Theatre Group Asia to stage 'Into The Woods,' 'A Chorus Line' following 'Request sa Radyo' success
MANILA, Philippines — New theater collective Theatre Group Asia has lined up its next productions, iconic Broadway musicals "Into the Woods" and "A Chorus Line."
TGA was the company behind the staging of wordless one-woman play "Request sa Radyo" starring award-winning actresses Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon in alternating roles.
"Request sa Radyo" was the last production directed by theater veteran Bobby Garcia before his untimely passing last December 2024 at the age of 55.
Tony winner production designer Clint Ramos said the creation of TGA was a vision Garcia was very passionate about being a man of the theater.
"He loved everything about it. It was his life. He had a deep love for artists. He was profoundly proud of being Filipino and championed us with every choice he made," Ramos said. "We choose to celebrate his life and legacy by forging ahead and bringing our aligned dreams to fruition."
Stephen Sondheim's "Into The Woods" is next in line for staging this August, while "A Chorus Line" will be staged in March 2026, both in the Samsung Performing Arts Theater like "Request sa Radyo."
Ramos previously did the costume design for show in 2017. This time around, he will serve as co-producer and overall creative and artistic director.
Garcia was set to co-direct "Into The Woods" with his long-time collaborator Chari Arespacochaga, who now views the project as a tribute to her colleague.
"Bobby was very particular and meticulous. Continuing the work we started is my way of honoring him and carrying on the spirit of fun and love for the craft we infused in everything he did," she added.
The Sondheim dark comedy sees 18 main characters from popular fairy tales — fronted by a baker, his wife, and an aging witch — to come together in one musical.
The original Broadway production was nominated for 10 Tonys, including Best Musical, winning three: Best Score for Sondheim, Best Book (Musical), and Best Lead Actress (Musical) for Joanna Gleason.
Ramos described the musical as a very complex piece that explores themes of power, disenfranchisement, broken dreams, hope, resilience, and the determination to move forward.
"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," he explained, expressing gratitude to the Sondheim estate.
Michael Bennett's "A Chorus Line," meanwhile, follows the grueling audition process of 17 performers valiantly pursuing one of the eight spots in the show.
For Ramos, the musical is a looking glass into the production process, "It delves into what happens when we explore individual human lives within this monolith, this unit, this chorus. It mirrors what we are trying to do."
"We are trying to tease out the different ways of how to be Filipino and 'A Chorus Line' exemplifies that excellently," he continued. "When you see a chorus, you see one unit. But upon closer inspection, we get to see individual human beings and their respective complexities. The material speaks to the time that we are in, and how we easily write people off."
The original 1975 Broadway production won nine of its 12 nominations, including Best Musical, Best Direction for Bennett, Best Score, and acting honors for Donna McKechnie, Sammy Williams, and Kelly Bishop.
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