REVIEW: A brand-new ‘Bar Boys’ reinvents itself into a sprawling, resonant spectacle

REVIEW: A brand-new ‘Bar Boys’ reinvents itself into a sprawling, resonant spectacle

“Barefoot Theatre Collaborative’s restaging of the law school musical completely reshapes its storytelling, while amplifying its themes and performances even further.”

 

Already fully-realized in its two sold-out runs in 2024, Bar Boys: The Musical has now transferred from the PMCS Blackbox Theater in Makati to the cavernous Hyundai Hall in Ateneo de Manila University, and has been redesigned from the ground up. This isn’t just metaphorical PR-speak; rather than getting the venue to fit around the production’s existing set design and direction, Barefoot Theatre Collaborative has taken this opportunity to entirely reimagine how this material could be interpreted in a new space. The result is a show that keeps all of its restless, ambitious energy while feeling like something totally novel and reinvigorated.

In telling its story of four young men whose principles are tested throughout law school, this restaging only amplifies the musical’s themes and performances. And in embracing all the new tools at its disposal, it allows itself to break into a full sprint—expressing itself with even greater excitement and urgency.

New Context

Where Bar Boys’ original run stoked its protagonists’ desire for change through the divisiveness of the 2022 presidential election, this run finds its catalyst in the September 21 protests against widespread government corruption. The update arguably serves the show’s ideas better by implicitly uniting a much broader range of young people, encompassing the four main characters’ different backgrounds. Their concerns about money, environmental destruction, and nepotism take on a newfound immediacy—making Pat Valera’s script an even more affecting account of the ebb and flow of the young generation’s idealism.

A more practical reason why the musical’s book makes a stronger impression now is the simple fact that all the dialogue and lyrics can finally be understood clearly, thanks to Aron Roca’s sound design. While the preview performance for this production still ran into significant issues with some microphones not being switched on or off, it’s clear that these errors can easily be addressed through rehearsal, and that the actual audio infrastructure had been massively improved. As a result, Valera and Myke Salomon’s score buzzes to new life as well. The music is busy but never overwhelming, firmly rooted in musical theater styles while seamlessly accommodating contemporary pop, hip-hop, and sarsuwela. 

Voices of the People

Just as the musical’s themes now resonate more powerfully, the cast only seems to have gained more of an understanding of the role each character plays in the show’s tapestry. Even members of the ensemble are frequently given important moments where they’re brought front and center—creating a real sense that there are still many more stories to be told about the hopes and aspirations of the youth beyond those of the four protagonists.

There is seemingly no shortage to the great performances by the returning cast, who all double down on their characters’ strongest qualities. Jerom Canlas’ sharp comic timing as Torran never loses sight of his struggles with his own identity. Omar Uddin’s growing disillusionment as Josh feels even more like a triumphant realization of his true purpose. Carlon Matobato’s many professors become either more monstrous or more unhinged with every scene. And new cast member Gio Gahol brings a full sense of history to his Atty. Victor Cruz and all the personal and professional boundaries that his character has drawn.

And in their co-leading roles, Benedix Ramos and Alex Diaz have come to understand what drives Erik and Chris on a molecular level. Diaz has truly found the passion and fury in his performance as a third culture kid with something to prove—his relationship with his estranged, corrupt father inevitably shaping his approach to the law and his friendships. Meanwhile, Ramos continues to be such a compelling presence on stage through sheer earnestness, with every new difficulty that Erik encounters building to the production’s most devastating expressions of indignation against the brokenness of the country’s legal systems. And stealing the show just as often as both these actors do, Sheila Francisco’s Justice Hernandez projects to the very back of the 850-seater theater with a voice that carries hardened resolve and tender wisdom.

Into the New World

All of this takes place on a new set (by Julio Garcia and Ohm David) that fully embraces the full depth and height of Hyundai Hall. While David found impressive ways around the narrow dimensions of Bar Boys’ original stage, here, together with Garcia, they jump at the opportunity to craft completely realized environments, not only heightening the experience of law school as a mythic odyssey, but opening up the entire show to an expansive range of expression. Scenes come together through plenty of moving parts that become absolutely integral to the storytelling—be it desks, staircases, and library shelves zooming around the stage, full two storey-structures creating sets within sets, or a giant bust of Lady Justice becoming witness to more than a few pivotal moments.

There’s a palpable excitement to how Mikko Angeles directs the ensemble into various formations across this more traditional proscenium stage, using the set design and Jomelle Era’s choreography to maintain the perpetual motion of chasing a law degree and of chasing justice. And while the new staging does sacrifice some of the intimacy of the original (in particular, an early scene with Juliene Mendoza’s Paping, which is played lighter here and staged farther away from the audience), the spectacle of it all allows this Bar Boys to better capture the rush of completing a seemingly endless journey towards greatness. In creating a totally new experience with this material, Angeles and the artistic team display the same tireless effort as the characters in attempting to make sense of a divided, unequal world that’s still worth fighting for.

 

Tickets: P999 – P3499
Show Dates: Oct 24–Nov 23 2025
Venue: Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City
Running Time: approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes (with a 15-minute intermission)
Creatives: Mikko Angeles (Direction), Pat Valera (Book and Lyrics), Myke Salomon (Music and Lyrics, Musical Direction), Jomelle Era (Choreography), Julio Garcia and Ohm David (Set Design), Meliton Roxas Jr. (Lighting Design), Jethro Nibaten (Lighting Design), Joyce Garcia (Video Design), Aron Roca (Sound Design), Hershee Tantiado (Costume Design), Julio Garcia (Property Design), D Cortezano (Technical Direction)
Cast: Benedix Ramos, Alex Diaz, Jerom Canlas, Omar Uddin, Sheila Francisco, Juliene Mendoza, Lorenz Martinez, Nor Domingo, Gimbey Dela Cruz, Carlon Matobato, Gio Gahol, Natasha Cabrera, Ade Valenzona, Mijon Cortez, Sheena Belarmino, Dippy Arceo, Pappel, Denize Castillo, Keith Sumbi, Ammin Acha-ur, Gelo Lantaco, Daniel Wesley, Elian Dominguez, Curp Adriano, Robe Zamora Dagcuta, Rico Santos, Leo Lapitan, Ian Pangilinan, Shaun Ocrisma, Naths Everett, James Lanante, Raul Montesa, Ace Polias, Aecy Abne
Company: Barefoot Theatre Collaborative