One singular sensation: Emmy winner Karla Puno Garcia reimagines ‘A Chorus Line’ for a new generation in Manila

Garcia intends to reflect this versatility in the Manila production. While she is adamant about honouring the “original foundation” laid by Michael Bennett on A Chorus Line, including the iconic kick line in One, she plans to infuse the movement with a vocabulary that feels current. “You definitely will see my vocabulary, which is more influenced by contemporary, infused in a way that’s tasteful and honestly original,” she says. Her goal is to ensure the production does not feel like a museum piece, but rather “of theatre today.”

Leading the Manila production’s cast are Tony and two-time Grammy Award nominee Conrad Ricamora as Zach, and Fil-Am Broadway star Lissa de Guzman as Cassie. Joining them are emerging and established performers such as Christina Glur, Angelo Soriano, Michaela Marfori, Jordan Andrews, Rapah Manalo, Ken San Jose, Stephen Viñas, Mikaela Regis, Iya Villanueva, Universe Ramos, Richardson Yadao, Julio Laforteza, Brie Chappell, Sam Libao, Alyanna Wijangco, Jessie Carmona, Luca Olbes, Jim Ferrer, Winchester Lopez, Rofe Villarino, Lord Kristofer Logmao, Paulina Luzuriaga, Anna del Prado and Vince Denzel Sarra, with swings Franco Ramos and Anyah de Guzman.

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The journey to bring Garcia onboard began with a phone call that caught her at a crossroads. TGA’s artistic director and Tony Award-winner Clint Ramos reached out just as Garcia was navigating a hectic schedule and a major life change.

“I was on my way to the airport, heading to Japan to choreograph a production of Tick, Tick... Boom! when Clint called me in 2024,“ Garcia recalls. The decision was instantaneous, despite the fact that she was pregnant at the time. For TGA’s executive producer Christopher Mohnani, securing Garcia was a coup. He recalls Ramos insisting they secure her immediately after her Emmy win, noting, “We have to get her before everybody else gets her.” The timing aligned perfectly with TGA’s 2025/2026 season, which had been mapped out by Ramos and the late Bobby Garcia to feature works that would resonate with younger generations.

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Garcia describes the casting process as a hunt for fiery commitment. “It really is a thankless job, a lot of the time,” she says of the ensemble life, “but at the same time, you can’t do the show without us.” Coming from a career that began with being an ensemble member, Garcia promises that this production will not simply replicate the 1975 original but will highlight the specific identities of the stellar cast, whose respective career trajectories also resonate with the musical’s source material.

“There are a lot of thoughts about intentionally infusing Filipino culture into this piece,” Garcia hints. She has been working with a shortlist of performers whittled down from a nationwide search in the Philippines, and also had a leg of auditions in New York. “We’ve completed the lineup for A Chorus Line the way it was meant to be... a journey full of heart, competition and extraordinary vulnerability,” she says.

Crucially, Garcia sought the blessing of Baayork Lee, the original Connie on the Broadway production and a guardian of the show’s legacy. “With her support and her blessing, she has given me all the support to create... a version that feels like me as a director-choreographer,” she notes.

Her direction is informed by a résumé that reads like a bucket list for any theatre professional. She made history as the first woman of colour to choreograph the Tony Awards opening number, a feat that earned her an Emmy Award. She describes that winning moment an organic process created in collaboration with host Ariana DeBose, where she was given free rein of a major televised, unscripted number.

Her background is deeply rooted in the very struggle depicted in A Chorus Line. She was the first Filipino cast member and dance captain for Hamilton on Broadway and has performed in Wicked, West Side Story and even the television reality dance competition So You Think You Can Dance?

“I’ve lived this story,” she says. “I’ve been the dancer hoping to be seen, fighting to be chosen... Now, I get to turn that experience into an opportunity for others,” Garcia adds.

It is this 20-year career that allows her to connect with the material now in a way she couldn’t in her youth. “These stories are timeless,” she reflects, adding that the show’s themes of resilience and identity now carry much more weight for her.

The staging of such a high-profile production aligns with a broader vision for its venue. Ayala Land has designated the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati as the resident home for TGA, cementing the district’s status as a contemporary arts hub.

Hans Lopez-Vito, head of brand experience and strategy for Ayala Land, explains that the goal is to transform the area into a space where people can “experience arts and culture and to connect with people of shared interests.” The ecosystem includes the Power Mac Center Spotlight Black Box Theater and various creative spaces designed to foster artistic cultivation. This February 6 to 8, Circuit Makati will be the centrestage of Art Fair Philippines, activating other nearby spaces, especially the soon-to-rise Contemporary Arts Center.

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For TGA and Ayala Land, the collaboration is about more than just entertainment; it is a herculean task to celebrate Filipino talent on a world-class stage.

“We are grateful for the support of Ayala Land in advancing our mission,” says Ramos, citing previous successes like Request sa Radyo and Into the Woods as stepping stones to this moment. This 2026/2027 season, TGA unveiled its lineup: the Philippine premiere of Ingrid Michaelson and Bekah Brunstetter’s The Notebook: The Musical, a Filipino translation of Federico García Lorca’s La Casa de Bernarda Alba and Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George.

Read more: Clint Ramos launches Theatre Group Asia to spotlight Filipino creatives worldwide

As rehearsals for A Chorus Line with Ricamora finally arrived in Manila, the energy is palpable. Mohnani observes that the local talent is “plugged in” to the global scene, ready to meet Karla Puno Garcia’s high standards. For the celebrated director, the experience of creating impactful theatre with an all-Filipino team has been profound. “It feels like family... I feel like I’m creating a show with my cousins,” she says warmly.

When the curtain rises in March 2026, audiences will see a production that is both a tribute to the past and a bold step forward. It is, as Garcia puts it, a chance to honour the “fight and resilience” of the dancer—told through the voice of a director who has lived every step of the journey.

A Chorus Line premieres on March 12 and runs until March 29, 2026, at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati. 

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