor started in the business in 2024. Apart from Xerenade, he's known for starring in the 2025 film Minamahal.
Migo Valid
Fellow Xerenade member Migo Valid will be alternating with Cruz to also portray Tonton in the upcoming musical.
"First time ko mag audition sa PETA [Philippine Educational Theater Association]. Sabi ko, ‘I just want to make the panel smile.’ I wasn’t expecting anything then, so being cast as Tonton is such a blessing," he said.
The 23-year-old shared that he is "very much like" Tonton in that he had his "wild moments" back in high school, too.
"But those experiences helped me grow," he highlighted.
The music artist especially found understanding in the character's struggle of being left behind, saying, "Minsan napapatanong ako kung tama pa ba ‘yung mga ginagawa ko. But like Tonton, keep moving forward ang mentality."
Valid loves the musical RENT by Jonathan Larson and found Tonton and Gilbert the most interesting in the 1984 film.
"[Panahon] ng papa ko ['yung Bagets] kaya gusto [kong] mapanood niya 'ko and maalala niya 'yung pagkabata niya," he shared with L!fe.
The musical is a joint production of VIVA Communications Inc., The Philippine STAR, and Newport World Resorts, guided by the creative vision of PETA.
Maribel Legarda will be directing the musical, with J-mee Katanyag serving as playwright and Vince Lim as musical director. Bagets The Musical is scheduled to run from January 23 to March 2026 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.
Sign up for the waitlist now via Newport World Resorts' website to be the first in line for tickets.
