Dannyka Manangan

Raymond Lauchengco talks about the upcoming Bagets musical: ‘I'm excited to see it!’

Article (news)

Rhea Manila Santos

Push Team

<p>In 1984, a teenaged Raymond Lauchengco made fan girls swoon, along with fellow heartthrobs Aga Muhlach, JC Bonnin, William Martinez, and Herbert Bautista, in the iconic film <em>Bagets</em>. Next year, the classic Pinoy coming-of-age film finally gets its stage adaptation with the <em>Bagets the musical</em> set to open in January 2026 with a whole new cast.</p><p>The former ‘80s matinee idol and singer talked to <strong>PUSH ABS-CBN</strong> in this exclusive interview about how far he has come in his career after doing that film. </p><p>“I am excited to see it! I mean, this is long overdue. I&#x27;ve been hearing about this for the last 20 years. Other groups, other, other directors have been wanting to do this. But I guess it took all these big institutions like Viva and Philippine Star and Newport to team up to actually make it happen, together with PETA, of course. I&#x27;m excited to see how they can adapt it.</p><p>“The challenge as I see it is, how do you… you have to remember 40 years ago, we lived in a world with no gadgets. That&#x27;s why we turned to each other. We turned to friends. We turned to kalokohan, because that&#x27;s what we had. So, how do you translate that now in a world that&#x27;s so busy, going like this? That, I would love to see. I&#x27;m excited to see it,” Raymond shared with <strong>PUSH ABS-CBN</strong>.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-6" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ_ggLpDwLU/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A6%2C%22os%22%3A21084802.400000006%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="925" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-6" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/11/17/exclusive-raymond-lauchengco-launches-his-new-book-making-art-was-my-way-of-surviving-0945"><strong>READ: EXCLUSIVE: Raymond Lauchengco launches his new book: ‘Making art was my way of surviving’</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>Although his career has now been more focused on singing for Pinoy fans here and abroad, Raymond admitted he has not totally closed his doors to acting onscreen again.</p><p>“I’m open to the idea. But, I really prefer singing. I think, I think I&#x27;m more of a singer than I ever was an actor. But, I&#x27;m not closed to the idea. I&#x27;m not closed to the idea. It&#x27;s just the hours are so difficult. You know, acting is so difficult. These people don&#x27;t sleep (laughs),” he said. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-7" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQvJWr9D3Ft/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A7%2C%22os%22%3A21084834.400000006%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-7" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>When asked if he would consider being part of a hypothetical Bagets reunion movie with the original cast, Raymond said he would pass on that kind of project. “I would prefer to leave that alone.  Kasi, okay na eh. Huwag na, let&#x27;s not mess with it anymore, &#x27;di ba? Let&#x27;s not. Baka masira pa. Baka masira pa. Huwag na. Okay na &#x27;yun,” he admitted. </p><div> </div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/2024/10/4/raymond-lauchengco-excited-to-perform-in-his-40th-anniversary-concert-just-got-lucky-928"><strong>READ: Raymond Lauchengco excited to perform in his 40th anniversary concert, ‘Just Got Lucky’</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>With the date of his 60th birthday concert nearing this month, Raymond shared how the thought of maintaining a enduring career in showbiz never crossed his mind. “No, not in my wildest dreams did I think that I would have a new single, that I would have a book. Oh my God, a book, &#x27;di ba? And a major concert. Never in my wildest dreams. I mean, it&#x27;s really, it&#x27;s really an outpouring of blessings. Sabay-sabay!” he added. </p><p> Raymond shared credit to his talent management headed by veteran showbiz manager Girlie Rodis, for taking good care of his career. “Well, I would, I used to be like that. I used to take things in stride. You know, parang reactionary. Kung ano &#x27;yung pumapasok, that&#x27;s what I would do. But now, I have Girlie. &#x27;Di ba? I have Girlie&#x27;s team. And I have Mia beside me, helping out also. So, I feel like they&#x27;re amazing. And they can set the vision and they can execute it. And I&#x27;m happy to just, you know, do all of these things that they believe I can do. You know, it, it, sometimes all it takes to be able to fly is to, is for other people to believe that you can fly. &#x27;Di ba? That&#x27;s how I feel. With this group, they believe I can fly. Sige, I will fly, because you think I can do it. So, they&#x27;re amazing. And I, well, I wish I had that before, but I have it now,” he explained. </p><p> The <em>Everybody Loves Raymond </em>concert performer also believes in not having deadlines when it comes to pursuing one’s dreams, including finally getting to publish his own book and staging a major concert. “Yeah, there&#x27;s no deadline for your dreams to come true. There&#x27;s no deadline for you to have new dreams for that matter, &#x27;di ba? I think the secret to that has little to do with me and more to do about audiences who have siguro fallen in love with the songs that I have just, I just so happened to sing. I think I represent something that&#x27;s bigger than myself. I represent maybe, um, their teenagehood. Maybe I represent for them their first love, their first heartbreak. You know, that sort of thing. Um, I, I give no credit to myself. All credit goes to the music and all credit goes to the audiences that have kept me literally alive,” he shared. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-8" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRIywyIk34v/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A8%2C%22os%22%3A21084851%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-8" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div> </div><p>The 59-year-old OPM singer, who released his latest single “My Favorite Story” last month, also shared why he could not ask anything more for his birthday this year than good health for everyone. “You know, kanina, I really honestly couldn&#x27;t think of anything. That&#x27;s why when, when I said getting your seniors card, that would be nice. I can&#x27;t think of anything. I mean, I have a book, I have a new single, I have a concert. Well, what more can I ask for? &#x27;Di ba? My family&#x27;s going to be there (at the concert). I can&#x27;t think of anything. Good health. That&#x27;s important. Good health for all of us,” he said.</p><p><em>Everybody Loves Raymond</em> is directed by Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, with Marvin Querido as musical director. Produced by Girlie Rodis’s Global Resource Creative Exchange, the show also includes special guests Sharon Cuneta, Ice Seguerra, Martin Nievera, and Mitch Valdes. The one-night only concert is happening on November 28, Friday, at The Theater at Solaire in Pasay City. </p>

<p>Original 'Bagets' star Raymond Lauchengco looks back on his enduring singing career and how he made some of his biggest dreams come true.</p>

Original 'Bagets' star Raymond Lauchengco looks back on his enduring singing career and how he made some of his biggest dreams come true.