Lance Reblando lands Barbs’ role in ‘Die Beautiful’ musical

Trailblazing trans actress takes on iconic Barbs, brings lived experience to 2027 stage adaptation. She will be alternating with Chamyto Aguedan. 

Who could ever forget Barbs Cordero? In the 2016 runaway box-office hit Die Beautiful, Christian Bables delivered an iconic, career-defining performance as the fiercely loyal confidante to Paolo Ballesteros’s Trisha Echevarria. Bables’s tender yet sharp portrayal struck a deep chord with audiences, earning him back-to-back Best Supporting Actor honors at the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival and the 2017 Gawad Urian.

Reblando’s casting feels like a landmark moment—and she is no stranger to making history. Today, she stands as one of the first openly transgender actresses in the Philippines to play a cisgender lead role in a mainstream musical with the Philippine Educational Theater Association’s “Walang Aray!” and lead an all-trans main cast in the Cinemalaya film “Warla.” Most recently, at the 15th Gawad Buhay Awards, she earned a nomination for Outstanding Female Featured Performance in a Musical for her magnetic turn as Angel Dumott Schunard in 9 Works Theatrical’s revival of “Rent.”

Her pressure-cooker audition

In an exclusive interview with radar Entertainment, Reblando walked us through the high-stakes audition process for “Die Beautiful: The Musical” and how she approached bringing her own flavor to the material.

“Pagkapasok ko pa lang, naramdaman ko na agad ’yong competitive energy ng lahat,” Reblando recalls. 

“Kasi may nag-vocal warm-up, may nagre-review ng choreo, at may nag-memorize ng script. Mas lalo akong ginanahang galingan pa. But I remained calm. I know I’m ready and I know what I stand for. Ginawa ko lang lahat ng kailangang gawin. Nung natapos na, kabang-kaba ako kasi I know I gave my all, but it would also be heartbreaking kung hindi ko makuha ’yong role.”

Claiming the crown

Barbs is arguably one of the most resonant best friend figures in modern Filipino cinema. The character is a professional makeup artist who brings Trisha’s pageant dreams to life, serving as her protector, roommate, and brutally honest reality check.

When news came that the role was officially hers for its stage incarnation, the emotional weight of the moment caught Reblando completely off guard.

“Blangko actually ’yong utak ko,” she shares. 

“Nung i-a-announce pa lang kung sino si Barbs, nanghihina at namumutla na ako sa kaba. Nung tinawag ang pangalan ko, hindi pa nag-register sa akin. Naiyak ako nang narinig at nakita ko ang mga fellow auditionees ko na nagche-cheer for me.”

Authenticity, experience, and dimension

Translating a beloved cinematic character to the live stage requires more than just repeating what worked on camera. For Reblando, playing Barbs onstage adds a profound, three-dimensional layer of lived truth.

“Mas magiging malinaw at three-dimensional si Barbs ngayon kasi kung dati sa screen, ngayon live na siyang mapapanood sa entablado,” Reblando emphasizes. 

“Siguro isang magandang bagay na maidadagdag ko ay ang danas ko bilang isang transwoman. Babae si Barbs—wala lang siguro exact term or tawag sa kanya noon. Ngayon, mas makahulugan ang pagganap ko bilang Barbs dahil hindi mo mape-peke ang authenticity at trans experience.”

To prepare, Reblando has been revisiting the original film—not to imitate Bables’ award-winning work, but to study the foundation and discover new physical and emotional territories she can explore on the theatrical floor.

As Barbs, She will be alternating with Chamyto Aguedan. 

Penned by original film writer-director Jun Robles Lana and directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio, “Die Beautiful The Musical” is presented by IdeaFirst Live! and is set to make its grand stage debut in 2027.

READ: