Lance Joseph Martinez

Alex Diaz Opens Up About His Leap From Screen to Stage Ahead of ‘Spring Awakening’

Article (news)

<p>In the years following the pandemic, Philippine theater has experienced a notable resurgence, drawing renewed interest from audiences and creatives alike. With more stage productions mounting successful runs, the theater has once again become a thriving space for actors to showcase their versatility.</p><p>This revival has also paved the way for more television and film personalities to transition to the stage—maximizing their potential across various mediums. One actor currently navigating this shift in gears is <strong>Alex Diaz.</strong></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770553680434Screenshot 2026-02-08 at 8.26.57 PM.png" style="width:700px;display:block" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Alex Diaz as Melchior Gabor for &#x27;Spring Awakening&#x27; | Photo courtesy of The Sandbox Collective</span></span></span></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Alex began his professional acting career in the Philippines after being introduced as part of <strong>ABS-CBN’s </strong><strong>Star Magic Circle Batch 2013</strong>. He was launched alongside some of today’s most recognizable stars, including Julia Barretto, Liza Soberano, Janella Salvador, and Jerome Ponce.<strong></strong></p><p>Early on, Alex steadily built his resume, taking on supporting roles in several projects led by <strong>Daniel Padilla </strong>and <strong>Kathryn Bernardo</strong>. <strong></strong>A<strong></strong>mong these were the hit television series <strong><em>Got to Believe </em></strong>(2013)<em></em><strong><em></em></strong> and the blockbuster film <strong><em>She’s Dating the Gangster </em></strong><em></em><em></em>(2014),<em></em><em></em><strong><em> </em></strong>which helped him gain wider recognition.</p><p>While he initially made his mark through supporting roles, Alex eventually stepped into lead performances that further highlighted his range as an actor. He starred in <strong><em>Carpool</em></strong> (2019) and later in<strong><em> Oh, Mando!</em></strong> (2020), where he portrayed <strong>Barry Cruz</strong>—Mando’s schoolboy crush—a role that resonated strongly with viewers and showcased a more nuanced side of his acting.</p><p>Today, however, Alex is gradually carving out a name for himself away from the big and small screens. He is now gaining momentum within the theater scene, most recently landing the role of <strong>Melchior Gabor</strong> in the upcoming Philippine staging of <strong>&quot;Spring Awakening</strong>,<strong>&quot; </strong>produced by<strong> The Sandbox Collective.</strong></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770553769565Screenshot 2026-02-08 at 8.27.26 PM-2.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Official poster of &#x27;Spring Awakening&#x27; | Photo courtesy of The Sandbox Collective</span></span></span></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Speaking exclusively to<strong> Metro.Style, </strong>Alex shared how he secured the role, emphasizing the importance of going through the process like any other actor.</p><p>“I lined up and I auditioned. I think that’s a very important part of being an actor, the process of going and auditioning,” he said.</p><p>His casting in &quot;Spring Awakening&quot; marks his third major theater role. Alex made his stage debut in 2017 in the Philippine production of the <strong>Tony</strong> <strong>Award</strong>–winning musical <strong>&quot;Newsies</strong>,<strong>&quot;</strong> where he played the role of <strong></strong>Race<strong></strong>. Several years later, he returned to the stage as part of <strong>&quot;Bar Boys: The Musical&quot; </strong>in 2024, portraying the character <strong></strong>Chris<strong></strong>.</p><p>Reflecting on his audition experience for &quot;Spring Awakening,&quot; Alex revealed that he performed<strong> “Santa Fe</strong>,<strong>” </strong>a song from &quot;Newsies.&quot; At the time, he was already deep into rehearsals for &quot;Bar Boys: The Musical,&quot; and he recalled noticing that some of his castmates were being called back for &quot;Spring Awakening,&quot; while he initially was not.</p><p>“<em>Ako wala pa. </em>So I thought, &#x27;<em>Ah</em>, okay,<em> baka naman</em> I’m a little too old for the role <em>na</em>,’ you know what I mean,” Alex admitted. “But then when they called me back, they said, they offered the role <em>na</em>, it wasn’t a callback. So, yeah, it was very exciting.”