Our Favorite Plays and Musicals of 2024

2024 was a busy year for theatergoers. Our theater calendar was almost fully booked, and sometimes, even two shows were scheduled for one weekend. There were one-act plays and staged readings; stagings and reruns by Philstage member companies; mounted shows by university theater organizations; and other productions, whether in intimate spaces like The Mirror Studios or in a massive proscenium like the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. But having a range of shows to watch meant seeing expensive ones that could benefit from a theater laboratory, catching productions that we can't stop raving about for being welcome surprises, or even runs that serve as lessons of what not to do when doing theater.

As we enter another bustling theater season, it's the perfect time to reflect on the most memorable plays and musicals that truly deserved a standing ovation—a personal roundup I’ve been curating since 2017. And it’s been a beautifully overwhelming experience year after year.

(Note: This selection comes from the 43 plays and musicals I watched in Metro Manila, assuming, of course, that my count was correct. One-act plays in theater festivals like PETA's Control Shift: Changing Narratives, Kumprontasyon, and CCP's Virgin Labfest were counted individually. There were more, but watching everything was just impossible. Also, this list is not ranked.)

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Pingkian (Tanghalang Pilipino)

Tanghalang Pilipino started 2024 with a powerful historical musical that put the spotlight on the Brains of the Katipunan, Emilio Jacinto, a.k.a. Pingkian (portrayed by Vic Robinson). The writing was as clever as its music (the book and lyrics are by Juan Ekis, with composer Ejay Yatco), with Jacinto's life told through his fragments of memory, some even surreal, to fill in the gaps in our fragmented history of the hero. And just when you thought you'd seen everything, especially with Jomelle Era's choreography that almost puts viewers in a trance, the ensemble broke out into a brilliant rap arrangement of the Kartilya—yes, that list of rules of the Katipunan. 

Pingkian: Isang Musikal ran from March 1 to 24 at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Pasay City, with an extended staging at the GSIS Theater on April 12.

Balete (Tanghalang Pilipino)

Another outstanding production in the roster of CCP's resident theater company last 2024 was Balete, a stage adaptation of F. Sionil Jose’s novel, Tree. It touched on themes of privilege and inequality with Francisco at the center. The script by Rody Vera required Nonie Buencamino to play all versions of Francisco, shifting between Francisco as the young boy born into privilege, Francisco as the man gradually seeing the social realities, and even Francisco's strict father himself—with no rest in between, nothing but a beat, and the veteran actor did so flawlessly. While most people would frown on the frequent code-switching as the main character would sometimes break into English monologues amid Filipino dialogue, the piece (as well as Francisco's character) called for it. Surrounding Buencamino was TP’s Actors Company, which beautifully emphasized the silences through movement (designed by Delphine Buencamino).

Balete ran from September 13 to October 6 at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Pasay City.

One More Chance (PETA)

We have to admit that our initial review of One More Chance, the Musical, in April 2024, already passed judgment on this adaptation of the Star Cinema, saying that it felt like "I was rewatching the same movie with songs playing in the background." But PETA did a great job in showing us one of the advantages of live theater, which is that it can be revised and improved show after show.

By the month of May, they already have a tighter musical, with dialogue and songs blending so perfectly you almost forget there was a movie (okay, maybe that was an exaggeration). Plus, CJ Navato's Popoy had a depth to the character who was otherwise just a toxic boyfriend; while Nicole Omillo's Basha veered away from an otherwise one-note, pa-martir Basha. The welcome surprise, perhaps, was Sheena Belarmino's Tricia, whose most powerful moment was the fuck-you scene as she sang "Kathang Isip" while walking in and out of Ohm David's revolving stage.

One More Chance, the Musical ran from April 12 to June 30 at PETA Theater Center, Quezon City, with a rerun from August 22 to October 27.

