Trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London and acclaimed for her international turn as Kim in Miss Saigon, JOREEN BAUTISTA, often dubbed a “Filipina Disney Princess” on TikTok, takes on the role of Rapunzel, a young woman yearning for freedom beyond her tower. Joreen wears a JUDE MACASINAG dress. Photographed by Artu Nepomuceno for the July/August 2025 Issue of Vogue Philippines
Filipino-American Broadway actress ARIELLE JACOBS makes her Philippine stage debut as Sondheim’s Cinderella. Born in San Francisco to a Filipino mother and an American-Jewish father, Jacobs has expressed that performing in the Philippines is a dream come true. Arielle wears a JEAN PAUL GAULTIER vintage top and dress, and JOHN GALLIANO vintage embroidered pumps sourced from Into Archive. Photographed by Maru Teppei for July/August 2025 Issue of Vogue Philippines
Theatre Group Asia unveils what grows from the seeds of dreams, on and off stage.
Once upon a time, there was a wish: to bring together Filipinos within the international and local theater communities to present productions by Filipinos for Filipinos fit for the world. From this, Theatre Group Asia (TGA) was born, led by Tony Award-winning creative mastermind Clint Ramos; co-producers John and Joanna Echauz; venue host Samsung Performing Arts Theater (S-PAT), represented by its executive director Christopher Mohnani; and multi-awarded stage luminary, the late Bobby Garcia.
“This is a vision Bobby was very passionate about. Bobby was the consummate 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. He was very central to the formation of TGA. We choose to celebrate his life and legacy by forging ahead and bringing our aligned dreams to fruition,” shares Clint, TGA artistic director.
The group got the ball rolling in 2024 with Request sa Radyo. This August, they are charging ahead with another, much grander show at the S-PAT: Into the Woods.
“It felt like it had all of the ingredients that would make it really resonate with the Filipinos,” reasons Christopher who is also the executive producer of Into the Woods. In addition, they believe it would be the perfect vehicle to really highlight the Filipino talent.
The musical play made its debut on Broadway in 1987 with music and lyrics by the legendary Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The dark comedy follows well-known fairy tale characters and brings their distinct paths into a common thread. While the roster may seem familiar, these portrayals have personalities that are more layered and nuanced. They are much less perfect than their counterparts in the classics. With their flaws, conflicts, and all, they are easier to connect with.
So much of real life is represented in the acts that something is bound to hit close to home. From the struggles of chasing aspirations, facing desperation, dealing with loss, making choices, wrestling with conscience and desire, and facing devastating consequences, to the beauty of starting over, learning to trust, finding support, feeling empowered, and much more. Into the Woods is not lacking in wisdom, and lessons come to light long before the curtain falls. As the events unfold, insights emerge, and every other dialogue carries messages worthy of note, encouraging reflection.
“We are not touching the book nor are we touching the music, we want to present it as Sondheim has intended it to be,” says Clint, who is also the creative director for Into the Woods. However, they will be infusing the work with some local sensibilities. Expect to spot these in the aesthetics and the power dynamics between the characters. There might also be subtle hints of Philippine colonial history, folklore, and myths. “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. We are so lucky and grateful that we got the blessing from the Sondheim estate,” he adds.
According to Christopher, the estate trusted that the work of Sondheim would be in good hands and would be respected. It helped that they’re familiar with the background and portfolio of Clint, Bobby, and the show’s lead star, Lea Salonga.
The Olivier and Tony Award-winning actress assumes the role of the Witch. It’s not entirely new to her as she first took on the part in her early 20s with the Singapore Repertory Theatre. “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.” She finds playing someone who is not the hero interesting and it’s fun. “At this point in my career, I’ve turned over the nice girls to other people,” says the artist widely recognized as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II.
Her last musical performance in the Philippines was another Sondheim masterpiece, Sweeney Todd in 2019. “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,” she explains. With Into The Woods, she gets to collaborate with her only child, Nic Chien, who plays Jack. “I’m most looking forward to working with Nic,” she enthuses. “We’ve done numerous concerts over the years, but this will be our first musical together.”
Over the moon in getting to be in the company of Lea is Arielle Jacobs who is stepping into Cinderella’s shoes. “It is a dream come true on so many levels,” gushes the New York-based Fil-Am Broadway performer who kicked-off her Broadway career starring opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda. She has been hoping to portray Cinderella for years. “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 world and how things are often complex, and not as one-sided as they may seem at first glance.”
She feels very connected to Cinderella, citing several similarities with her. “I think we’re both dreamers… and just like Cinderella is treated terribly by her stepsisters, by her family. I was treated not so well when I was younger, and I was bullied at school… And I also love that Cinderella can see magic and believes in magic, and that she connects with the birds and the trees. I’ve always felt very connected to nature,” she says.
