Theater Review: Bar Boys: The Musical Is a Battle Cry Against Injustice
If you missed Bar Boys: A New Musical’s first two runs in 2024, your pleas have been heard. With “new” noticeably dropped from the title, Bar Boys: The Musical is back, this time in Areté’s Hyundai Hall.
The original Filipino musical by Barefoot Theatre Collaborative has an all-new staging, and it couldn’t have come at a better time, given our country’s current state of political affairs.
Created by Pat Valera (book and lyrics) and Myke Salomon (music and lyrics), the musical is based on the 2017 film by Kip F. Oebanda, Bar Boys, which was part of the 2017 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. For this writer who’s seen only the film version and none of the 2024 runs, the 2025 musical version has gone above and beyond the original film’s spirit.
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With a more current setting, it follows the journey of four friends from different social classes—Erik, Chris, Torran, and Josh—who dream of becoming lawyers and changing the world. But as we all know, both law school and the real world are filled with struggles.
Omar Uddin as Josh, Benedix Ramos as Erik, Alex Diaz as Chris, and Jerom Canlas as Torran
Coming from last year’s more intimate set in Blackbox Theater, Ohm David and Julio Garcia as set designers (with Garcia also serving as property designer), Meliton Roxas Jr. and Jethro Nibaten as lighting designers, Joyce Garcia as video projection designer, and Aron Roca as sound designer transformed Areté’s proscenium stage into a feast for the senses, making use of cleverly designed set-within-sets, two-storey structures, moving parts, digital projections, and sound effects. No scene nor space is wasted.
There were noticeable sound glitches during the press preview, but nothing that can’t be ironed out in the succeeding shows.
There’s something about the scenes and transitions that feel movie-like, especially the classrooms and hallways that give off an Ivy League vibe and a fairytale-like library that made the audience gasp in delight when it first emerged. The giant bust of Lady Justice, blindfolded but with a noticeable scar on her face, was a chilling symbolism throughout.
They’ve kept most of the original cast, including the lead quartet with impeccable chemistry. Their barkada starts out as seemingly stereotypical characters, but their layers gracefully unfold with each scene, making each one relatable.
Benedix Ramos plays Erik Vicencio, who comes from the working class and wants to lift his family from poverty. He is financially supported by his widowed security guard father, a.k.a. Paping, which Juliene Mendoza plays so endearingly. Ramos’ powerful acting brings audiences to tears in the end.
Juliene Mendoza as Paping and Benedix Ramos as Erik Vicencio
Jerom Canlas plays Torran Garcia, the overachiever with the quintessential supportive but overbearing Mama, played by Gimbey dela Cruz. Wrestling with his identity, his will-they-or-won’t-they scenes with Professor Atty. Victor Cruz, played by new castmate Gio Gahol, give the much-needed kilig to balance out the heaviness of the material.
Alex Diaz plays the idealistic and privileged Chris Abueva, who is raised by a single mother and struggles to define himself beyond the shadow of his estranged and corrupt father, played by Nor Domingo, a villain that’s easy to hate. Diaz’s spirited performance shines throughout.
Omar Uddin plays Josh Zuniga, the artsy, hippie friend who wants to be an environmental lawyer. His “Siargao” performance is such a hoot, we almost want a spin-off.
Sheila Francisco as Justice Hernandez
Sheila Francisco as Justice Hernandez commands the room each time she enters, speaks, and sings, making her the effective, wise-but-terrifying professor for these lawyer wannabes.
The rest of the ensemble deserves a standing ovation for pouring out their hearts and souls into each scene, anchoring the audience’s emotions through every story arc. Though they play minor roles, each one feels so strong and essential that you look forward to seeing their moments in the spotlight.
You got to hand it to the creative team (Mikko Angeles as director, Myke Salomon as musical director, Jomelle Era as choreographer, and D Cortezano as technical director) for weaving Salomon’s fantastic musical score into this masterpiece story that’s peppered with truth bombs, political jabs, and just the right amount of comedy and TikTok-inspired dance routines to cater to the new generation.
Each scene, from opening to ending, pulsates with energy and emotion. Even with the 15-minute intermission, the momentum is kept high throughout this three-plus-hour play.
The narrative will make you feel like you’re part of the story, too—as the neighbors beaming with pride, as one of the students pleading a mock case, and as a helpless victim of social injustice. It’s almost like they’re inviting you, the Filipino audience, to raise your hand and chime in when one of the professors asks questions like, “Is anyone above the law?” There’s the moral answer based on law, but there’s an answer based on the harsh realities of being Filipino in this present institution. What’s the correct answer then?
Hershee Tantiado’s costume designs help show the characters’ growth from naive, wide-eyed young men wanting to make a better world and–without getting into spoilers–what law school and real life turn them into. Their memorable lines, such as “Libre ang managinip” and “Nawa’y ang hustisiya ay para sa lahat,” also transform into powerful battle cries.
On the surface, Bar Boys: The Musical is about the struggles of law school—the entrance exams, mountains of cases to read, terror profs, mental distress, the dark side of fraternities (which, sadly, was only touched upon), and the bar exams. But the musical delves deeper into other poignant issues that mirror the Philippines’ political and social realities. It will remind you of the daily injustices so deeply ingrained in our country’s system that it’s practically a norm—when it shouldn’t be. And unless you’ve been living under a rock the last few months, this play will reawaken the anger that you should feel towards the corrupted souls behind them.
The musical ends with a more realistic than saccharine note, but it will leave you with a sense of hope and fire in your heart—that we need to keep fighting, even if we don’t always win, because the corrupt are guilty, beyond reasonable doubt.
Bar Boys: The Musical runs until November 23 at Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City. Tickets are available through Ticket2Me, with prices ranging from P999 to P3,499.
