CinemaBravo

Zsazsa Zaturnnah has spent the past two decades cementing her place as one of the Philippines’ most recognizable queer icons.

The character, created by Carlo Vergara, made her debut in 2006 through the graphic novel ‘Ang Kagilagilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah.’ Her origin story follows a gay beautician who gains extraordinary powers after swallowing a magical stone from outer space.

Twenty years after first captivating readers, Zsazsa’s beauty, power, humor, and irrepressible spirit continue to resonate, proving that the character’s appeal and significance have endured well beyond her original introduction.

For Vergara, the story’s lasting relevance comes from the issues explored through Zsazsa’s adventures. In a 2020 interview with When in Manila, he explained that the concerns surrounding LGBTQ+ people, women, and love remain present years after the book was first published.

“May timeless quality siya. A lot of the concerns sa libro about LGBTs, not just LGBT, but also about women, about love — favorite topic natin yung love — nandiyan pa rin siya. Hindi siya nawawala.”

(It has a timeless quality. A lot of the concerns in the book about LGBTs, not just LGBT, but also about women, about love — our favorite topic is love — are still there. They don’t go away.)

Vergara noted that the continued existence of these issues is also what keeps Zaturnnah relevant to new generations.

“Sad to say, habang nandiyan pa rin yung mga problema, hindi talaga mag-eexpire yung relevance ni Zaturnnah.”

(Sad to say, as long as the problems remain, Zaturnnah’s relevance will never expire.)

The story of Ada, a gay man, that can transform into the stunning superheroine Zsazsa Zaturnnah adds a fantastical twist to the true-to-life experiences of Filipino members of the LGBTQIA+ community every single day. Ada’s experience as a gay man gets regularly highlighted in the Zsazsa’s adventures, including the search for love and the struggles against homophobia from society and family, even when that family is a zombified version of his father.

Alain Tavita on the Witech Blog writes that, “Zsazsa has proven herself as an everlasting symbol to the LGBTQ+ members and their mass fights for representation, equal rights, and survival in the casually cruel Filipino society.”

The fantastical transformation into Zsazsa highlights other aspects of the queer experience as well. The design of Zsazsa herself takes inspiration from, and has since in turn inspired, many drag queens locally. 

Zsazsa’s deep roots to the gay community and the broad spectrum of experiences she demonstrates has lasted through every iteration of the character. Whether it be on Carlos Vergara’s meticulously realized pages or being brought to life on the big screen in live action by namesake Zsa Zsa Padilla or even depicted on stage in her titular musical, Zsazsa Zaturnnah remains an important piece of Philippine pop culture’s representation of the local gay experience.

Among the things Zaturnnah highlights across every adaptation is a distinctly Pinoy sense of humor as well. More specifically, it showcases the “bakla” humor for audiences both domestic and global.

“Siguro comedy…that’s how we deal sa mga problema, concerns,” said Vergara in his 2020 interview. “So in a way, it’s a means for us to process things.”

Zsazsa Zaturnnah’s humor, spectacle, and undeniably proud queerness is set to make a triumphant return to the stage in the coming year. A revival of the hit musical “Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal” will be coming to Shooting Gallery Studios from April to June of 2027. 

Produced under Wishbone Collective, the production is spearheaded by an all-star team of acclaimed creatives, including renowned playwright Chris Martinez, on the theatrical adaptation; award-winning lyricist and composer Vincent A. DeJesus, who serves as musical director; and director Chris Millado, former artistic director of Tanghalang Pilipino and director of numerous award-winning productions.