Much-anticipated Filipino production of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Into the Woods’—is it worth the hype?

Maximising the Samsung Performing Arts Theater’s massive stage, the set design featured fully covered legs and borders with capiz-adorned ventanillas and leaf-like or floral accents in the repeating calados, and divided the floor into tiers fabricated with Machuca-styled tiles. The full orchestra is hidden on the upper stage, with only the musical director, Gerard Salonga, visible to the audience. The set design generally exudes an operatic zarzuela spirit, reminding everyone of a bahay na bato or perhaps an old grandparents’ house, where folklore and fairy tales are the usual pastimes.

But as the Narrator (Rody Vera) begins his story, he invites everyone into a world of interconnected stories woven by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, slithering through the treacherous woods that this production rendered onstage through gigantic trunks of trees across the stage. Invading the bahay na bato from within, the trees turn from silent witnesses to the characters’ journeys to ominous signs of danger. The first act’s hopeful and comedic tone reflects the set design’s opulence, which eventually becomes easily forgettable after the chaos that unfolds as the story progresses.

Although the set design—peppered with video projections from time to time—dwarfed the cast with its scale, their sheer talent, vocal prowess and nuanced acting shone brightly onstage.

Lea Salonga fully morphed into the Witch, making her almost unrecognisable with her distinctive take on the character’s voice and gait.

Similarly, Carla Guevara-Laforteza embodied her two roles, Granny and the Giant, which made audiences second-guess whether they were her.

Eugene Domingo as Jack’s Mom was incredible in her comedic timing and emphasis on some words, making the reading of the Sondheim-Lapine work afresh.

Real-life couple Nyoy Volante and Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante made the unknown story of the Baker and the Baker’s Wife relatable and reminiscent of our aspirations and toils in life.

Joshua Dela Cruz tapped into his venal side for the Wolf, while making his attack on the character of Prince Charming distinctive with suavity and ditziness. His partner-in-crime, Mark Bautista, as Rapunzel’s Prince, echoes this approach, but he’s ahead in terms of musicality.

Their respective love interests, Cinderella and Rapunzel, played by Arielle Jacobs and Joreen Bautista, give audiences just a taste of their characters’ Disney-fied versions but dig deep into Sondheim and Lapine’s vision of a humanised (and somewhat terrorised) characterisation.

Tex Ordoñez-de Leon as the Stepmother, Sarah Facuri and Kakki Teodoro as Florinda and Lucinda make a remarkable and compact ensemble, reflecting all the cast members’ rapport with each other.

This is also true with Salonga’s son, Nic Chien, who makes his principal cast member debut in this production as Jack, showing immense potential in musical theatre of this magnitude.

Alongside him is seasoned and homegrown theatre actor Teetin Villanueva, portraying Little Red Riding Hood, who channels her feistiness and grit in this retelling of her tale.

Weaving them all together is award-winning playwright and Philippine theatre veteran Rody Vera, who let his passion for storytelling leak through his animated expression and delivery of his lines.

Besides the set design being recognisably colonial-era-style Filipino, the costumes of the cast members gather references from the varied Indigenous and regional cultures throughout the country. Most striking to see, though, was Little Red Riding Hood’s corset with a Baybayin inscription of Bobby Garcia’s name, but in Filipinised syllabication. It was a nod to the great man whose musing led to the fruition of a vision for the flourishing of Philippine theatre.

“We are committed to exalting Filipino artistry,” says Ramos. “TGA is a powerhouse collective of globally renowned and locally celebrated Filipino artists intent on cultivating connections and engaging with Filipino audiences. We aim to foster more creative dialogues between global theatre artists of Filipino heritage based abroad and talented local artists in the Philippines. It is about learning from both ends and presenting world-class theatre by Filipinos for Filipinos. This was an earnest goal we shared with Bobby.”

“This show—together with our various theatre community learning initiatives such as our mentoring sessions under The Bobby Garcia Initiative—is our way of honouring Bobby’s legacy,” Mohnani adds. “He was a true lover of the arts and of Philippine talent. We celebrate and honour his contributions through this and our forthcoming production of A Chorus Line, slated March 2026,” he concludes.

Creating the magic from behind the scenes is a collection of renowned and multi-awarded creatives. Apart from the abovementioned maestro Gerard Salonga serving as the musical director, the team includes set designer Ohm David, costume designer Raven Ong, with Rajo Laurel designing a bespoke gown for the Witch character, lighting designer Cha See, sound designer Megumi Takayama, 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, puppet designer Aina Bonifacio Ramolete with puppet execution by National Artist Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio’s Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas. Meanwhile, cover actors include Ima Castro, Niño Alejandro, Jillian Ita-As and Jep Go.

So was it worth the hype? Some people may argue that TGA’s Into the Woods resided in making the Filipino cultural elements visually seen without truly committing to a full cultural transfer of its setting and script. But that’s the beauty of it. It doesn’t need to scream ‘Filipino’, yet it was indelibly ours.

By being respectful to the material, we see how resonant these fairy tales and folk beliefs are with our culture. To me, perhaps the only glaring fault was how the giant’s head that falls from the sky was reinterpreted as a bayong or tampipi wrapped in a ribbon reminiscent of the American flag. It could perhaps have been made more effective if the giants in the sky had been established didactically from the early onset as a colonial power oppressing the kingdom where the characters live.

Nevertheless, the ingenuity of TGA’s take on the Sondheim classic lies in its ability to make the characters remarkably Filipino. We see a struggling couple, a dutiful son, an empowered girl, an aspirational woman of the modern age, and a doting mother misunderstood, reflecting how we navigate the perilous ‘woods’ in our lives and learn from our life’s choices.

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