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All about ‘Into the Woods,’ the musical people are lining up at 5 a.m. for

BY Pauline Miranda

March 29, 2025
11:09 am

Way ahead of its August premiere, tickets to the Manila staging of Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” have been sold out. Here’s what it’s about

There are a lot of exciting theater productions lined up for this year, but there’s one that’s particularly getting a lot of buzz given its stellar lineup. Theatre Group Asia’s (TGA) “Into the Woods,” which brings in acclaimed Filipino theater artists from both here and abroad, will be premiering in August and yet, as early as now, tickets are already sold out.

Roughly five months ahead of its opening, “Into the Woods” has already extended show dates, and people are clamoring for tickets—with many lining up at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater as early as 5 a.m. to secure a seat.

into the woods queue — *The queue outside Samsung Performing Arts Theater for today’s onsite selling. We’ve been told people have been arriving as early as 5 a.m.*

“Into the Woods” follows a baker and his wife who have been cursed by a witch to be childless. As they set off on a journey to reverse the witch’s spell, they meet other characters who are also on a quest to fulfill their own wishes.

What makes “Into the Woods” intriguing is how it has connected and intertwined the worlds and characters of various Grimm tales, such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Jack and the Beanstalk.

Created by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, the musical debuted on Broadway in 1987, and has enjoyed enduring popularity and acclaim through the decades. Many praise it for the wit and beauty of its writing, both in the songs and its book.

*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.*

It was first staged in Manila in 1992 by Repertory Philippines, and again in 2015 by Upstart Productions. Theatre Group Asia is the third Philippine theater company to stage “Into the Woods” in the country, and it promises to be bigger than ever, especially with its cast and creatives.

In the same way “Into the Woods” brings together the characters of various fairy tales, TGA’s staging is also a powerhouse ensemble of the theater industry’s brightest.

The cast features multi-awarded actors and actresses both here and abroad, such as:

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
Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Prince Charming/The Wolf
Joreen Bautista as Rapunzel
Mark Bautista as Rapunzel’s Prince
Carla Guevara Laforteza in a triple role as the Giant, Granny, and Snow White
Teetin Villanueva as Little Red Riding Hood
Tex Ordoñez De Leon, Sarah Facuri, and Kakki Teodoro as Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters, respectively
Jamie Wilson as Cinderella’s Father and Steward
Rody Vera as the Narrator/Mysterious Man

Aside from the stellar cast, “Into the Woods” will be helmed by a distinguished creative team, too. Clint Ramos, TGA’s co-founder, is the musical’s artistic and creative director, while Chari Arespacochaga is co-director (originally set to collaborate on the production with the late Bobby Garcia). The musical will also see Gerard Salonga as music director, Ohm David as set designer, Raven Ong as costume designer, Cha See as lighting designer, and Megumi Takayama as sound designer. Cecile Martinez will serve as the production’s choreographer.

The musical will also feature puppets designed by Aina Bonifacio Ramolete, with puppet execution by Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas created by National Artist Amelia Bonifacio.

“Into the Woods” runs from Aug. 7 to 31 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. Tickets for the additional shows from Aug. 28 to 31 can be purchased on site at CPAT on March 29 (for PWD, Senior, and cash purchases). The general public sale will be on March 30, both online and at CPAT.