What happens when a gay beautician swallows a magical stone from outer space? A queer icon in Zsazsa Zaturnnah is born.
First bursting onto the scene in 2006 in Carlo Vergara’s graphic novel “Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah,” Zsazsa’s beauty, power and irrepresible spirit remain as inspiring in 2026 as they were when she first made her fabulous debut two decades ago.
While Vergara created the story from a very personal perspective, he has found the themes to be enduring. In an interview with When in Manila in 2020, he said, “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.”
“Sad to say, habang nandiyan pa rin yung mga problema, hindi talaga mag-eexpire yung relevance ni Zaturnnah,” said Vergara.
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.
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 the Cultural Center of the Philippines and director of numerous award-winning productions.
