Lea Salonga joins TGA's 'Into The Woods,' 1st musical in Philippines in 7 years
MANILA, Philippines — Award-winning actress Lea Salonga is joining the cast of Theatre Group Asia's (TGA) upcoming iteration of "Into The Woods," marking her first musical in the Philippines since 2018.
Salonga will be taking on the role of The Witch in the iconic Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim, a role she had previously done 30 years ago.
Her last musical in the Philippines was a version of "Sweeney Todd" — another Sondheim production — directed by the late Bobby Garcia who was a founding collaborator of TGA with Tony winner Clint Ramos.
Last year, Salonga alternated with Dolly de Leon in TGA's wordless one-woman play "Request sa Radyo," also directed by Garcia. It was Garcia's last production before he passed away last December in Vancouver, Canada.
Lea also performed her "Stage, Screen & Everything in Between" for three nights at the Theater at Solaire.
"'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," Ramos said. "And Lea, with her remarkable talent and abilities will be very instrumental in imparting that message."
Ramos previously did the costume design for "Into the Woods" in 2017. He will serve as co-producer and overall creative and artistic director when it hits the Samsung Performing Arts Theater this August.
Related: Theatre Group Asia to stage 'Into The Woods,' 'A Chorus Line' following 'Request sa Radyo' success
Salonga noted her last Manila musical was a Sondheim show, quipping she would be happy if all she did from now on were Sondheim works, adding a tribute to Garcia.
"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," Salonga explained.
The actress also said playing The Witch again after 30 years would be an illuminating experience, "So much life has happened in the intervening years. I'm hoping to bring as much of that as I can to this production."
The Sondheim dark comedy sees 18 main characters from popular fairy tales — fronted by a baker, his wife, and an aging witch — 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.
"What I love about this piece is the whole ‘what if’ premise of fairy tales. Continuing past 'happily ever after' is very interesting," continued Salonga. "Through the material, we realize that a witch isn't always bad, and good people aren't always entirely good."
Salonga also pointed to how poignant the famous line "nice is different than good" is, the impactful reminder of the final song "Children Will Listen," and the stark differences between the two acts.
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