A front row seat to Newport Performing Arts Theater’s 16-year musical journey

March 26, 2026

The cast of Shrek The Musical during a curtain call at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, one of many productions staged in its 16-year history of live performance.

As the world shines the spotlight on World Theater Day this year, Newport World Resorts reflects on the stage it helped build and shape. For sixteen years, the integrated resorts’ award-winning Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT) has offered a front row vantage point of watching Filipino talent grow.

World-class venue for Filipino creativity

When NPAT opened its doors in 2009, it was envisioned as a premier destination for large-scale performances. The 1,710-seat auditorium, designed by Joseph Sy, set a new benchmark for local venues. With its massive LED backdrop, top-tier acoustics, and refined interiors, NPAT quickly earned accolades, including the 2011 Perspective Award and the title of Best Theatrical Venue from BroadwayWorld Philippines.

Kaos (2010–2011), the inaugural production that demonstrated the scale and ambition of Filipino musical spectacle at the newly opened NPAT.

Karylle Tatlonghari and Christian Bautista lead the cast of Cinderella, portraying the iconic roles of Cinderella and Prince Christopher.

King and I’s all-Filipino cast led by inimitable theatre legend Leo Tavarro Valdez, and the beautiful stage great Monique Wilson, who plays King Mongkut and Anna respectively.

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert starred Leo Tavarro Valdez as Tick/Mitzi, Jon Santos as Bernadette, Red Concepcion as Adam/Felicia, and Michael Stuart Williams as Miss Understanding.
From Broadway to the West End and beyond
In its early years, Newport World Resorts made a splash with grand, family-friendly productions that brought Broadway and West End magic to Manila. Kaos (2010–2011), an original Filipino-produced extravaganza blending musical theater with acrobatics and magic, opened the NPAT in spectacular fashion. This was followed by beloved classics The Sound of Music (2011–2012), The King and I (2012–2013), Cinderella (2013), and the vibrant Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (2014), all graced the NPAT stage, featuring all-Filipino casts in world-class adaptations.

The Bituing Walang Ningning stage musical is a 2015 theatrical adaptation of the 1985 blockbuster film, tracing a young singer’s rise to fame.
Audiences at NPAT witnessed the story of Caractacus Potts and his children in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
NPAT mounted Annie as part of its family-oriented programming, highlighting the musical’s themes of hope and resilience.
A shift toward the homegrown
While international titles were drawing crowds, Newport World Resorts was also quietly nurturing a more homegrown ambition. It launched its first major all-Filipino musical Bituing Walang Ningning (2015), adapted from a local classic film and featuring an original Filipino soundtrack. Even as it continued to stage international fare like Annie (2016) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2017), the seeds of Filipino musical theater had firmly taken root.

Following its original record-setting run, Ang Huling El Bimbo returned to NPAT in 2023 to renewed acclaim and sold-out performances.
The jukebox musical breakthrough
A new era arrived in 2018. Newport World Resorts premiered Ang Huling El Bimbo, and with it, a new chapter began not just for NPAT, but for Filipino musical theater. Set to the beloved discography of the Eraserheads, the production captured the country’s heart. Over two separate runs, it clocked 175 live performances and drew more than 220,000 attendees. When the pandemic shut theaters down, it found a second wind online, amassing over 7 million views and becoming the most-watched Filipino stage musical of all time.

Buruguduystunstugudunstuy Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical became the most expensive production ever mounted at NPAT.
Riding on this success, Newport World Resorts doubled down on original Filipino productions. In 2024, it staged the tongue-twisting Buruguduystunstugudunstuy Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical, an absurdly fantastical show built around the OPM rock hits of Parokya ni Edgar. The next year brought Delia D.: A Musical Featuring the Songs of Jonathan Manalo (2025), a bold, heartfelt celebration of pop music and queer identity wrapped in Filipino emotion.

Broadway-favorite Shrek The Musical, staged with an all-Filipino cast, brought a swamptacular holiday treat to Filipino audiences.
Even as it carved out space for new, local voices, NPAT stayed true to its roots in family entertainment. In late 2025, it brought the Broadway hit Shrek The Musical to Manila, opening on Halloween to enthusiastic crowds and extending through the holiday season.