Bar Boys: A New Musical (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative)

The all-original Filipino musical based on a 2017 film by Kip Oebanda was an A+ exercise in adaptation, particularly in adapting a movie into the live stage as well as figuratively translating its language from 2017 to 2024. Pat Valera (book and lyrics) stretched the film's themes into a three-hour musical with four principal characters, each fleshed out to carry their own plot lines. And it was through this technique that Bar Boys: A New Musical stood on its own as a creative form—separate and yet imbibing the same spirit of Bar Boys without being redundant. Myke Salomon’s music, which featured hip-hop, rap, and techno, all complemented the musical’s apparent choice to be movement-heavy—courtesy of Jomelle Era, who used choreography to transport viewers through time and space and ground the characters in their settings. 

Bar Boys: A New Musical ran from May 3 to 19 at Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Circuit Makati, with a rerun from October 4 to November 10.

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Repertory Philippines)

It's always tricky to stage old plays, especially classic ones that may, at times, be inappropriate for today's more socially aware audience members. The '90s wasn't safe either because there were a lot of references that can easily be dated. I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change from 1996, for one, has sexist undertones, given that it's a musical revue about dating and relationships. But director Menchu Lauchengo-Yulo made sure that Repertory Philippines' production was as modern as it could be. The women have agency, and there's a family with two (frustrated) dads. Gab Padilla, who shined in a monologue in Act 2, made a grand theater comeback with this production, proving how well she can perform both behind the camera and onstage.

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change ran from June 14 to July 6 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati. It is set to return from February 14 to March 9, 2025, at the new REP Eastwood Theater. 

SIX (GMG Productions)

When GMG Productions first announced that the international tour of SIX was coming to the Philippines, I didn't get what all the hype was about. But on gala night, it was impossible not to be swept up by the energy of the cast and the audience. Watching SIX was like watching a concert, one that's headlined by six Tudor queens: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. They're known in history only as the wives of infamous husband, King Henry VIII; and in SIX, they reclaim their narratives through ingeniously crafted lyrics of empowerment.

SIX ran from October 4 to 20 at The Theater at Solaire, Paranaque.

Gruesome Playground Injuries (Cast PH)

Gruesome Playground Injuries ran in November, and its only flaw was that it was up for a very limited run. One point to ponder was its non-chronological structure, a writing technique I can only wish I could do, with each vignette centering around an injury and showing parts of the complex relationship between Kayleen and Doug. Missy Maramara's portrayal of Kayleen radiated raw emotion that you can almost feel in your bones, while Topper Fabregas' signature poker-face banter matched his character Doug's dark humor. 

Gruesome Playground Injuries ran from November 22 to December 1 at The Mirror Studios, Makati.

Mula sa Buwan (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative)

No two stagings are ever the same, and Mula sa Buwan proved that—from its beginnings as an experimental play in 2011 to a full musical production in 2016 and to an all-new staging in 2024. This time, directed by Mikko Angeles, Pat Valera's Mula sa Buwan was angrier and more defiant, which was necessary in today's socio-political landscape. You could hear it in their voices, you could see it in the sharp movements, and you could feel it in the grandness of the set. According to Barefoot Theater Collaborative, this is the last time they're producing Mula sa Buwan, at least for a while. And they couldn't have given it a better farewell.

Mula sa Buwan ran from August 16 to September 14 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Circuit Makati.

Sa Babaeng Lahat and Identite (The Virgin Labfest)

Sa Babaeng Lahat, written by Elise Santos and directed by Caisa Borromeo, is an easily relatable one-act play for everyone who lived through (and survived) an all-girls private school. But instead of a triggering trauma dump, its much-needed campy take delved into themes of self-identity, sexuality, and friendship—and, overall, breaking free from Catholic school conditioning.

Much like Sa Babaeng Lahat, Identite (written by Jhudiel Clare Sosa and directed by MeAnn Espinosa) boldly swam in the waters of taboo themes. This time, of female masturbation, challenging societal norms with its raw and unapologetic narrative. On the surface, it was all about how free-spirited Regina introduced dildos of all shapes and sizes to her conservative mother. But behind the metaphor (behind the metaphor), Identite examined the transformative journey of self-discovery and identity formation.

The Virgin Labfest 2024 ran from June 12 to 30 at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Pasay City. Sa Babaeng Lahat and Identite are part of the Revisited Set for The Virgin Labfest 2025.