A Full-Orchestra ‘Into the Woods’ Told Through the Filipino Lens

A Full-Orchestra ‘Into the Woods’ Told Through the Filipino Lens

For Theatre Group Asia’s (TGA) co-producer, and overall creative and artistic director Clint Ramos, the goal of the company’s debut production of Into the Woods in Manila isn’t just to stage a faithful version of the beloved Sondheim musical—it’s to ask a deeper question: What makes it Filipino?

“We want to put up a production that actually considers the Filipino condition,” Ramos shares. “Not just because we’re casting Filipinos and Filipino creatives, but how is it Filipino?”

Backed by a full 19-piece orchestra under the baton of music director Gerald Salonga and Filharmonika, this Into the Woods is neither pared down nor replicated from Broadway. Instead, it’s a bold, collaborative interpretation—infused with Filipino myth-making, emotionality, and community.

A Gathering of Global Filipinos

The production brings together artists, designers, and musicians from both the Philippines and abroad. The result is a show grounded in local sensibilities yet open to global perspectives.

“What we’re really focused on is the exchange of ideas between folks here and also the global Filipino—and how we can create world-class theater together,” says Ramos. “There are so many of us doing such excellent work around the globe. It’s unbelievable.”

Chari Arespacochaga, who directs the production, echoes this:

“I think the ethos of TGA, which I really respect, is it’s not coming from top-down. It’s really about an exchange, and it’s acknowledging that it’s that intermingling that will elevate the work. It’s not just about, ‘Oh because this person is coming in from New York, this is the better way.’ We are formulating a process where the exchange is essential.”

That collaborative energy is palpable in the cast.

“It’s an all-Filipino cast and production. Kahit ‘yung mga galing abroad, ‘yung mga international imports, they’re also Filipino,” says actor Carla Guevara Laforteza, who plays the dual role of Granny and the Giant. “So there is that Filipino heart, 100% Filipino-made musical—except for Sondheim!”

Finding the Filipino in the Fairytale

Arespacochaga knew that this wouldn’t just be about staging a fairytale.

“We really wanted to look at this through the lens of the Filipino experience,” she says. “As a people, we are storytellers. We build community by sharing stories—and that was our way into the show.”

The mythic themes of Into the Woods felt especially resonant.

“Fairytales are about myths, and as a people, we live with the mythic on a day-to-day basis,” she explains. “We really wanted to celebrate that.”

Even casting became a conversation on identity.

“The definition of ‘Filipino’ is so vast,” she says. “What it means to be a Filipino actor is different for everyone. We tried to find specific ways where each actor could weave what makes them unique into the storytelling.”

She adds,

“We really wanted to think about this through the lens of the Filipino condition, our histories, our resilience, and our storytelling. We tried to find very specific ways where each of these actors weave that into the storytelling, [along with] the staging and the visuals.”

Giants in the Sky—and Real-World Questions

Beyond the visuals and orchestration, this Into the Woods embraces deeper questions.

“One of the biggest questions we’re trying to answer in our production is: Who are the giants in the sky?” says Ramos.

“The woods is also profoundly where you find yourself. I think this is one of the deepest things about this musical. The premise is you get lost, and yet you actually find yourself.”

Time, too, takes on new meaning in the woods. For Lea Salonga, reprising the role of the Witch 30 years after first playing it, the difference is:

“Life,” she says simply.

“In the intervening years between the first time I played the Witch to now, I’ve had a child, I’ve seen more of the world, for better or for worse… I think there is a part of me that although is joyful and hopeful, and optimistic, there’s also a part of me that sort of knows what that is like, and there’s a bit of… maybe because I live in New York, a little cynical. But there’s always a part of me that remains hopeful.”

“The difference is, life experience and knowing more and more deeply about the human condition than I did the first time I played this role.”

Joy, Discipline, and Play

Despite the show’s complexity and emotional weight, the spirit in the rehearsal room is light, joyful, and electric.

