Conrad Ricamora Stars as Zach in ‘A Chorus Line’ Manila Run
Theatre Group Asia (TGA) has just announced that the Tony and two-time Grammy Awards nominee Conrad Ricamora will be playing the lead role of Zach in the company’s staging of A Chorus Line.
The Fil-Am TV and Broadway artist is set to play Zach, the director and choreographer in the musical’s story who serves as the driving force and emotional mirror of the show. In the musical, Zach runs an audition, pushing the performing aspirants to their physical limits and unlock their motivations and insecurities while confronting his own in moments of vulnerability and emotional tension. Throughout, he uncovers the human side of the characters, driven by passion and ambition, yet mostly regarded as ‘in the shadows’.
On his first time performing in the Philippines, Ricamora enthuses, “Performing in the Philippines for the first time is incredibly meaningful for me because it’s my father’s homeland. To bring my work here feels like a kind of homecoming—a chance to connect with a part of my heritage that I’ve always carried in my heart. The Philippine theater community is known for its passion, talent, and heart. I’ve been so inspired watching artists from here make their mark globally, and I can’t wait to share the stage with them and learn from their artistry. There’s warmth and joy in Filipino storytelling that I’ve always felt connected to, and I’m honored to finally be part of it.”
And about A Chorus Line, he adds, “I’ve always loved A Chorus Line because it celebrates the raw, vulnerable truth of being a performer. To step into Zach’s shoes, especially in its golden year, feels like a full-circle moment. I’m excited to explore how this show—written nearly fifty years ago—still speaks directly to artists today: the hunger, the heartbreak, the need to be seen. And as someone who started in musical theater before moving into television and film, it’s thrilling to return to that sense of community and truth that only the stage can offer.”
TGA Overall Artistic and Creative Director and Tony Award winner Clint Ramos shares, “We are very proud and overjoyed to have someone of Conrad’s caliber and experience in our staging of A Chorus Line. We can’t wait for Manila to see his brilliance centerstage. He brings the gravitas Zach possesses and likewise the raw fragility the character requires. He is the quintessential triple threat whose professionalism and impeccable talent have been embraced beyond Broadway. Not only is he highly respected in the arts community for his talent, he also wears his heritage and identity with pride, which is the ethos of TGA. We are very excited about this collaboration. He is sensational.”
The musical’s director and choreographer, Emmy Award-winner and Broadway artist Karla Puno Garcia, echoes, “A Chorus Line has to demonstrate the unflinching and emotionally charged audition process for a coveted spot in the chorus line. For the audience to see through those depths, we needed a powerful presence to lead the audience through the immersion into the auditioning performers’ psyche. And that’s exactly what Conrad brings. I can’t wait to start tackling the material with him and embark this journey with someone of his accomplishments.”
On playing Zach, Ricamora elaborates, “Zach’s job is to see people clearly, to push them to go deeper—to reveal not just what they can do, but who they are. That’s something I relate to deeply, both as an actor and as a human being. I’ve spent much of my life learning to take down my own walls, to turn pain into art and vulnerability into strength. The show’s core question— ‘Who am I, and why do I dance?’—is universal. We’re all just trying to be chosen for who we really are”.
Ricamora most recently starred on Broadway in the critically acclaimed Tony-winning play Oh, Mary! where he portrayed the role of Abraham Lincoln. The role earned him his first Tony nomination in the category of Best Featured Actor in a Play in 2025. In 2023, he was part of Broadway musical Here Lies Love as Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino, a role he originated at the Public Theater Off-Broadway in 2013, brought him back to the stage 10 years later with an all-Filipino cast. Additional credits include The King And I on Broadway, which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2015; Off Broadway shows Little Shop of Horrors, and Soft Power that got him his second Grammy nomination.
On television, Ricamora was a series regular in the Hulu and Disney+ Philippines series How To Die Alone and starred in the film Fire Island from the same network. Most notably, Ricamora starred in six seasons of the Shonda Rhimes ABC drama series How To Get Away with Murder as ‘Oliver’ and was also seen in the Fox series The Resident. Ricamora was announced as a cast member in the forthcoming and highly anticipated second film edition of The Devil Wears Prada.
Tickets are available through TicketWorld, with prices ranging from P900 to P5,500. A Chorus Line will run from March 12-29, 2026. Thursday and Friday shows are at 7:30 PM, while Saturday and Sunday shows are at are at 2 PM and 7:30 PM.
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