Sam Concepcion plays Popoy in PETA's original musical 'One More Chance.' Handout 

MANILA -- Triple threat Sam Concepcion, who plays Popoy in the Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) “One More Chance the Musical,” was only a teenager when he saw the 2007 John Lloyd Cruz-Bea Alonzo movie of the same name.

“I entered showbiz in 2005 when I won in the first season of (ABS-CBN’s) ‘Little Big Star.’ I was a teenager, I think I was 14 or 15 years old. Bilang baguhan at the time sa showbiz, wow, that was the biggest movie of that decade,” Concepcion told ABS-CBN News. 

Directed by Cathy Garcia-Sampana, the Star Cinema blockbuster “One More Chance” defined a generation and continues to create younger fans up to now. The bittersweet love story of couple Popoy and Basha became one of the ultimate “kilig” movies and full of “hugot lines” it has spawned a sequel, “A Second Chance” in 2017. 

But it was “One More Chance” that has become a modern classic. 

“In my early years, that was the biggest thing,” Concepcion added, explaining though he knew what romance or falling in love actually meant, the impact of the movie wasn’t the same when he watched it again a few years later. 

Concepcion was the winner in the inaugural season of ABS-CBN’s talent search contest, “Little Big Star” in 2005. This paved the way for him to became a regular host-performer on “ASAP.” 

Though his early trainings in acting and performance were in theater, he eventually acted in teleseryes on ABS-CBN. Among these were “Super Inggo” in 2006 and “I Love Betty La Fea” in 2008, which was top-billed by onscreen couple Cruz and Alonzo. 

Now that he is playing Popoy, the lead character in the iconic Star Cinema movie played by Cruz, he feels honored and privileged. He told ABS-CBN News he still can’t believe he’s doing the part. 

“I haven’t bumped into Kuya John Lloyd and Ate Bea of late but yeah, I worked with them because we were together in 'Betty La Fea.' Sobrang full circle at ‘di ako makapaniwala,” he said.

“If I do see any of them. Sabihin ko lang siguro manood sila pero sana hindi ko alam na andun sila sa theater (I’ll tell them to please watch but hopefully without me knowing they are there in the theater),” Concepcion added, laughing. 

ABS-CBN News tried to reach out to Cruz via email a few days ago if he’s going to watch the musical but he has yet to respond as of this posting. 

Concepcion’s most memorable role in a musical was playing the titular role in the pre-and-post pandemic stagings of “Joseph, The Dreamer” by Trumpets Inc., wherein he earned a nomination for Outstanding Male Lead Performance in Musical in the 2022 Gawad Buhay Awards. 

‘Goin’ Bulilit’ to Popoy

Former child star now multi-platform actor CJ Navato alternates with Concepcion as Popoy.

 CJ Navato also plays Popoy in PETA's original musical 'One More Chance.' Handout 

He told ABS-CBN News the first time he saw “One More Chance” the movie, the romantic angle didn’t have much impact on him.  

It was something expected because in 2007, he was only 11 years old.

“Nagko-computer games pa lang ako that time,” he said, laughing. He remembered he was on his third year as member of the ABS-CBN’s Star Circle pool of talents. 

If the name or face is familiar, Navato started as a very young actor in the bubbly and funny children’s show, “Goin’ Bulilit” on ABS-CBN.

He said the only time he remembered John Lloyd Cruz after watching “One More Chance”, it was because of the memes on social media. 

“There was this famous scene wherein Kuya John Lloyd was crying in the hospital and it was used in a lot of memes. Like in our school, for example, there was his crying face and a torn notebook in front of him, the caption reads, ‘kung kinain ng aso yung assignment mo’. Mga ganun (when your dog ate up your school assignment. Those kind of memes),” Navato said, laughing.

“Then I watched the movie again when I get a little older. I realized, grabe, sobrang problematic ni Popoy sa love life niya,” he added. 

Another delightful event related to “One More Chance” was whenever he was vacationing in Dumaguete City in his grandmother’s house, she would call him John Lloyd. 

“John Lo-yed, John Lo-yed, that was how she called me when I was younger. So when I got this role, I told her, ‘Lola, parang mina-manifest mo 'yung pagtawag mo sa akin. Am playing Kuya John Lloyd’s character now,” Navato said, laughing.

He revealed it was musical director and composer Myke Salomon who told him to audition for the role and luckily he got it. 

It can be remembered Navato also played lead in 2019’s political satire, another PETA original musical titled “Charot.” 

“With ‘Charot’, there’s music, there’s dance, so it’s almost the same with ‘One More Chance’ despite ‘Charot’ being an original musical. ‘One More Chance,’ there’s expectations already,” he told ABS-CBN News when asked for comparison. 

All in all, he is happy to return to PETA Theater for the second time.

Another chance in theater

Anna Luna, who is playing the female lead character Basha, was almost the same age as Navato when she saw “One More Chance” in 2007.

Anna Luna plays Basha in PETA's original musical 'One More Chance.' Handout 

It actually took her a few seconds to answer when ABS-CBN News asked her when was the first time she saw the movie. 

“Ay, hala (oh my)….around 15 ako noon at hindi pa tutok na tutok. Parang dumaan lang. Walang impact (I was around 15 years old and I wasn’t focused on the movie. It didn’t have an impact on me. It just passed me by,” she said, laughing. 

“Nasa puppy love stage ako dyan,” she added.

Be that as it may, she told ABS-CBN News she’s happy for her comeback in live theater. “Ngayon lang ako nabigyan ng chance na umarte uli at kumanta sa stage,” she said.

She remembered the last time she did a play was in 2019 for Tanghalang Pilipino’s “Lam-Ang,” an ethno epic musical adaptation of the Ilocano folktale “Biag Ni Lam-ang.” She played Kannoyan, the wife of JC Santos’ titular character. 

She said it’s different this time compared to “Lam-Ang.”

“Eto po kasi, ang tataas ng mga kanta. Pero inaalagaan naman ako ni Myke. Babad po ako talaga sa practice and rehearsals. May back-up band din.”

If there’s an advantage for her, it’s that she’s been acting in musicals and straight plays at the PETA Theater Center for more than a decade. It can be said, she is a certified “anak ng PETA.” 

Among the PETA productions she was part of were “William” in 2011, “Bona” in 2012, “Arbol de Fuego” in 2015 and in the following years, despite her busy schedules acting for television and films, there was “Changing Partners” in 2017 and its re-staging in 2018. 

“Yes, that was the last I did for PETA. First, we did it at the Studio Theater, 'yung capacity was 100 seats lang sa taas. Then we did it sa baba na malaking stage na the following year,” she said, referring to the PETA Phinma Theater. 

She has worked with Bea Alonzo in 2016 for the Star Cinema movie “How To Be Yours.” 

She hasn’t bumped into Alonzo or John Lloyd Cruz in recent years and like Concepcion, she hopes the famous onscreen couple would watch one of the shows. 

“Sana maalala din nya ako,” she said. 

Luna alternates as Basha with Nicole Omillo, who will have her debut acting in PETA Theater Center. She is an actress, singer and performer, known as former member of sing-and-dance girl group Sugar ‘N Spice.

Directed by Maribel Legarda, with dramaturg and assistant director J-mee Katanyag, libretto by playwright Michelle Ngu-Nario, musical arrangement and sound design by Myke Salomon, “One More Chance, the musical” featuring the songs of Ben&Ben runs all weekends starting April 12 until June 30 at the PETA Theater Center.