More than three decades after it was first staged, Alikabok is returning to the Philippine theater scene in August 2027, bringing a new production of the original Filipino musical to the Newport Performing Arts Theater.

Newport World Resorts, in association with Full House Theater Company and Culturtain Musical Productions, announced the revival on September 3. The musical features music by National Artist Ryan Cayabyab and takes inspiration from Juan Luna’s painting La Bulaqueña.

The upcoming production is a reworking of the original 1997 staging, revisiting a story that intertwines romance, family, history, and the struggle to hold on to one’s heritage.

At the center of Alikabok is Visitacion “Bising” Vallejo, a young heiress living in the 1800s whose character is based on the woman depicted in Luna’s La Bulaqueña. On the eve of the Philippine revolution, Bising falls in love and eventually joins the Katipunan, becoming part of the fight for her country.

Her life is rediscovered through Asia, her Fil-Am descendant, who comes across Bising’s letters inside the ancestral Vallejo home. As Asia pieces the letters together, she begins to uncover the story of her family and its ties to the Philippines. The discovery becomes increasingly urgent when her mother, Anna, decides to sell the ancestral home and sever what remains of their connection to the country.

The production is among Full House Theater Company’s major projects for its 2027 theater season. The company is also set to stage & Juliet, the Tony Award-nominated musical that reimagines the story of Shakespeare’s Juliet through a catalogue of pop hits.

Full House Theater Company serves as the in-house production arm of Travellers Group and develops theatrical productions and live entertainment for Newport World Resorts and other venues. Since its establishment in 2014, the company has produced original and international theater projects while working with Filipino performers and theater practitioners. 

Casting, the creative team, exact performance dates, and ticketing information have yet to be announced.