After a banner year in 2025, Philippine theater shows no signs of slowing down, with a slew of shows that have theater fans in a tizzy over which to see first.

And that’s just for the first quarter of 2026. From iconic musicals laden with nostalgia to thought-provoking dialogues, audiences are spoiled for choice.

All the world’s a stage

Two musicals, which are polar opposites of each other, open the year with a bang — literally and figuratively.

First up is GMG Productions’ Les Misérables (World Tour Spectacular), the epic musical about the French Revolution, running from 20 January to 1 March at the Theatre at Solaire. The show boasts an all-star cast that includes Lea Salonga and Red Concepcion as Mrs. and Mr. Thenardier; and Rachelle Ann Go as Fantine, alongside Geronimo Rauch as Jean Valjean and Jeremy Secomb as Javert.

Opening the same week is Bagets: The Musical, an original Filipino musical adaptation of the iconic ’80s coming-of-age movie. It runs from 23 January to March at the Newport World Performing Arts Theater. The musical, directed by PETA Plus’ Maribel Legarda, follows the lives of five teenagers and their relationships with their “ermats” (mothers). The cast features Andres Muhlach, KD Estrada, Carla Guevara-Laforteza and Mayen Bustamante-Cadd, among others.

Coming-of-age seems to be a major theme for 2026 with The Sandbox Collective’s Spring Awakening. Set during a repressive time in 19th-century Germany, the musical follows teenagers — played by the likes of Angia Laurel, Alex Diaz, Nic Chien and Davey Narciso — as they grapple with sexual awakening, identity and peer pressure. The show runs from 13 February to 22 March as the inaugural production at the Proscenium’s Black Box Theater.