Lea Salonga Joins Philippine Production of Into the Woods
Olivier and Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga is playing the role of The Witch in the upcoming Philippine staging of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, Theater Group Asia (TGA) revealed today, January 17. It opens in August at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Circuit Makati.
TGA was also behind the staging of Request sa Radyo, which likewise starred Lea Salonga, who alternated the role with Dolly De Leon.
"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 of this Sondheim musical. And Lea, with her remarkable talent and abilities, will be very instrumental in imparting that message," Clint Ramos, one of the TGA founding collaborator, said in a press statement.
"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!'," Salonga said, referring to her last musical in the Philippines, Sweeney Todd, directed by the late Bobby Garcia.
She continued: "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, with book by James Lapine, combines the tales of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel, among others, into a single narrative. The musical begins with each character expressing their deepest wishes, setting the stage for a journey that will take them deep into the mysterious and unpredictable woods. As the story unfolds, the characters' paths cross and intertwine, revealing the interconnectedness of their desires and the unforeseen repercussions of their actions.
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!," Salonga added.
Into the Woods runs in August 2025 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theatre, Circuit Makati.
