Bagets hits SM malls

MANILA, Philippines - Fans of TV5’s Bagets showed up at the recent launch of the Bagets Nation Mall Tour in SM Fairview, SM Pampanga and SM Bacoor. And they were intense. The shows had to be stopped for a few minutes to give time to the mall security force to beef up its presence and put in steel barricades near the stage to keep the crowd from pushing closer.

The SM Fairview event was one of the biggest ever seen in the venue. The activity center was already full two hours before the announced schedule of the show. And when the nine-member cast arrived, the audience shrieked in delight.

It was nothing short of what can be termed as “fandemonium,” recalling the hysteria that greeted Aga Muhlach, Herbert Bautista and the rest of the cast of the original Bagets from 1984 which inspired the TV series, now on its second season.

The new Bagets gang is composed of AJ Muhlach, Josh Padilla, Aki Torio, Rico dela Paz, Nadine Lustre, Shy Carlos, Meg Imperial, Eula Caballero and Imee Hart.

The cast did not expect the kind of audience reception that it received in both mall shows. “We were overwhelmed,” Josh says. “Pagpasok pa lang namin sa mall na-feel agad namin ang excitement ng crowd.”

The hour-long show featured seven song-and-dance production numbers that the cast rehearsed for weeks. Highlights included the cast’s remakes of two songs made popular by the original movie — Growing Up and Just Got Lucky. It also featured the song BFF, a new track specifically written for the TV series.

The fans also got the chance to sign up as members of the Bagets Nation Fan Club at the events. More than 2,000 fans registered in SM Fairview, SM Pampanga and SM Bacoor and each new member received an exclusive Bagets Nation poster which the entire cast signed after each show. Members of Bagets Nation will have the chance to privilege access to upcoming Bagets events and activities including tapings plus exclusive merchandise.

The Bagets Nation Mall Tour hits SM Sucat tomorrow, Sept. 3; SM Valenzuela, Sept. 10; and SM Bicutan, Sept. 24, 4 p.m.