OPM as the soundtrack of PH theater: A look into the trend of jukebox musicals

Original Pilipino Music has become a huge part of our lives—and it’s now a significant genre in the local theater scene, too

If we could define a collective personality for Filipinos, a deep love and talent for music would undoubtedly be a big chunk of this identity. Music has been so deeply ingrained and intertwined with our culture—from the precolonial, Indigenous community practices to the adoption of Western musical theory and instruments, all the way to today, with the influence of the now-universal sounds and trends. 

The evolution of our music—that which we call Original Pilipino Music or OPM—is a long and continuous process. But even with the constant flux the “genre” is in over the decades, one thing that remains true is how our music, and the language we use with it, continue to tell of the vast variety of Filipino experiences. 

Part of the development of OPM and in its function as an avenue for storytelling is its integration into other forms of art, such as musical theater. 

In the West, the concept of jukebox musicals has long existed. Although its exact history is uncertain, the concept of using existing music by composers into a new work, with new lyrics, had been done in movie musicals since the 1940s. On stage, the ’70s and ’80s began the surge in the number of the jukebox musicals as we know it today: a theatrical retelling of an artist’s life or career, using their catalog of music, or alternatively, using an artist’s discography put into an entirely new context with a story for the stage. 

“Beautiful: A Carole King Musical” is an example of the former, as it takes its audience through the life and experiences of the celebrated singer-songwriter. Of the latter type of jukebox musical, “Mamma Mia!” which featured the songs of Abba, is often noted to be the production that propelled this genre to popularity. 

In the Philippines, the latter type of jukebox musical appears to be more prominent. From the late aughts to the present, local theater companies have found artists whose catalogs could form the aural backbone of dramatical if not socially relevant narratives. 

There are several common reasons behind local theater companies’ decision to use particular artists’ existing discography as the music of the stories they want to stage. Often, the creators of these shows find a connection between the artists’ music and the message their play aims to convey. It would then make sense to marry the two. 

Such was the case for one of the early jukebox musicals, “EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson,” staged by Tanghalang Pilipino in 2008. The rock musical was set during martial law, and featured a creative telling of the lives and ideas of two known young activists. 

The musical featured the songs of the band The Dawn, which according to the company, apparently lent itself well to the story. In a review, it was described to have “thrillingly rangy, full-bodied music, a creature of more recent vintage, perfectly captured the restless, activist spirit of the Marcos years. The exploding drums, the twanging guitar, Jett Pangan’s astonishingly forceful vocals—they galvanized to surging life the rage and mayhem, the fear and confusion of the country’s long dark night under martial law.”

Using known artists’ music also benefits the theater industry by way of marketing. Full House Theater Company (FHTC) co-artistic director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo describes it as an important avenue for audience development. 

“People who generally don’t come to the theater end up watching because they are fans of the band or the songs being used to tell the story, and they end up enjoying the experience,” she says. 

What has made jukebox musicals appealing for many Filipino theater-goers is the magic these productions have done on their featured artist’s music, giving the well-loved songs a new context and musical arrangement. 

In 2013, cult classic jukebox musical “Sa Wakas” shook both theater and OPM audiences by its incorporation of the band Sugarfree’s music into a unique narrative on love and loss. 

“Sa Wakas” (created by Charissa Pammit and Andrei Pamintuan with musical direction by Ejay Yatco) explored the complications of the relationships of a man torn between two women, and the emotions of each person involved. What also made the musical such a landmark production was its narrative structure, being told in reverse, starting at the end of the relationship (hence the musical’s title), and ending at the beginning. 

Many who have seen the show have also remarked on how seamlessly integrated Sugarfree’s songs were into the play’s context, allowing the audience to see and hear these already familiar tunes with a new lens. Popular demand prompted the show to rerun twice several years later in 2017 and 2018. 

Following the debut of “Sa Wakas” was the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA)’s creation of what would become their longest-running jukebox musical to date: “Rak of Aegis.” 