“This is the wordiest show I’ve ever done,” says Teetin Villanueva, who plays Little Red Riding Hood. “It’s a crazy show, the challenge of the songs and then the craziness of everyone, and all of these people together, parang unbelievable. I always catch myself pinching myself during rehearsals, na, ‘Talaga ba, nandito ba ako? Iba iyung thrill. Unbelievable siya for me everyday.”

That admiration runs deep.

“We watch each other, and we’re like—t***ina, everyone’s on their A-game every time,” says Kakki Teodoro (Lucinda) with a laugh. “Masarap ‘yung feeling na, everyone is so reliable. Ang sarap lang maglaro ulit.”

Sarah Facuri (Florinda) adds:

“It’s nice kasi it’s what we’re used to plus their discipline and professionalism. Nag-match eh. Everything is compatible. We’re all learning from each other. This formula is working.”

Guevara Laforteza credits Bobby Garcia, one of TGA’s co-founders, for assembling a cast that would thrive together.

“I think there’s a reason why Bobby chose this particular cast individually—because he knew that we were gonna work well together. He knew we had that discipline, and the passion, and the love for him, for the musical, for Stephen Sondheim’s music. He knew that it was gonna just gel together seamlessly.”

TGA’s Direction Moving Forward

Into the Woods is the first official production under the Theatre Group Asia (TGA) banner. Prior to this, the same producers staged the experimental, wordless play Request sa Radyo, which laid early groundwork for the company’s evolving creative philosophy.

“I think for us, the pattern is no pattern,” Ramos says. “We want to show the multiplicity of what it means to be Filipino…how do we curate content that not only serves the Filipino theater-going community but opens up the definition of theater to new generations?”

That philosophy extends beyond this production, guiding how TGA approaches future programming and new Filipino work.

“We’re thinking about: ‘What is the original Filipino work that we’re gonna do?’ We don’t have any rules. We want to explore everything. We want to do Broadway musicals, but always consider what it means to do it in the Philippines and with Filipino artists.”

That approach also extends to Into the Woods’ creative team, which brings together artists from both the U.S. and the Philippines. Making that collaboration work took effort and intention.

“It’s unbelievably amazing, but also challenging,” says Ramos. “We know that this is a monolith that we’re trying to tackle. We’re trying to make dents here and there to sort of change the working conditions.”

Eyes on the World

The dream doesn’t end in Manila. Ramos and Arespacochaga both hope to bring this production—and future ones—beyond Philippine shores.

“We’re in the early phases of philosophically thinking: what does it mean to export, not import?” says Ramos. “Why do we need to import when we can create here and share it with the world?”

In other words, this Into the Woods is just the beginning.

The full 16-member cast includes Lea Salonga as The Witch, Nyoy Volante and Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante as the Baker and the Baker’s Wife, Arielle Jacobs as Cinderella, Nic Chien as Jack, Eugene Domingo as Jack’s Mother, Josh Dela Cruz as Prince Charming/the Wolf, Joreen Bautista as Rapunzel, Mark Bautista as Rapunzel’s Prince, Teetin Villanueva as Little Red Riding Hood, Kakki Teodoro as Lucinda, Sarah Facuri as Florinda, Tex Ordoñez-De Leon as Cinderella’s Stepmother, Carla Guevara Laforteza as Granny/ The Giant, Jamie Wilson as Cinderella’s Father/ Steward, and Rody Vera as the Narrator. 

Joining Ramos, Arespacochaga, and Salonga in the creative team are Ohm David (set designer), Raven Ong (costume designer), Cha See (lighting designer), Megumi Katayama (sound designer), Jamie Wilson (assistant director), Farley Asuncion (associate musical director), Hershee Tantiado (assistant costume designer), Meliton Roxas (associate lighting director), Aron Roca (associate sound designer), Cecile Martinez (choreographer), Manman Angsico (vocal coach), GA Fallarme (multimedia designer), Johann dela Fuente (hair and makeup designer), Aina Bonifacio Ramolete (puppet designer), and National Artist Amelia Bonifacio’s Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas (puppet execution)

Into the Woods runs from August 7 to 31 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati. The run is sold-out.