Born in San Francisco to a Filipino mother and an American-Jewish father, this will be her first trip to the Philippines. “I’m really excited for this job, for this show, for this opportunity to bring what I do to Manila.” Arielle’s involvement reflects TGA’s mission of fostering collaboration between global theater artists of Filipino heritage based abroad and talented local artists in the Philippines and providing a venue to learn from both ends.
“We want to lean into the idea of creating a version of Into The Woods that considers the Filipino condition.”
The rest of the ensemble is composed of Nyoy Volante as the Baker, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante as the Baker’s Wife, Teetin Villanueva as Little Red Riding Hood, Eugene Domingo as Jack’s Mother. Joreen Bautista as Rapunzel/Cinderella’s Mother/Sleeping Beauty, Jamie Wilson as Cinderella’s Father/Steward, Carla Guevara Laforteza as the Giant/Granny/Snow White, Josh Dela Cruz as Prince Charming/Wolf, Rody Vera as the Narrator/Mysterious Man, Tex Ordoñez-de Leon as Cinderella’s Stepmother, Sarah Facuri as Florinda, and Kakki Teodoro as Lucinda.
They are spread across several countries so coordinating schedules has been difficult. “There’s expense to it, there’s logistical challenges. To me, that’s really been the most challenging but I think it will always be like this for TGA because of the vision of connecting everybody from different parts of the world, that’s what TGA is,” Christopher says.
That extends to those behind the scenes. The creative team is also a mix of Filipino talents living in the Philippines and abroad: set designer Ohm David, costume designer Raven Ong, lighting designer Cha See, sound designer Megumi Takayama, assistant director Jamie Wilson, associate musical director Farley Asunción, assistant costume designer Hershee Tantiado, associate lighting director Meliton Roxas, associate sound designer Aron Roca, choreographer Cecile Martinez, vocal coach Manman Angsico, multimedia designer GA Fallarme, and hair and makeup designer Johann dela Fuente. Puppet design is by Aina Bonifacio Ramolete, and puppet execution is by National Artist Amelia Bonifacio’s Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas.
As musical director, Maestro Gerard will be leading the band that will be on stage. “We’re doing the full orchestration of Sondheim, live music, every performance. And so, we’re excited to feature them because they need to be featured. These are Filipino musicians that sometimes we don’t even see because they perform in a pit or behind,” points out Clint who, as of press time, just received his seventh Tony nomination.
At the helm is Chari Arespacochaga who was meant to co-direct Into the Woods with Bobby. Now, Chari is taking on the job solo. “My role is to tap into this world-class collection of artists and give them the avenue to unleash their characters while in a way that’s faithful to the narrative. It’s about celebrating our joint love for the craft and providing the audience with a memorable theater experience,” she explains.
According to TGA, all 24 shows sold out within hours of the box office opening. Those who bought from the physical outlet had queued as early as three in the morning. Originally, only 18 shows had been scheduled, but they moved heaven and earth to add more to meet the overwhelming demand. The response took them by surprise, they had geared up for months of marketing, which had become moot. No complaints, though.
“It’s almost like going into a theme park and right before you do your ride, you go through all of these different experiences that get you very excited by the time you actually sit down, buckle up on the roller coaster,” Christopher says. So far, they’ve done a session of TGA Live where some cast members did a free concert. “Just to connect with audiences and build this deeper relationship,” he points out. They’ve also calendared The Bobby Garcia Initiative which will give ticket holders exclusive access to master classes, seminars, and workshops led by the creative team behind the production.
All signs point to a fairytale ending, but Christopher refuses to declare a happy ever after just yet. “I guess that will be realized when every single Filipino goes to the theater as a form of entertainment, and while that is not possible as of yet, then we do everything to make sure that at least we get close to that dream,” he promises.
By NANA NADAL. Photographs by ARTU NEPOMUCENO (Manila) & MARU TEPPEI (New York). Deputy Editor PAM QUIÑONES. Beauty Editor JOYCE OREÑA. Fashion Editor DAVID MILAN. Styling by GENO ESPIDOL and CHARLOTTE. SOMBILLO of QURATOR STUDIO. (Manila) Art Director: Jann Pascua. Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Beauty Writer: Bianca Custodio. Makeup: Gery Peñaso, Bea Mocorro, and Japeth Purog. Hair: Mong Amado, JA Feliciano, and Patty Cristobal. Production Designer: Justine Arcega Bumanlag. Nails: Extraordinail. Photography Assistants: Choi Narciso, Odan Juan, and Jom Ablay. Makeup Assistants: Princess Pisador and John Milliano. Production Assistants: Gabrielle Mantala, Louie Sandro, Jan Abal, John Amon, and Mavi Sulangi. Shot on location at Palacio de Memoria. (New York) Stylist: Andrea Ang. Hair: Izumi Sato. Makeup: Yumi Kaizuka using M.A.C. Cosmetics, represented by The South James Agency. TGA Representative: Sandro Lorenzo. Shot on location at TAWAN Studio, New York.
