Theatre Group Asia (TGA) reveals Olivier and Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga will be stepping into the iconic role of The Witch in its production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, set for August this year at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater (S-PAT).
Tony Award-winning creative visionary and a founding collaborator of TGA, Clint Ramos shares, “We are so pleased and proud to have an actress of Lea’s caliber lead the spectacular and stellar ensemble of TGA’s production of Into The Woods. This is Lea’s first musical in the Philippines in six years, and what a grand comeback it’s sure to be! Into the Woods is a very complex and thought-provoking piece. We want to create a version that considers the Filipino condition. Hopefully, our context will give more meaning to the already rich work that is this Sondheim musical. And Lea, with her remarkable talent and abilities will be very instrumental in imparting that message.”
Salonga’s last musical in the Philippines was Sweeney Todd, directed by another founding collaborator of TGA, the late theater maverick Bobby Garcia.
On performing back home, Salonga remembers, “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. But most of all, to my dear friend, ‘This one is for you, Bobby!’”
The legendary Philippine performer continues, “It’s very exciting, as well as, exhausting. Sondheim is no joke! Learning the material before day one of rehearsals takes a few weeks because his patterns can be puzzling and challenging but so rewarding once it all comes together. It’s also cool that I get to revisit a role that I played as a younger adult. I was about 23 years old when I previously played The Witch. Playing her again 30 years later is going to be illuminating. So much life has happened in the intervening years. I’m hoping to bring as much of that as I can to this production.”
Into The Woods* is based on James Lapine’s book, who also directed the original Broadway run. The grand scale sees 18 main characters amidst a fantastical and elaborate backdrop that captures the public’s imagination. Considered a dark comedy, the plot intertwines several fairy tale characters’ exploits tied together by a childless baker and his wife who set off on a journey to break a witch’s curse preventing the couple from having a child. What ensues is a magical spectacle that dramatically portrays the impact and consequences of specific choices and actions.
Salonga muses, “What I love about this piece is the whole ‘what if’ premise of fairy tales. Continuing past ‘happily ever after’ is very interesting. Through the material, we realize that a witch isn’t always bad, and good people aren’t always entirely good. The famous line from the musical, ‘nice is different than good’ is one that hits home every time. The message is so poignant. The final song, Children Will Listen is a reminder that what we do as adults impacts impressionable minds. Act One is about fairy tales, but Act Two explores darker, less defined territory. That’s when things get interesting!”
This Philippine production of Into The Woods follows the groundbreaking success of TGA’s Request sa Radyoin 2024, the wordlessplay that had Manila talking headlined by Salonga and Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee Dolly de Leon.
Ramos stands as co-producer, overall artistic director, and stage and costume designer. Ramos is the Producing Creative Director of Encores New York City Center, the group that produced the last Broadway revival of Into the Woods. Chari Arespacochaga, with whom Garcia was set to co-direct Into The Woods, helms this project as a tribute to her creative partner, mentor, and friend.
For more information about Into The Woods, please visit www.theatregroupasia.com, or follow Facebook and Instagram @theatregroupasia.
*Into the Woods is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), New York, NU, USA. All authorized performance materials are supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
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