Filipino excellence leads the way for local theatergoers to head Into the Woods

After months of anticipation (and tickets selling out within hours), Theater Group Asia’s (TGA) star-studded production of Into the Woods finally opens on August 7, Thursday, at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater (S-PAT) in Makati. 

During the production’s media preview, TGA’s overall Artistic and Creative Director, the Tony Award-winning visionary Clint Ramos, shared, “We are brimming with excitement. Everyone has been working so passionately, and we can’t wait to welcome the audience into the captivating world of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods.”

“We are amazed by the public’s reaction,” TGA Executive Director Christopher Mohnani added. “[That the tickets sold out after two hours] only proves that theater in the Philippines is so alive.”

The company envisions fostering a creative dialogue between Filipino performers here and abroad—and then bringing this synergy home. “We don’t set out to define the kinds of productions we do. TGA does everything, from Broadway musicals to avant-garde stuff, and we hope to stage an original Filipino production in the future,” Ramos explained. “The focus is on the exchange of ideas, learning from each other, and presenting world-class theater by Filipinos for Filipinos. This is an earnest goal we shared with the late [TGA co-founder] Bobby Garcia.” Hence, the company tapped some of the best Filipino performers, not just in the country but in the world, to bring Into the Woods to life. 

A story that weaves different Brothers Grimm fairy tales ("Little Red Riding Hood", "Cinderella," "Jack and the Beanstalk," and "Rapunzel") into a compelling epic full of emotional twists and turns, Into the Woods brings together some of the most popular, beloved, and feared characters.

They’re played by a powerhouse cast, led by Olivier and Tony Award-winning Lea Salonga plays The Witch in her Philippine musical comeback in six years; Broadway star Arielle Jacobs is Cinderella; legendary comedienne Eugene Domingo is Jack’s mother; theater and television actor Josh Dela Cruz is Prince Charming/The Wolf; seasoned stage performers Nyoy and Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante are The Baker and The Baker’s Wife, respectively; young theater actor (and Salonga’s son) Nic Chien as Jack; international performer Joreen Bautista as Rapunzel; singer and actor Mark Bautista as Rapunzel’s Prince; breakout star Teetin Villanueva as Little Red Riding Hood; acclaimed actresses Tex Ordoñez-De Leon, Sarah Facuri, and Kakki Teodoro as Cinderella’s evil step mother and sisters; the award-winning Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Granny/The Giant; theater veteran Jamie Wilson as Cinderella’s Father/The Steward; and the venerable Rody Vera as The Narrator. Covers include Ima Castro, Niño Alejandro, Jillian Ita-As, and Jep Go.

Complementing the cast is the production team responsible for creating the magic from behind the scenes: music director Gerard Salonga, set designer Ohm David, costume designer Raven Ong, lighting designer Cha See, and sound designer Megumi Takayama. They are joined by associate musical director Farley Asunción, assistant costume designer Hershee Tantiado, associate lighting director Meliton Roxas, associate sound designer Aron Roca, choreographer Cecile Martinez, vocal coach Manman Angsico, multimedia designer GA Fallarme, hair and makeup designer Johann dela Fuente, and puppet designer Aina Bonifacio Ramolete, with puppet execution by National Artist Amelia Bonifacio’s Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas. 

When asked what sets TGA’s staging of Into the Woods apart from the rest, show director Chari Arespacochaga said, “Through the months that we’ve been planning and working on it, we want to look at this through the lens of the Filipino experience. The show is a smart and clever way of putting together fairytales, and as a people, Filipinos are creative storytellers: We build community by sharing stories. That was our way into it.”

The production team was reticent to give away too much and possibly spoil the production, but they emphasized how some of their creative decisions reflect the multi-faceted Filipino experience and identity. “That has been the beacon, the guiding force for the production,” Arespacochaga stated. “The definition of being a Filipino is so vast, and we wanted to put together a cast that brings all of these facets together.”

Into the Woods is the first official production of TGA, apart from last year’s theater breakout show Request sa Radyo, directed by Garcia. The company is also set to stage A Chorus Line in March 2026. 

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Into the Woods runs from August 7-31 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. It is made possible by Ayala Land, BPI, Ayala Corporation, Philippine Airlines, and Custom Clubmakers. For more information about TGA, Into The Woods, and A Chorus Line, please visit www.theatregroupasia.com or follow Facebook and Instagram @theatregroupasia. 

Into the Woods is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), New York, NY, USA. All authorized performance materials are supplied by MTI. A Chorus Line is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. 

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