Must-see shows in the first quarter of 2026

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.

Tanghalang Pilipino closes out its trio of musicals celebrating Filipino heroes with a gender-bending take on Mabining Mandirigma, on the life of Apolinario Mabini, playing from 6 to 29 March at Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez. Shaira Opsimar plays Mabini opposite David Ezra and Arman Ferrer, who will alternate as Emilio Aguinaldo.

The first quarter wraps up with Theatre Group Asia’s much-anticipated staging of A Chorus Line at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in March. Broadway-based Filipino-American actors Conrad Ricamora (who was Tony-nominated for Oh, Mary!) and Lissa de Guzman will be joining some of Manila’s most talented — Jordan Andrews, Ken San Jose, Richardson Yadao, Sam Libao and more.

Bring in the drama

On the more dramatic front are the straight play offerings for the first quarter of 2026.

Last year, writer/director Guelan Varela-Luarca took the famous tale of familial obligations and loyalty, Larawan: The Portrait Of An Artist As A Filipino, and turned it into a moving piece of modern theater. Quomodo Desolata Es: Isang Dalamhati, which starred Delphine Buencamino and Gab Pangilinan, opened to rave reviews. It returns to the Hyundai Hall of Arete in Ateneo for two weekends, from 30 January to 8 February.

Going in a simpler route is CAST, with the 2026 iteration of their staged readings, Re-Orient: Narratives From Asian Voices, running for four Sundays beginning 11 January at The Mirror Studio in Makati. The readings will feature the likes of Dolly de Leon, Tarek El-Tayech, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, Jenny Jamora and more.

For details on how to watch all these shows, check out the social media accounts of the various theater companies. 2026 has barely begun, but here’s a little bit of advice — whatever you do, do go out and see a show.