Cover Clint Ramos did costume design for Into The Woods in 2017. For this production, he serves as co-producer and overall creative and artistic director (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
Clint Ramos did costume design for Into The Woods in 2017. For this production, he serves as co-producer and overall creative and artistic director (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
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The full cast of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Into The Woods’ is finally here!
Kicking off its 2025 season, Theatre Group Asia (TGA) brings Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s critically acclaimed whimsical yet dark musical, Into The Woods. Stitching together the plots of four Brothers Grimm fairytales—Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Rapunzel—happening in the same forest, the show explores themes of power, disenfranchisement, broken dreams, hope, resilience, and determination to move forward.
“Into the Woods is a very complex piece… We want to lean into the idea of creating a version of Into the Woods that considers the Filipino condition. Our unique lens influences how different our version will be. Hopefully, our context will give more meaning to the already rich work that is this Sondheim musical,” says Clint Ramos, the show’s co-director alongside Chari Arespacochaga.
More from Tatler: Arielle Jacobs to join Lea Salonga in PH production of ‘Into the Woods’
Above Lea Salonga plays The Witch in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
Lea Salonga plays The Witch in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
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Spotlighting multiple fairytales happening simultaneously, Into The Woods demands a massive cast—with 18 main characters to be played. Joining the ensemble is Olivier and Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga, who will be playing The Witch. As her first musical in the Philippines after six years, her comeback promises a grand performance—especially in an iconic role such as this.
“The last show I did in Manila was a Stephen Sondheim masterpiece. Now, I’m coming in Into the Woods, yet another Sondheim masterpiece! If all I do for the rest of my life is perform in Sondheim shows, I’ll be very happy,” she says.
Above Arielle Jacobs plays Cinderella in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
Arielle Jacobs plays Cinderella in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
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Stepping into her glass slipper as Cinderella is Broadway star, Arielle Jacobs who has previously played Nina Rosario in In the Heights, Nessarose in Wicked, and Princess Jasmine in Aladdin among many others. She also played the Baker’s Wife in the Florida production of Into The Woods, making this staging much more beloved.
“I am filled with joy. I have long wished to perform in the Philippines. I feel so lucky to have this opportunity to bring my art back to where my family came from, for the Filipino people I love so much, and in a show that is very special and dear to my heart,” says Jacobs.
See also: Why 9Works Theatrical’s ‘Liwanag sa Dilim’ is relevant today
Above Eugene Domingo plays Jack’s Mother in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
Above Nic Chien plays Jack in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
Eugene Domingo plays Jack’s Mother in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
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Famas and Aliw Award-winning actress Eugene Domingo plays Jack’s Mother. A veteran in the Philippine film industry, Domingo has performed in lead and supporting roles in movies such as Comedy Star for All Seasons, Kimmy Dora, and And the Breadwinner is… among many others. Playing Jack is Nic Chien—Salonga’s only child—who made his musical theatre debut as Alice in Atlantis Productions’ Matilda in 2017. Salonga also expressed her excitement over working with her child.
“I’m most looking forward to working with Nic! We’ve done numerous concerts over the years, but this will be our first musical together!” she exclaims.
Above Joaquin Pedro Valdes plays Prince Charming and The Wolf in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
Joaquin Pedro Valdes plays Prince Charming and The Wolf in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
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Playing dual roles, London-based theatre and film actor Joaquin Pedro Valdes brings Prince Charming and The Wolf to the Philippine stage. After performing for years in musicals such as Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures, Death Note the Musical, and Then, Now & Next, he’s thrilled to return to the Philippines with two well-written characters.
“I have been in love with this show all my life. This was my introduction to Sondheim. I remember when I was a young boy in Manila, watching a filmed performance of the 1986 Broadway cast on Betamax! That started a fire in me for musical theatre, and it continues to keep me going,” he shares.
Above Nyoy Volante plays The Baker in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
Above Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante plays The Baker’s Wife in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
Nyoy Volante plays The Baker in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
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Real-life couple, Nyoy Volante and Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante play the in-musical couple, The Baker and The Baker’s Wife. As theatre veterans, the two met when they starred together in the 2012 production of Rock of Ages and have been inseparable since. They last worked together in the Philippine run of Kinky Boots where Nyoy played Lola while Mikkie was his makeup artist.
“I get to play with my wife in this musical! I’m so thrilled to be working with her again!” says Nyoy.
Read also: Grief, loss, and healing: How ‘Next to Normal’ authentically portrays mental illness
Above Joreen Bautista plays Rapunzel Hood in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
Above Mark Bautista plays Rapunzel’s Prince in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
Joreen Bautista plays Rapunzel Hood in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
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Letting her hair down as the beautiful Rapunzel is Joreen Bautista. Widely called the ‘Filipina Disney Princess’ on TikTok by her fans, the actress shook the world stage with her performance as Kim in Miss Saigon productions in the UK, Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland.
“What I love about Into the Woods is how Sondheim uses music, lyrics and a whole lot of magic to reveal the raw and imperfect sides of our beloved fairy tale characters, making their stories feel more human,” says Joreen.
Playing Rapunzel’s Prince will be Mark Bautista, an accomplished theatre actor who played in The Full Monty, Noli Me Tangere, South Pacific, Bituing Walang Ningning and Here Lies Love, among plenty of others.
“I’ve never played the role of a prince before, so this is going to be exciting for me. Falling in love with a princess is quite interesting as well. It's a musical with so many intriguing characters and loads of references and elements in the story,” says Mark.
Above Teetin Villanueva plays Little Red Riding Hood in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
Teetin Villanueva plays Little Red Riding Hood in ‘Into The Woods’ (Photo courtesy of Theatre Group Asia)
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Donning the red cloak of Little Red Riding Hood is Teetin Villanueva, a seasoned actress who played roles from PETA, Dulaang UP, and Atlantis Theatrical. She recounts her memories with fairytales, sharing the special seat Into The Woods has in her heart. “When I was growing up, my dad read us stories and fairytales. I love that in this musical, we get to see familiar characters from different stories all together in one story,” she says.
About
Gabriel found his passion for writing through poetry in high school. He sharpened his skills at Ateneo de Manila University and hopes to write a play worthy of Broadway one day. A self-proclaimed geek, he loves to spend his free time playing video games and board games. When he's not clicking heads on Valorant or roleplaying as a barbarian in Dungeons and Dragons, you can find him exploring art galleries or watching stage plays.
Work
A creative writer who writes about anything and everything, Gabriel loves to dive deep into the arts and culture scene—as well as going on long road trips for travel pieces.
You can reach him on Instagram at @gbohol for any leads, casual conversations or game invites.
