Hotdog musical 'Bongga Ka Day' to get stage run after 6-year delay

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MANILA, Philippines — It took several years but "Bongga Ka, 'Day!: The Annie Batungbakal Musical" will finally get its time on stage.

The jukebox musical based on the songs of the Manila Sound band Hotdog was teased last March during the final matinee performance of "Bagets: The Musical" at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.

The venue will also host "Bongga Ka, 'Day" during weekends of September and October 2026 — six years after it was supposed to be staged but postponed due to the pandemic.

Newport World Resorts, VIVA Communications, and The Philippine STAR will produce the upcoming production after the staging of "Bagets" musical.

Auditions and callbacks for the titular role, the other two leads Romer and Burn, supporting roles Iste Batungbakal, Toots, and Aurora Pasio, and ensemble parts for Coco Banana regulars began earlier this month, with rehearsals to be conducted from July to August.

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The '70s-Manila set "Bongga Ka, 'Day" follows an ambitious sales clerk who sneaks into the glamorous disco scene to chase her dream of becoming a fashion designer and risks losing herself in the process.

Newport World Resorts executive chairman Kevin L. Tan reiterated in a statement the company's thrust to "support world-class productions that champion Filipino artistry and bring these stories to bigger stages."

"We look forward to bringing this proudly Filipino production to life and creating another meaningful entertainment experience for our audiences," Tan added.

Hotdog was formed during the early '70s by brothers Dennis and Rene Garcia with Lorrie Ilustre, Ramon Torralba, and later, Ella del Rosario.

Apart from "Bongga Ka Day" and "Annie Batungbakal," other popular songs by Hotdog include "Manila," "Pers Lab," "Beh, Buti Nga," "Panaginip," "O, Lumapit Ka," and "Ikaw ang Miss Universe ng Buhay Ko."

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