Long before Nar Cabico was cast as Didi in Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal, he was already a part of its world. At 15 years old, his first post-high school job was working backstage as a stagehand, keeping things running from behind the scenes.
Twenty years later, he is coming back to the iconic musical in the role he once watched from the side of the stage: Ada, the gay salon owner who swallows a mysterious rock and turns into the superheroine Zsazsa Zaturnnah.
Cabico leads the cast in Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Parteeeh!, the 20th-anniversary staging of the hit show. His progression from cleaning props and sweeping up confetti to playing the show’s hero marks a major personal milestone.
Understanding Ada: The Heart of the Show
Before turning into the giant superheroine, Ada is a small-town hairdresser looking for love, dealing with family expectations, and trying to find his place in the world. Everything changes when he swallows a strange stone that grants him extreme strength and stunning beauty, throwing him into fights against giant frogs, zombies, and alien invaders.
Behind the campy humor and wild fight scenes, the musical tells a story about identity, finding a home, and having the courage to live as yourself.
Over the years, several actors have played Ada, starting with Tuxqs Rutaquio and composer Vincent A. DeJesus sharing the role in the original Tanghalang Pilipino run, followed by Phi Palmos, Adrian Lindayag, and Shaun Ocrisma. Cabico now steps into those shoes with a long history in the show, having lived through it as a crew member and later as Didi.
From the Wings to the Spotlight
Cabico’s history with Zsazsa Zaturnnah goes back to its earliest performances at the PETA Theater. Back then, his daily routine involved washing the actors’ dishes, building the giant “cotton candy” rock Ada eats onstage, showing up before the rest of the crew, and sweeping up left-over confetti long after the audience went home.
Two years into that job, he landed the part of Didi, Ada’s loyal assistant and friend. Stepping into Ada’s shoes decades later brings everything full circle.
“When I was 15, my first job after high school was as a stage hand for the ZsaZsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal run at the PETA Theater,” Cabico said. “20 years later, I am incredibly honored to take on the fabulous role of ‘Ada’. Truly a full circle moment, I am very grateful.”
Beyond his work in theater, Cabico has built a steady career as a musician and actor. He won Best Actor at the 2019 Sinag Maynila Film Festival for Akin Ang Korona (earning a FAMAS nomination the following year) and took first place on GMA Network’s Superstar Duets in 2016. His original track “GAGA” earned Best Novelty Recording at the 31st Awit Awards, while “Natapos Tayo,” written for the movie All of You, won Movie Original Theme Song of the Year at the 34th PMPC Star Awards.
A Connection Beyond the Stage
For Cabico, the musical has always carried personal weight. Seeing it for the first time back in 2006 gave him faith that a happy, loving future was possible for him as a gay man.
That hope turned into reality. Today, Cabico has been married to his husband for 12 years.
“Watching the show for the first time in 2006 made me believe that love is possible for me and our rainbow community,” he said. “ZsaZsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal made me dream, and I am happy to have found my real-life Dodong, whom I am proud to call my husband for 12 years now.”
The show hit even closer to home when Cabico moved away from Manila in 2020 to build a family in the United States. He felt a strong connection to Ada’s big solo number, “Ayoko Nang Mabuhay Nang Ganito.”
“As someone who left Manila in 2020 to start a family in the US, the line ‘Kailangan nang lisanin ko ang lugar na ito…’ from Ada’s song hits too close to home,” Cabico shared.
Returning to the Philippines for this anniversary run feels like a gift—giving him the chance to bring to life the exact character that inspired him as a teenager.
Bringing Real Emotion to a Larger-Than-Life Role
Vincent A. De Jesus, who wrote the music and lyrics and serves as musical director, believes Ada works so well because of the vulnerability underneath the camp and theatrical energy.
While Zsazsa’s dynamic transformations get big laughs and loud applause, Ada’s basic need for affection and acceptance gives the story its grounding.
“Nar has been part of Zsazsa Zaturnnah since he was 15! He started backstage, eventually played Didi, and now he’s taking on Ada. How crazy wonderful is that?” De Jesus said. “He knows this musical inside out, so it’s exciting to see him bring all that experience into the role. And beneath all the comedy, outrageous costumes, and fabulous chaos, Ada is really just someone who wants to be loved and accepted for who he is. I think that’s something we can all relate to.”
Cabico hopes this new staging will give audiences the same spark of hope he felt twenty years ago.
The 20th-anniversary production of Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Parteeeh! is set to open in April 2027, with more details and ticket information to be released in the coming months.