</p><p>He then added, “It is a challenge to step back into a younger age, but I’m excited to tackle the character and to just get into his mind.”</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTzHqqBiWkY/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A719667%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="857" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Fresh from his run as Chris in &quot;Bar Boys: The Musical,&quot; Alex is now in the process of unlearning his previous character to embody Melchior Gabor fully. According to him, the two roles could not be more different.</p><p>“I think Melchior’s character is very much more pulled in. There’s much more containment. It’s much more within the body. And it was during the time <em>na</em> it was not welcome to speak out and to be someone with an opinion,” he explained when describing his &quot;Spring Awakening&quot; role.</p><p>In contrast, he described Chris as the complete opposite. “He’s very opinionated. He’s very forthcoming. He’s a wave. So it’s requiring a completely different side of me and completely different tools to employ. So I’m actually very nervous, but I’m excited to explore that side of myself,” Alex said.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770553929305Screenshot 2026-02-08 at 8.27.14 PM-2.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Alex Diaz with his Spring Awakening co-stars Nic Chien and Sheena Belarmino | Photo courtesy of The Sandbox Collective</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>As his theater career continues to gain traction, Alex expressed nothing but gratitude for the opportunities coming his way—whether on stage, television, or film. Having started primarily as a screen actor, he also reflected on how his transition into theater unfolded.</p><p>“In theater, <em>ang</em> comment <em>naman sa akin lagi,</em> ‘Alex, <em>masyadong malaki</em>.’ So, I think here in theater, it was more automatic, organic for me as a theater actor. Definitely stepping into Black Box, it’s such an intimate space. So I think very TV <em>din siya e, kasi</em> it’s more contained,” he shared.</p><p>Looking back on his journey so far, Alex acknowledged how fortunate he has been to land theater projects consistently.</p><p>“But I’m thankful that I’ve had such a good string of projects from &#x27;Newsies&#x27; to &#x27;Bar Boys&#x27; three times to &#x27;Spring Awakening.&#x27; I’ve been very blessed, and I just hope I can continue to do this because I love acting and I love singing so much,” he said.</p><p>Despite being on a roll, Alex revealed that he plans to take a brief break once &#x27;Spring Awakening&#x27; wraps up. “I think I need to take a break first. Just a quick break, <em>kasi</em> it’s such a commitment to do theater. You work five days a week, and then you sleep, and then between that,” he shared.</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DUc0Iqhk6Wa/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A948385%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="566" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>However, the actor also teased exciting developments beyond acting. Alex revealed that he is preparing to venture into business, as he is set to open his own pizza restaurant.</p><p>Additionally, he disclosed plans that signal a possible return to mainstream entertainment. “I’m also talking to… After two years, almost three years, I’m talking about signing with the management again,” he revealed. </p><p>“Just because everything’s becoming very busy, and I would like to go and make a comeback to TV. Make a comeback to film. And so, after this, <em>ano muna tayo, </em>d<em></em>rawing board <em>muna tayo</em>,” he concluded.</p><div><strong><em>Set to become the inaugural production at The Black Box in The Proscenium Theater, Rockwell, Makati, Spring Awakening will run from February 13 to March 22, 2026, with tickets now available via Ticket2Me.</em></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Lead photos from <strong>@alexandermcdizz</strong> and <strong>The Sandbox Collective</strong></p>

<p>From "<i>Newsies"</i> to "<i>Bar Boys: The Musical</i>," Alex Diaz showcases his versatility, seamlessly transitioning from film and TV to becoming a recognized name in theater.</p>

From " Newsies" to " Bar Boys: The Musical ," Alex Diaz showcases his versatility, seamlessly transitioning from film and TV to becoming a recognized name in theater.