Sold-out runs, breakout theater stars, and a packed 2026 calendar show that Filipinos’ love affair with musical theater is only growing.
When news about Theatre Group Asia’s (TGA) Into The Woods and rumors about its superstar cast broke around this time last year, you could cut the excitement in the air with a knife. When producers finally announced that the likes of Lea Salonga, Arielle Jacobs, and Nic Chien would be leading the cast, alongside the country’s best musical theater artists, a mad rush for tickets ensued.
Perhaps the magic of musical theater is that it holds space for the momentary flights of fancy we all crave. With theaters nearly full year-round, it may be just the cure we need.
Come opening night, the show earned praises and great reviews from both audiences and critics alike. Over the course of two hours or so, Into The Woods delivered on its promise—a musical of grandiose proportions that put a fresh spin on the much-loved Sondheim classic.
With a hefty dose of Filipino heart, it did one more thing: reaffirm the Filipinos’ unending love affair with musical theater.
What’s in a show?
Let’s put this in context: musicals are mostly considered to be a gateway into the world of theater. Song and dance numbers woven into the fabric of the story are not only easier to digest, but they also move the narrative forward differently. For one, it amplifies the drama, as it did when Lea Salonga, as the Witch in Into The Woods, mourned Rapunzel’s fate in Witch’s Lament. Or in Sandbox Collective’s Sideshow, where the ill-fated conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton sing I Will Never Leave You during the show’s finale.
It can make these stories even more fantastical! As Repertory Philippines Artistic Director Jeremy Domingo said at the opening of Repertory Theater for Young Adults’ (RTYA) spectacular production of Alice In Wonderland, “It’s likely that the kids here are seeing a show for the first time, and this is the best one to start with, and have them wanting to see more.”
Musicals with LSS-inducing songs, like Rent’s anthemic Seasons Of Love, Hamilton’s rapid fire battle cry My Shot, or the Dear Evan Hansen power ballad You Will Be Found, evoke a deeper emotional connection with its audience.
Perhaps the magic of musical theater is that they hold space for the momentary flights of fancy we all need. And for a singing- and music-obsessed people, a full theater slate almost year round—with shows like A Christmas Carol and Shrek: The Musical closing as late as December 21—could just be the right prescription.
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The year of the original Pinoy musical
It was a huge year for OPM—original Pinoy musicals, that is. Each one was a showcase of the Filipino creative process—some with more success than others. For one, Tanghalang Pilipino scored big with two musicals in 2025. First was the rerun of Pingkian, Isang Musikal, a reimagined look at the life of Emilio Jacinto by Juan Ekis and Ejay Yatco, and brilliantly staged by Jennie Jamora. Then they closed out the year with the very well-received Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical, which chronicles the story of Gregoria de Jesus, played by Marynor Madamesila, and set to P-Pop songs by Nica del Rosario and Matthew Chang.
Barefoot Theater Collaborative also brought back their coming-of-age musical Bar Boys, by Pat Valera and Myke Salomon based on the movie of the same name, but this time recreating it for a proscenium stage to rave reviews.
One of the OG Filipino musicals, Trumpets’ Joseph The Dreamer also made a triumphant return in 2025, with Jordan Andrews alternating with Sam Concepcion as Joseph, and Gary Valenciano returning as Jacob, selling out a week before curtain’s up.
It wasn’t quite a good year for jukebox musicals though. The “rise to stardom” trope fell flat in the overproduced and lacking in depth of a show that was Delia D, which featured the songs of Jonathan Manalo. The same can be said of Jeproks, centered around the music of legendary Pinoy rocker Mike Hanopol, with a story that had everything in it, plus the kitchen sink.
One show that opened to high expectations, but missed the mark was 9Works Theatrical’s Liwanag Sa Dilim, featuring the songs of Rico Blanco, which opened with a great premise, but could have used a bit more time to percolate to tie up loose ends. However, CJ Navato as Ibarra and Boo Gabunada as Padre Salvi were good enough reasons to see this show.