Scenes from Bagets The Musical captured the story of friendship, first love, and growing up, set against a vibrant 1980s backdrop.
Bagets The Musical and Bongga Ka, ‘Day! for a new generation
Now in 2026, NPAT welcomes a new generation of theatergoers with Bagets The Musical, which ran in January to March for a total of 36 shows. The production marked a notable first for the venue—a musical was produced by a collaboration between Newport World Resorts, VIVA Communications Inc., and The Philippine STAR, staged in partnership with PETA Plus.

Adapted from the iconic 1984 coming-of-age film, the stage version pulsed with youthful energy, ‘80s nostalgia, and a soundtrack that captured the spirit of a generation. Bagets The Musical is a fitting tribute to the legacy NPAT has built and the future it continues to nurture.

On its final night, the production offered something more than a curtain call. As the last moments of Bagets played out, the ‘80s stage gave way to the groove of the ‘70s, as “Annie Batungbakal,” one of Hotdog’s most iconic hits, filled the space about a hardworking dispatcher from Frisco (San Francisco del Monte) who becomes a glamorous “disco queen” at Coco Banana.

Serving as the surprise reveal, the performance ultimately announced Bongga Ka, ‘Day!: The Annie Batungbakal Musical is the next major production coming to the NPAT stage in September 2026. The audience, still in their seats, was already looking ahead.

The show goes on, stronger than ever

For sixteen years, NPAT’s curtain has risen on dozens of Original Pilipino Musicals, each one bearing witness to Filipino creativity in motion. In 2023, this sustained commitment earned formal recognition from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, which cited the theater for its role in promoting original Filipino music and artists.

“Filipino creativity flourishes when it is supported by spaces that believe in its value over time,” shared NCCA Executive Director Dr. Eric B. Zerrudo. “Sustained platforms allow our artists to build work that speaks not only to the present, but to future generations.”

Over time, NPAT has become a vital seedbed for Filipino talent and imagination. What unfolds on its stage today is the result of years of deliberate cultivation—of investing in local stories and giving them the time, scale, and audiences they deserve. This World Theater Day, NPAT’s journey serves as a reminder of what the arts are ultimately for: to create space for truth, courage, and creativity to take root and endure.

From the front row, the picture is clear. The stage is still growing, and the story of Filipino talent continues to rise with the curtain.


About Newport World Resorts (NWR):

Escape the ordinary at Newport World Resorts.

First established as the pioneer integrated resort in the Philippines in 2009, Newport World Resorts encompasses a newer and bigger world of extraordinary thrills within the bustling Newport City community. It is a one-stop, non-stop casino, hotels, and entertainment complex comprising two main wings, Newport Grand Wing and Newport Garden Wing that feature a wide array of gaming thrills and an innovative EPIC REWARDS program for members.

Centrally located within a prime tourism spot, right across the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, Newport World Resorts boasts of the highest hotel room key count in a single property with five international hotel brands, MARRIOTT Hotel Manila, SHERATON Manila Hotel, HOTEL OKURA Manila, HILTON Hotel Manila, and HOLIDAY INN Express Manila-Newport City. The sprawling property also features a wide range of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) venues, including a three-story convention center that houses the country’s largest hotel ballroom, the Marriott Grand Ballroom.

At Newport World Resorts, entertainment and lifestyle options abound. The award-winning Newport Performing Arts Theater seats over 1,700 audiences for live entertainment from plays and musicals to concerts and amazing performances. Likewise, the Newport Grand Wing’s The Grand Bar and Lounge and the Newport Garden Wing’s Bar 360 and El Calle Food and Music Hall provide nightly live entertainment for guests and patrons. The Newport Mall features international luxury brands and the state-of-the-art Newport Cinemas. Also within Newport City, are over 50 restaurants and dining outlets offering a diverse selection of local and international cuisine, prepared by top Filipino and international chefs.