The search is on for the next young stars to grace the remake of a beloved coming-of-age series first seen on television in 1999.
ABS-CBN News reports that auditions for the musical adaptation of Tabing Ilog have begun on Saturday, August 19, 2023, at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City
The theatrical remake is a collaboration between ABS-CBN and PETA, which stands for Philippine Educational Theater Association.
Among those who graced the tryout were talents under Star Magic, including Angela Ken, Sheena Belarmino, Raiven Umali, Kobie Brown, and Vivoree, among others.
Actors with theater experience also auditioned for the roles up for grabs.
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"Itong binubuong cast is not only may potential sa musical theatre—but yung rapport ng barkada," said Star Magic Head Laurenti Dyogi.
"Ever since kasi talagang barkadahan. Maka-create tayo ng nostalgia of the '90s."
While the names of the characters and the essence of the story remain faithful to the original, director Phil Noble revealed incorporating a few changes to the narrative to make it timely (pre and post-pandemic) and relatable to the youth of today.
Phil told ABS-CBN News, “The vision ngayon for 2023, in-offer namin ito sa mga Gen Z, kasi we know Tabing Ilog way back is an iconic good series.
"Inabangan ng lahat ng kabataan. It would be nice to show naman ano ang Tabing Ilog at this point.
"Sino mga cast or characters during the time nagpapakita ano pinagdadaanan ng kabataan ngayon."
Tabing Ilog the Musical is yet another step toward Star Magic's goal to expose its talents to theater and stage production.
Just this year, the popular Kapamilya love team of Alexa Ilacad and KD Estrada were seen on the stage musical Walang Aray, inspired by the sarswela Walang Sugat set in 1896.
Read: Alexa Ilacad and KD Estrada: Hearts and minds in tune
The story was originally written by Severino Reyes and adapted for the stage by Rody Vera.
WHERE IT ALL STARTED
First aired on ABS-CBN on March 14, 1999, Tabing Ilog captured the hearts of young viewers who warmed up to the story of a group of friends going through the joys and pains of growing up.
What's more, Tabing Ilog made its cast members household names and catapulted their burgeoning careers to new heights.
Kaye Abad, Paolo Contis, John Lloyd Cruz, Desiree del Valle, Patrick Garcia, Baron Geisler, Paula Peralejo, and Jodi Sta. Maria, would make a name in showbiz, earning awards and recognitions, and, to this day, beloved by their fans.
Read: Tabing Ilog stars Patrick Garcia, Kaye Abad, Paolo Contis reunion project, tuloy na
Tabing Ilog ended its run on October 19, 2003, with a total of 241 episodes.