January arrives carried by Amihan—the cool northeast monsoon that makes Manila feel softer, slower, more forgiving. It is the month when memory stirs easily, when we are inclined to look back not with regret, but with tenderness. It was in this spirit that I found myself at the opening night of Bagets The Musical at the Newport Performing Arts Theater—ready, unexpectedly, to be reminded why joy still matters.
I almost didn’t make it.
Something sad and unplanned intervened, the kind of real-life disruption that tempts us to cancel, to retreat, to stay home. But I went. And I’m glad I did.
The First Lesson: Humility Is Its Own Kind of Beauty
Before the curtain rose, I encountered Chanda Romero, one of the original cast members of the iconic film Bagets, a star in her own right, arriving without ceremony, without pretense—simply present, answering questions with warmth and ease. No celebrity air. Just a woman happy to be there.
It struck me how humility does something remarkable: it softens the face, lightens the spirit, even makes people look younger. A quiet reminder that how we carry ourselves often matters more than how we are seen.
Luck Has a Way of Knowing Better Than We Do
When I took my seat, I briefly thought of asking to move closer to the stage. Surely, I thought, the best experience would be nearer, more immediate.
Then Aga Muhlach walked in with his family and took the seats directly in front of me.
Yes—that Aga Muhlach. The Adie of Bagets, the ultimate dreamboy of a generation, the face that defined youthful longing when I was about to graduate high school. There he was, in the flesh, present not as a star but as a father.
Lesson two arrived quietly: never underestimate where you are placed. What we think is “not ideal” may be exactly where life intends us to be—close enough to witness something meaningful.
What Happens When We Let Ourselves Drift
Theater lovers often speak of spectacle: production design, technical mastery, direction, reinterpretation. And to be sure, Bagets the Musical delivers on these fronts.
Produced through a collaboration between Viva Communications Inc., The Philippine Star, and Newport World Resorts, with Philippine Educational Theater Association as line producer, the show is a vibrant assemblage of Filipino pop culture, color, sound, and memory—anchored in a coming-of-age story that refuses to age out of relevance.
But ordinary people—people like me—go to the theater to feel. To sing along quietly. Then to laugh. To forgive imperfections. To be transported.
And that is where Bagets truly succeeds.
READ: Why Art Still Heals: How Music, Memory, and Live Performance Support Our Well-Being
On Youth, Effort, and the Courage to Step Into a Giant Shadow
Let’s talk about Andres Muhlach.
Yes, he is undeniably handsome. Period.
But to stop there would be unfair.
On opening night, Andres gave everything—singing, dancing, cycling, moving across the stage with a kind of relentless sincerity. You could feel the physical toll of it, the exhaustion that only comes from commitment. And when the show came to an end, and he broke into tears while hugging his father, the moment transcended performance.
What we witnessed was not just a debut.
It was legacy in motion.
A son stepping into a space once occupied by his father.
A parent watching, not to reclaim glory, but to pass it on.
That, too, is wellness—the deep human need to be seen, to prove oneself, to honor where we come from while daring to become our own person.
The Ensemble, the Color, the Cheer
The rest of the cast—each with distinct voices and energy—lifted the production, while the more seasoned performers anchored it with confidence and craft. The costumes shimmered with nostalgia, not as parody but as celebration. The stage pulsed with life.
Were there small glitches? Of course.
But life itself is not flawless—and joy does not demand perfection. It only asks that we show up.
Why This Matters to Wellness
Research shows that nostalgia and collective cultural experiences—like live theater—can reduce stress, increase feelings of belonging, and improve emotional regulation. Music, movement, and shared memory activate parts of the brain associated with joy, connection, and meaning.
At Joyful Wellness, we often talk about nutrition, movement, prevention. But wellness also lives here: in laughter shared with strangers, in songs remembered, in the courage of youth, in the pride of parents, in the willingness to sit still for two hours and feel something.
The Joyful Wellness Perspective
Bagets the Musical reminds us that joy is not frivolous.
It is restorative.
It invites us to remember who we were, to appreciate who we are, and to feel hopeful about who we might still become. In a world that often demands productivity and perfection, choosing delight—choosing to be moved—is an act of care.
This January, carried by Amihan, let yourself drift into color, sound, and story. Let youth—fresh or remembered—work its quiet magic on you.
Sometimes, wellness looks like a checklist.
Sometimes, it looks like a stage lit bright, a song you know by heart, and the simple grace of feeling alive again.
Photo by Walter Bollozos_Philippine Star
*This article draws on research in psychology and arts-in-health to explore how live performance, nostalgia, and shared cultural experiences support emotional well-being.
