Days before the premiere of Beach Bros on July 16, producer Dreamscape Entertainment held an advance screening for the first two episodes of the youth-oriented series at the ABS-CBN Dolphy Theater.
Present at the screening were cast members Kyle Echarri, Chie Filomeno, Kira Balinger, Angelica Lao and Brent Manalo, as well as director Victor Villanueva.
Baler, Aurora serves as a perfect backdrop of the film narrative that tackles young life adventures, including the reality of having to endure life’s hardships, love for family, romance, among others. The series highlights were mostly shot at Costa Pacifica Hotel and Resort.
In the series, Kyle portrays Dave Alon, the charming leader of a group of happy-go-lucky teenage lads known as the “Baler Boys” who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
One of his dialogues, “Minsan lang dumating ang pagkakataon, papalagpasin pa ba natin ito?,” will certainly motivate audiences not to be afraid and be reluctant to try new things, or get involved by challenging actions to achieve a goal.
Kyle equally adheres to the adage “you only live once” or YOLO. He told The STAR, “Yes, I really have this mindset of you live only once and as much as possible, I try to do or find what sparks in me. Well, I’m not doing all the stupid things in life but like I always say in interviews, I always expect discomfort.”
“Dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them,” added Kyle whose goal is to stay long in the showbiz. Observers say his career is now beginning to turn rosy, what with projects coming in one after the other.
Asked if he is ready for mature roles, the Kapamilya actor replied in the affirmative. “I’m ready but whatever the management thinks is fitting for me, I will do. I’m ready for mature roles, not just showing my body (viewers can expect to see Kyle’s well-toned physique in some scenes in Beach Bros), but I’m looking to show my versatility as an actor.
“I’m thankful to Dreamscape for trusting me with this (lead role). It’s a very big career path change which I must admit, I initially got scared to accept but I’m happy and so grateful for this and to Sir Deo (Endrinal), thank you so much for the trust.”
In fact, Kyle personifies spontaneity on screen yet he humbly tells that he lets the “act” from his being an actor flow into the character arc when it is show time.
“Masasabi ko po sa performance ko, I’m never content. I never want to say that I have perfected the role. Of course, I’d like to continue giving my best. With this (series), I’m happy with my role. Actually, everyone in the series — from the cast all the way down to the guests — napakasaya at sobrang nag-connect po kami and that I think made the show extra special.”
Chie, for her part, said there was never a dull moment while shooting the six episodes in Baler for 11 days. “We were cramming but still, we were able to complete the series without any hassle. Natutukan pa rin ng maayos and for sure, everyone will get to enjoy watching it because it will somehow bring back fun memories of our younger years or ‘yung mga magbabarkada, by watching crazy moments of the characters.”
Kyle and Chie shared that the series also touches on how to deal with life’s challenges. Kyle’s Dave is desperate to study in Manila but his mom does not approve for fear that he might not return home just like his brother who gets killed in the big city. Chie’s Nicole, on the other hand, has a colorful past but she helps the whole barkada to make wise decisions.
Spicing up the series some more is the love between Billy (Lance Carr) and Yasmine (Angelica), the secret admiration of Jason (Brent) towards Erika (Kira), and the special feelings of Pete (Raven Rigor) for his bestfriend Jeremy (Sean Tristan).
The Baler Boys will find themselves going on a crazy adventure as revelations, betrayals and mishaps begin to unravel that put their friendship to the test.
(Beach Bros will be available for free on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and website iwanttfc.com.)