With the popularity of the ’90s band Aegis (largely thanks to Pinoy karaoke and birit culture—subjects for another day!), the musical which featured the iconic patid-litid, gasgas lalamunan songs, aka songs that are insanely high and require strong vocal and lung power, also enjoyed massive success. 

Add to that the relatability and groundedness of its plot, and its use of all the elements Filipinos enjoy: a love story, an underdog dreaming of fame, and the universally Filipino value of resilience, especially amid natural disasters. The musical was set in a fictional barangay submerged in flood after a typhoon.

With all these elements in place, it created a smash hit for PETA. “Rak of Aegis” ran for a total of seven seasons from 2014 to 2019, with more than 300 shows. 

With the success of “Rak,” PETA also developed several other jukebox musicals soon after. In 2015, they produced “3 Stars and a Sun,” featuring the music of the late rapper Francis Magalona. With Magalona’s music being largely nationalistic and critical, the company set the jukebox musical in a dystopian future version of the Philippines. 

In the same year, PETA also explored a love story in an alternate reality where the music industry had banned love songs. The musical, entitled “Ako si Josephine,” also served as a celebration and tribute for the 10th anniversary of singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino.

Most artists to be honored with a jukebox musical in recent years have been those who rose to prominence in the ’90s or earlier, as they are the ones who have built a large enough catalog of music from which to develop a story.

In 2018, musicals featuring the music of APO Hiking Society and the Eraserheads debuted, each one set in the respective decades the referenced artists became known. The two jukebox musicals would again be restaged in 2019, following successful debut runs. 

Several other jukebox musicals would have hit the stage in 2020, such as the already announced “Bongga Ka ‘Day” musical featuring the ’70s band Hotdog. A rock musical based on the songs of Rivermaya was also teased for 2020 but the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns had shut down all theaters, and effectively halted all productions.

Theater companies slowly returned to live performances in 2022, but it was only in 2023 that jukebox musicals were once again staged. This year, three jukebox musicals have been slated to run so far: PETA’s “One More Chance,” an adaptation of the film, now featuring the music of folk pop band Ben&Ben, “Going Home to Christmas,” a new musical by Repertory Philippines based on the songs of the Philippines’ Christmas icon Jose Mari Chan, and the recently concluded “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy” musical based on the discography of Parokya ni Edgar. A musical with the songs of renowned composer Jonathan Manalo is slated to be staged in 2025.

With the continued development of jukebox musicals, it’s clear that the genre is an effective move for the local theater industry to not only ensure box office success but also widen their reach. While the industry has also begun to explore other means to reach untapped audiences (such as casting popular TV and film actors to make theatrical debuts, and adapting well-known films for the stage), jukebox proves to be an enduring theater trend–nay, genre–that we can expect Philippine theater to continue adopting for years to come.

A (partial) timeline of Philippine jukebox musicals

2008 – “EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson” (The Dawn) by Tanghalang Pilipino

2013 – “Sa Wakas” (Sugarfree)

2014 – “Rak of Aegis” (Aegis) by PETA

2015 – “Rak of Aegis,” “Chuva Choo Choo” (Venhee Saturno) by Stages, and “Bituing Walang Ningning” (Willy Cruz) by FHTC

2016 – “Rak of Aegis,” “3 Stars and a Sun” (Francis Magalona), “Ako si Josephine” (Yeng Constantino) all by PETA

2017 – “Rak of Aegis,” “Sa Wakas”

2018 – “Rak of Aegis,” “Sa Wakas,” “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (APO Hiking Society) by 9Works Theatrical, and “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (Eraserheads) by FHTC

2019 – “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” “Ang Huling El Bimbo” 

2020-2021 – Pandemic, no live performances (“Bongga Ka ‘Day” and Rivermaya musicals discontinued)

2022 – post-pandemic, no jukebox musicals

2023 – “Ang Huling El Bimbo”

2024 – “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy” (Parokya ni Edgar) by FHTC, “One More Chance” (Ben&Ben) by PETA, “Going Home to Christmas” (Jose Mari Chan) by Repertory Philippines

2025 – Untitled Jonathan Manalo musical

Completed under the ArtsEquator Fellowship. Views expressed are solely of the writer/creator.