That said, perhaps a rerun will reveal a stronger, tighter plot down the line, if ever.
But there was also the little-musical-that-could. Arete’s Si Faust (After Goethe) caught everyone by surprise serving up a rock opera on steroids. Almost a decade in the works, it was the fulfillment of Basti Artadi’s dream, in collaboration with writer and director Nelsito Gomez, of bringing Wolfgang’s iconic rock songs to life in the theater.
What better choice than to set it to Faust, that classic tale of the pitfalls of ego and hubris. From lights up, the audience is bombarded with the face-melting guitar riffs and drum solos as it draws you into the mad world of Faust, ably played by newcomer Joseton Vergel De Dios, as he is tempted and misled by Maita Ponce as the sly Mephistopheles. Si Faust was raw, edgy, unabashedly loud, and unafraid—the kind of musical that rocks you to your core, pun intended.
Casting call
One of the best things about the 2025 theater season is how it put Filipino talent front and center. It may seem counterintuitive to say, with some shows featuring international talent – who, rightfully so, were outshone by local theater stars. Let’s take the case of Into The Woods, which had a talented cast all around, but what it really did was add an exclamation point (or maybe even a few) to a well-established fact—that the local theater scene has spawned some of the most talented artists anywhere, bar none.
They’ve perfected their craft that they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with actors on Broadway and the West End. We have the likes of Salonga—with her groundbreaking Tony and Olivier Awards for Miss Saigon, and her newly-minted star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame – and JonJon Briones, who had a stellar run as Hermes in Hadestown on Broadway, becoming theater superstars on that side of the world. British Filipina singer-actress Christine Allado, who played lead in 9Works’s The Bodyguard, was inthe original West End cast of Hamilton.
Singapore’s Pangdemonium Theater has also casted quite a few Filipinos in their shows, such as theater newbie Angelo Martinez in the titular role in Dear Evan Hansen, alongside Giancarlo Magdangal, who played Connor Murphy’s father, and theater icon Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo who recently starred in Kimberly Akimbo.
To be honest, Into The Woods truly soared on the wings of the homegrown cast. Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, as the Baker’s Wife, and Teetin Villanueva, as Little Red Riding Hood, were the true stars of this show, taking command of the stage in every scene they were in with a whole lot of chutzpah. Sarah Facuri, Kakki Teodoro, and Tex Ordoñez-De Leon followed suit as Cinderella’s evil step sibs and mom. In The Bodyguard, it was Sheena Lee Palad’s performance that garnered more attention than Allado and British import Matt Blaker. Even in Repertory Philippines’ reboot of Art, it was Brian Sy’s neurotic Ivan who stood out versus his British castmates.
The past year also saw the rise of theater actors into their own version of celebrity, by way of impressive acting work. Vic Robinson III showed us why he deserved his Gawad Buhay 2025 Best Actor trophy for Gen. Emilio Jacinto in Pingkian, alongside Teodoro who did a gender-bending take on Jose Rizal. Reb Atadero, who played Terry Connor in Sideshow, has become one of the most in-demand actors of his generation. Andrews and Julia Serad (as Rachel) earned rave reviews in Joseph The Dreamer, which they rode all the way to the big, beautiful world of Shrek: The Musical.
The women also delivered on powerful performances in 2025. Shiela Valderrama went from last year’s ethereal Erzulie in Once On This Island to a woman dealing with bipolar disorder in Sandbox’s Next To Normal. Taking a step off the beaten track, but in stellar style, was Ponce, stunning audiences as Mephistopheles in Si Faust, and as Pepang in SceneChange’s Quomodo Desolata Es.
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It’s a big, beautiful world
Of course, one would be remiss to not mention the big budget shows that lit up the stage in 2025.
