The Bar Boys are never ready, only prepared. Which is why you shouldn’t pass on this opportunity to see Bar Boys: A New Musical on its second run! In case you missed it during its first run, Barefoot Theatre Collaborative’s law school musical is returning this month, and here’s why you should catch a show ASAP:

The story

Based on Kip Oebanda’s well-loved law school film, Bar Boys: A New Musical finds new territory with the musical adaptation of Pat Valera and Myke Salomon.

Reimagined for today, the musical follows the life of four young law school students: Erik, Chris, Torran, and Josh. In their journey to become lawyers, their dreams, ideals, and even friendships are challenged by the demands of law school, the pressures of love and life, and the harsh reality of the world.

The cast and crew of Bar Boys: A New Musical

Original cast members Benedix Ramos, Alex Diaz, Jerom Canlas, Omar Uddin, and Sheila Francisco will reprise their roles as Erik, Chris, Torran, Josh, and Justice Hernandez respectively.

Also returning are Juliene Mendoza and Lorenz Martinez as Paping, Topper Fabregas as Atty. Victor Cruz, Nor Domingo as Atty. Maurice Carlson, Carlon Matobato as the Male Professor, and Gimbey dela Cruz as Boss Mama.

Diego Aranda, Ade Valenzona, Edrei Tan, Jannah Baniasia, Uzziel Delamide, and Meg Ruiz will return as members of the ensemble.

This second staging will have new additions in the cast: Katrine Sunga as the Female Professor; Chino Veguillas as Paping and cover for Atty. Maurice Carlson; and Jam Binay as a member of the ensemble.

Also joining are Ian Pangilinan as the cover for Chris, Khalil Tambio as the cover for Erik and Torran, Naths Everett as the cover for Justice Hernandez, Shaun Ocrisma as the cover for Atty. Victor Cruz, Rapah Manalo as the male swing, and Mikaela Regis as the female swing.

The book and lyrics of this stage adaptation are by Pat Valera, who will return to direct alongside Mikko Angeles. Myke Salomon, who composed the adaptation’s original songs, also serves as the musical director. Jomelle Era will also return for movement direction.

Completing the creative team are D Cortezano for Technical Direction, Arnold Jallores for Sound Engineering, Ohm David for Set Design, Tata Tuviera for Costume Design, Meliton Roxas Jr. for Lighting Design, Joyce Garcia for Video Projection Design, and Julio Garcia for Property Design.

Our verdict

We’ve seen the show, and we promise it is worth seeing live. As a musical, the storyline worked without needing to sacrifice important elements from the movie. While it can be difficult to understand some parts of the singing, the soul of the story is there, and you’ll see and feel it.

Within 2 hours and 40 minutes of runtime, the show promises to induce laughter (we definitely laughed out loud a lot), but it would also probably make you cry (we also had tears in our eyes, yes). Whether you’re in the world of law or not, you’d be able to connect with the characters, relating to their emotions, struggles, and experiences.

The schedule and ticket prices

The musical will run for a limited time until November 3, 2024, at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Circuit Makati.

You can catch shows on Fridays (7:30 PM) and Saturdays and Sundays (2 PM and 7:30 PM), as well as one Thursday (October 24, 7:30 PM). Ticket prices range from PHP 2,799 to 2,999. You can book tickets to your chosen show date through Ticket2Me.

Bar Boys: A New Musical is also the final production of Barefoot Theatre Collaborative for its 2024 season.

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