‘Into the Woods’ mania: Sold-out show triggers online ticket frenzy

The panic is real. 

Tickets to Theatre Group Asia’s staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, starring Lea Salonga as the Witch, are officially sold out. What began as a highly anticipated theater event has erupted into a cultural phenomenon.

When ticket sales opened five months ago, all 18 performances sold out in two hours. Six more shows were added due to overwhelming demand, bringing the total to 24. Every show is now fully booked. The production opens Thursday, 7 August, at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati and runs Thursdays to Sundays, with matinees at 2:00 p.m. and evening shows at 7:30 p.m., until 31 August.

After videos from the media briefing on 31 July surfaced — including one taken by DAILY TRIBUNE showing Salonga and co-actor Eugene Domingo in one frame, gushing over each other’s brilliance — the internet exploded with demand. Social media has been flooded with posts from desperate theatergoers hunting for any spare tickets. Online groups and comment sections are packed with buyers hoping someone, anyone, can no longer attend — and will resell their seats.

Billed as the most ambitious theater production ever staged in the Philippines, Into the Woods features a full orchestra, elaborate design, and Filipino cultural elements woven into the visuals. The all-Filipino cast includes theater veterans, Broadway and West End talents, and Salonga’s own son, Nic Chien, who plays Jack.

A video of Salonga and Eugene Domingo at the media event went viral, with stunned fans realizing they had missed the ticket window — and now scrambling to find any available seats.

This is not Salonga’s first turn as the Witch — she first played the role in 1994 in Singapore. Now, decades later, she brings added depth to the character. “Life,” she said, is what makes the difference. She reflected on how motherhood, friendships gained and lost, and the realities of living in New York have added layers to her performance. There is still joy and hope, she said, but also a touch of cynicism that comes from experience.

Directing the production is Chari Arespacochaga, a U.S.-based director with Broadway and Off-Broadway credits, including The Great Comet of 1812, Kinky Boots, and Rent. She staged Into the Woods in just two weeks — a feat considering the complexity of Sondheim’s music. For the cast, that meant running the show multiple times early in the process, allowing them to take full ownership of their roles.

“The whole process has been fun, but it’s been — a lot,” Salonga said. “It’s a Sondheim musical, and it’s challenging on the brain. Finding entrances, figuring out what the internal logic of the music is, is challenging. And Chari, our director, staged the show in such a speed, in two weeks. And that is a feat for any musical, but the cool thing about that is that we have the luxury of being able to do a gajillion run-throughs before today, which allowed all of us the opportunity to take ownership of the material and ownership of our characters, and to really further deepen our relationships as characters with one another in the show.”

“Our histories, our resilience, and our storytelling culture — these are what define us as a people,” said Arespacochaga. “We tried to find a way to weave that [Filipino identity] into this production, to highlight what makes us unique. With each of these actors, we explored very specific ways to bring those elements into the storytelling, the staging, and the visuals. It’s a surprise — you’ll have to watch the show — but yes, it will be very, very uniquely Filipino.”

Here’s the full cast of Into the Woods: Lea Salonga (the Witch), Arielle Jacobs (Cinderella), Eugene Domingo (Jack’s Mother), Josh Dela Cruz (the Baker), Nyoy Volante (Cinderella’s Prince), Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante (the Baker’s Wife), Nic Chien (Jack), Joreen Bautista (Rapunzel), Mark Bautista (Rapunzel’s Prince), TeetinVillanueva (Little Red Riding Hood), Tex Ordoñez-De Leon (the Giant’s Voice), Sarah Facuri (the Stepmother), Kakki Teodoro (Lucinda), Carla Guevara Laforteza(Florinda), Jamie Wilson (the Mysterious Man) and RodyVera (the Narrator).

Covers include Ima Castro (Witch/Stepmother), Niño Alejandro (Baker/Mysterious Man), Jillian Ita-As (Little Red/Jack’s Mother), and Jep Go (Jack/Cinderella’s Prince).

With all performances sold out, Into the Woods has become the hottest show in town. For many fans, the only hope now lies in last-minute resales — or a miracle.