GMG Productions’ Come From Away, once again, was the giving all the “surprise, I gotchu!” feels without any warning that you needed to come to the theater armed with a box of tissues. Perhaps the least known, albeit being a multiple Tony Award-winner, of the Broadway musicals, it delivers its heart on its sleeve with every song, dance, and nary a set. That you forget it had all-star cast with the likes of Lauchengco-Yulo, Magdangal, Caisa Borromeo, Shiela Francisco, Topper Fabregas, George Schulze as you get swept up in this testament to human kindness and compassion during the days of 9-11. Hands down, this show still sits high on the list of best musicals of the past year.
They followed this up with Gen Z favorite, Dear Evan Hansen, which was every second what you expected it to be—pointing a microscope at all the things impacting young people these days, especially when it comes to conversations about mental health.
Two of the biggest shows of the year were local stagings of international productions. First up was the much-hyped The Bodyguard, the opening salvo of the brand-new Proscenium Theater staged by 9Works. It was also the homecoming show for Allado, who was fresh off of a concert with Andrea Bocelli and playing Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame in London. Alas, the material itself was flimsy at best, and there really was little anyone could do to make it great, or even good. Which meant it had to rely mostly on bells and whistles, and the sheer appeal of Whitney Houston’s songs. So it did, but it did have some great moments, with notable turns by Tim Yap (in his return to theater) and Vien King as the show’s big bad. Fortunately, they turned the tide with an utterly charming and magical staging of the holiday classic, A Christmas Carol.
On the other hand, Full House Theater Company’s Shrek over at Newport Performing Arts Theater was a big bundle of fun. Full stop. Jamie Wilson as Shrek, Topper Fabregas as Donkey, Krystal Kane as Fiona, and Alfred Reyes as Lord Farquad brought on all the magic of the beloved animated films, with all the kookiness thrown in. Even the set and costumes felt like a land from far, far away, if you get the reference. If Shrek’s only intention was to make you smile, then it was tens across the board. Another one up there on the list of the best musicals of 2025.
Special mention goes out to Sideshow, the beautifully crafted musical that brought its audience into the circus and the tumultuous lives of the freaks. It was the directorial swan song of Sandbox’s outgoing artistic director Toff De Venecia before leaving for London for further studies.
The stage is lit in 2026
As early as October, theater companies started announcing their slate for 2026, and it is already bursting at the seams. Gird your loins (and hang on to your credit cards), theater fans!
In the first quarter alone, it’s curtains up on some star-studded shows. GMG’s Les Misérables World Spectacular opens with Lea Salonga and Rachelle Ann Go, while Bagets The Musical over in Newport Performing Arts Theater features rising stars Andres Muhlach and KD Estrada. Sandbox’s Spring Awakening, which stars Nic Chien, Angia Laurel, and Audie Gemora, among others, is their first outing under new artistic director Sab Jose-Gregorio. Groundbreaking theater group CAST actually opens up the year by way of their annual slate of staged readings starting mid-January with directorial duties shared by Gomez, Facuri, Borromeo, and Guelan Luarca.
TGA also ups the ante with their revival of the cult classic A Chorus Line, which will star an all-Filipino cast and creative team, led by Tony Award-nominated actor Conrad Ricamora, and Tony Award-winning choreographer Karla Puno-Garcia, in March. 9Works is rumored to be staging the Gloria Estefan musical On Your Feet around the same time, but no specific details have been released, yet. Other shows in the offing are Jesus Christ Superstar, while Rep is bringing back the classics – Man Of La Mancha and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
This wrap-up is, by no means, a full rundown of all the musicals in the past year (there were so many). Alongside musicals were brilliant straight plays and staged readings, varying in scale, that moved us through emotions, words, and movement. That said, by all indications, it looks like the klieg lights will continue to shine on theater stages across the metro going into next year.
“Philippine theater is in its golden age, and that is a great thing. Young actors today are very lucky,” says veteran theater actor, and Trumpets Artistic Director Audie Gemora. “They have the opportunity to work in shows, and learn more about their craft across all theater companies. They are the next generation of this industry.”
The best part is, there is an audience eagerly waiting to fill those seats and take it all in—one song, one dance number at a time.
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