P-pop meets musical theater in Tanghalang Pilipino’s upcoming ‘Gregoria Lakambini’
OPM is once again having its moment. We have a new generation of singer-songwriters, bands (and band reunions, too), and of course, our homegrown P-pop groups are also gaining more widespread recognition. In the musical theater scene, the continued popularity of jukebox as a genre speaks volumes on the relevance of music to our local audiences.
Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), the national performing arts company for theater, has taken this into keen consideration, packing their 39th season with hard-hitting musical theater productions—all under the banner of their theme “Ignite.”
And we aren’t just talking musical theater in the classical sense. We’re seeing rock, rock opera, and now, even P-pop.
This year, TP is set to rerun “Pingkian: Isang Musikal” this September and “Mabining Mandirigma: A Steampunk Musical” in March 2026. In between the two multi-awarded musicals is a new title, also taking on a fresh genre for the stage. Entitled “Gregoria Lakambini: A Pinay Pop Musical,” it debuts (to borrow from P-pop parlance) this November.
‘Ignite’
The 39th season lineup was built around the question, “Paano ba maging mabuting Pilipino?” Thus, the chosen musicals all feature central characters who aren’t just heroes, but rather, were the embodiment of what it meant to be Filipino.
Emilio Jacinto, Apolinario Mabini, and Gregoria de Jesus were all key figures in the revolutionary period of our country, and though they lived in uncertain times, their characters all had within them a sense of conviction. Their respective musicals look into their characters and circumstances, backed by musical themes and storytelling modes that make their historic tales relevant, relatable, and appealing to today’s audience.
Thus: “Pingkian,” written by Juan Ekis, directed by Jenny Jamora, and with original music by Ejay Yatco, takes a rock musical route, carrying the youthful energy of Emilio Jacinto, one of the Katipunan’s youngest generals. Vic Robinson and Gab Pangilinan reprise their roles as Jacinto and Catalina, respectively.
“Mabining Mandirigma,” celebrating its 10th year, brings the steampunk aesthetic and rock opera sound to a more intimate setting, with a streamlined cast. Aside from the Victorian-futuristic aesthetics that define steampunk, what also made “Mabining Mandirigma” a compelling musical in its previous runs was its statement casting, with women actors representing the othered Mabini. For the 2026 run, Shaira Opsimar takes on the reins of the Sublime Paralytic.
P-pop meets history
The newest musical of the season, “Gregoria Lakambini,” features the newest sound, P-pop, being co-produced by Flip Music Productions. According to TP, “The musical follows her transformation from a spirited girl in Caloocan to the ‘Lakambini of the Katipunan,’ standing beside Andres Bonifacio in both love and revolution. Oryang’s voice emerges with strength and clarity. Once written in the margins of history, her story now leads the song.”
Playwright Nicanor Tiongson says “Gregoria Lakambini” was originally part of a trilogy of musicals he wrote about the revolution. The earlier staged “Mabining Mandirigma” covered the second phase of the revolution, while another TP musical “Aurelio Sedisyoso” covered the third phase. The last—“Gregoria Lakambini” goes back to the revolution’s roots, its first phase. It also revolves around the 10 lessons or reminders that de Jesus wrote herself, with the musical seeking to portray the personal experiences in her life that inspired the lessons she wrote about.
While the original plan for Gregoria de Jesus’ musical was to follow the same vein of the other two in the trilogy, TP associate artistic director Marco Viaña had suggested leaning into the P-pop genre, not only to connect to younger audiences and to differentiate it from TP’s other historical musicals, but to also tie in with the message on the strength and power of women.
Thus, TP is working with pop hitmaker Nica Del Rosario and her long-time collaborator and musical theater composer and musical director Matthew Chang to build the musical’s “soundtrack,” so to speak. Del Rosario, who is also part of Flip Music Productions, has created hits like Sarah Geronimo’s “Tala,” and Bini’s “Karera” and “Huwag Muna Tayong Umuwi.”
Bini has been a big influence on the TP team’s groundwork for “Gregoria Lakambini,” according to Viaña. Keen on exploring the P-pop genre for their next musical, Viaña had already been planting the idea among the company during warmups of their earlier plays, during which Bini’s songs had become a popular choice.
“Nag-resonate siya sa aming mga actors… So sabi namin, ‘yong boses ng Bini as a girl group ay nag-ta-transcend sa mga manonood,” Viaña shares. “So naisip namin, what if ‘yong gano’ng genre ng music ‘yong gamitin nating medium sa paglalahad ng boses ni Gregoria de Jesus?”
To add even more P-pop flavor to the musical, director Delphine Buencamino will also be working on the show’s choreography with Bini’s choreographer, Jan Matthew Almodovar.
