'BAGETS: THE MUSICAL' UNVEILS FIRST CAST MEMBERS

TOMAS RODRIGUEZ, NOEL COMIA JR.

- By CHARMIE JOY PAGULONG

Alamat’s Tomas Rodriguez and “Song of the Fireflies” actor Noel Comia Jr. are set to bring the character of Gilbert to life in the forthcoming “Bagets: The Musical.” The role was originally played by Herbert Bautista in the 1984 coming-of-age flick helmed by Maryo J. de los Reyes. Aside from Herbert, the film also starred William Martinez, J.C. Bonnin, Raymond Lauchengco and Aga Muhlach.

The story follows the lives of five teenage boys as they navigate adolescence, while dealing with family and friendship issues, as well as matters of the heart.

The musical is slated to open on Jan. 23, 2026 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. It is helmed by Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) Maribel Legarda (“Rak of Aegis”) and written by PETA’s artistic director and award-winning screenwriter J-mee Katanyag (“Lilet Matias, Attorney-at-Law,” “Maria Clara at Ibarra”). It is a joint production of Newport World Resorts, VIVA Communications Inc. and Next by Philstar Media Group with PETA PLUS as the creative producer. Vince Lim is the music director. The tickets will go on sale starting Oct. 15.

While “Bagets: The Musical” serves as Tomas’ debut in theater, Noel, on the other hand, has been involved in stage plays since he was a child.

Tomas first ventured into showbiz in 2015 via the “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB): 737 Teen Edition” with Franco as his stage name prior to joining the P-pop group Alamat in 2020. He ranked third among his “PBB” batchmates.

The Bicolano actor and performer appeared in films, such as “Expensive Candy,” “Girlfriend Na, Pwede Na” and “The Ship Show.”

“I'm very amazed because this is a different (field) and requires a different set of skills. That’s why I want to learn more from our coaches here. It’s a huge help for me because art is a big deal for me,” Tomas told The STAR in an exclusive interview.

He has seen the original film “Bagets,” which his mother is a fan of.