Theatre Group Asia (TGA) announces New York-based Fil-Am Broadway star Arielle Jacobs as Cinderella in its production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, coming this August at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater (S-PAT).
Tony Award-winning creative and a founding collaborator of TGA, Clint Ramos shares, “TGA aims to foster connections and open conversations between artists of Filipino heritage from the international theater community and local performers who do stellar work in the Philippines. It is about learning from both ends and presenting world-class theater by Filipinos for Filipinos. Arielle has starred in several Broadway shows and touring productions worldwide but has never done a full-length musical in the Philippines. We’re happy she can bring her experience and talent to our production of Into The Woods, at the same time, she gets the chance to discover more about her heritage and roots.” Jacobs was born in San Francisco to a Filipino mother and an American-Jewish father.
Jacobs reports, “I am filled with joy. I have long wishedto 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.”
Jacobs’ Broadway credits include playing Nina Rosario in In the Heights, Nessarose in Wicked, Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, and Imelda in Here Lies Love. Jacobs has starred in the Florida production of Into The Woods, playing the Baker’s Wife. This time, she steps into Cinderella’s glass slippers and smiles, “This is a role I’ve always wanted to play. To be playing it, while sharing the stage with my friend and hero Lea Salonga, on a Philippine stage, is a dream come true on so many levels.”
Jacobs continues, “As a kid, this musical was one of the first cast albums I heard. It has been my favorite show ever since! The lyrics ask us to think deeply and differently about the worldand how things are often complex, and not as one-sided as they may seem at first glance.”
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.
Ramosstands as the production’s overall artistic director, stage and costume designer, and co-producer alongside John and Joanna Echauz, and S-PAT Executive Director Chris Mohanani. The show is directed by Chari Arespacochaga.
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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MORE ABOUTARIELLE JACOBS
Arielle Jacobs made her Broadway debut starring opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda, playing Nina Rosario in the final Broadway cast of his four-time Tony and Grammy award-winning musical In The Heights, after starring in the original national touring production. She went on to perform Wicked on Broadway and Aladdin on Broadway and in Sydney, Australia. She originated the role of Gabriella in Disney’s High School Musical On Stage, and created the role of Delilah in the Off-Broadway musical Between The Lines, based on the book by best-selling author Jodi Picoult. Jacobs also starred as Imelda in the historic first-ever all-Filipino Broadway cast of David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s Here Lies Love where her performance was praised as “compelling” and “radiant” by Variety Magazine, and “powerful” by The New York Times.
Her voice can be heard in The SPHERE in Las Vegas where she voiced the immersive sci-fi film Postcard From Earth directed by Darren Aronofsky. Jacobs recently performed the U.S. National Anthem at The White House in celebration of Filipino-American History Month, and has been a featured concert soloist with symphony orchestras around the world, having performed at Lincoln Center, The Hollywood Bowl, and more. She has recorded two songs for the comic book character Spinstress, a new singing Marvel superhero introduced in the Marvel comic series Edge of the Spiderverse #4, written by David Hein. She also released a solo album entitled A Leap In the Dark: Live at Feinstein’s/54 Below.
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MORE ABOUT THEATRE GROUP ASIA (TGA)
Led by Tony Award-winning creative visionary Clint Ramos, co-producers John and Joanna Echauz, venue host Samsung Performing Arts Theater (S-PAT) represented by its Executive Director Christopher Mohnani, along with the late multi-awarded stage impresario Bobby Garcia, TGA is a creative alliance committed to exalting Filipino artistry. TGA is a powerhouse collective of globally renowned and locally celebrated Filipino artists intent on cultivating connections and engaging with Filipino audiences.
Its mission is to present outstanding theater that brings the global dramatic canon to life while placing the Filipino experience at its heart. Through theater, TGA honors the depth and richness of Philippine history and culture, creating a space where Filipinos resonate within a global context. The vision includes bridging the gaps and fostering connections among Filipinos within the international and local theater communities to present world-class theater by Filipinos for Filipinos.
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