“Bagets” has long been a part of Andres Muhlach’s childhood. Who can forget the effortless charm of his father Aga, who stole the hearts of audiences as Adie — a performance he had seen from the sidelines as long as he can remember.
Forty-two years later, it’s his turn to bring Adie to life in its musical adaptation. And the pressure is on.
“Above all that, I see it more as an honor to play Adie. When I was young and would watch ‘Bagets’ with my dad and family, we never imagined na magiging Adie rin ako,” Andres said in a press conference.
In the 1984 film, Adie was the charming boy-next-door of his friend group, and was the role that catapulted Aga into matinee idol status. Andres, too, is aware of the gravity that this role played not only in Philippine cinema, but also pop culture.
“It’s a full circle moment for me, and an honor. I’m really just as proud to say that I’m playing my father’s role,” he said.
“What I love about Adie is the charisma and charm he brings. When you see Aga Muhlach on screen, ang lakas ng charisma and charm niya.”
Of course, Andres was excited upon finding out that he would be stepping into his dad’s shoes. But he can’t help but feel nervous as well, especially that it would be done in a musical.
Thankfully, he has the support of his co-stars and production team in breathing new life into the beloved character.
“I was ecstatic when I got the role. But of course, I was [nervous]. With the help and support of everyone, [especially] the production team, we’re just really excited,” he said.
While preparing for his character, Andres would want to believe that the 1984 film “was like a musical” based on its dialogue and how music would play a huge part in its storyline.
“We realized that ‘Bagets’ is almost like a musical because throughout the film, there’s a lot of dialogue with music in the background. A lot of the blockings feel like a musical and ang galing na we get to do this live onstage,” he said.
But if there’s one thing that made Muhlach fall in love with the process, it’s the support of everyone around him which also felt like a real-life barkada.
Rotating Adie with Muhlach is Mico Chua, while KD Estrada and Ethan David were cast as Arnel. The lead cast is also composed of Migo Valid and Milo Cruz (Tonton); Noel Comia Jr. and Tomas Rodriguez (Gilbert); and Jeff Moses and Sam Shoaf (Topee).
The musical will be staged from January 23 to March 2026 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. (Hannah Mallorca © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
