Zsazsa Zaturnnah musical revival scheduled for 2027
The production at Shooting Gallery Studios will bring together playwright Chris Martinez, musical director Vincent A. De Jesus and director Chris Millado.
Filipino superheroine Zsazsa Zaturnnah will return to the theatre in a Wishbone Collective revival scheduled for April through June 2027. Shooting Gallery Studios will host the production of “Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal”.
Chris Martinez will adapt the story for the theatre, while composer and lyricist Vincent A. De Jesus will oversee its musical direction. Chris Millado, previously artistic director at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, will direct.
Created by Carlo Vergara, the character debuted in his 2006 graphic novel “Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah”. Its protagonist, Ada, is a gay beautician who becomes Zsazsa Zaturnnah by swallowing a magical stone that comes from outer space.
Ada’s pursuit of love and encounters with homophobia within his family and wider society are central to the narrative. The story uses fantasy and comedy to address discrimination, family relationships, women and LGBTQIA+ experiences.
Speaking in 2020, Vergara said these themes continued to resonate because the problems depicted had not disappeared. The character has inspired Filipino drag performers and appeared in earlier theatrical adaptations, as well as the 2006 film “Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah”, which starred Zsa Zsa Padilla.
