In Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim’s intertwined fairytales peel back the glitter to reveal hard truths — about love, loss, and what happens after “happily ever after.”

Now onstage at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati, Theatre Group Asia’s Philippine staging brings those themes to life through two very different couples: one whose romance plays out mostly offstage, and another whose relationship is the heartbeat of the show.

For this production, the DAILY TRIBUNE sat down last 31 July for one-on-one interviews with Mark Bautista and Joreen Bautista, who play the Prince and Rapunzel, and with Nyoy and Mikkie Volante, who play the Baker and the Baker’s Wife, to explore the dynamics of their onstage partnerships and the personal insights they bring to Sondheim’s beloved musical.

Mark Bautista and Joreen Bautista

Mark Bautista and Joreen Bautista (not related) are a pair whose time together onstage is fleeting. Their love is “implied” rather than shown, their connection to each other passing mostly through conversations with the Witch, played by Lea Salonga.

“We only appear together briefly in the show. But, you know, it just came naturally — we got to know each other,” said Mark.

Joreen explained, “We don’t even talk to each other. We’re both talking to the Witch, and we just have that implication that we’re together. What helped were the breaks during rehearsals. That’s when you get to know each other, build interactions — and you carry that over onstage.”

“This was my first musical production in the Philippines,” Joreen shared. Her career began overseas, playing Kim in Miss Saigon from 2017 to 2019 across the UK and Europe, and again in Copenhagen in 2023 — this time in Danish. Local audiences may remember her from Frozen in Concert and Do You Hear the People Sing, but this is her first fully staged musical on a Philippine stage.

For Mark, who shares more scenes with Cinderella’s Prince (Josh dela Cruz) than with Rapunzel, the role prompted a shift in perspective. “I think my idea of a ‘prince’ kind of shifted. Not exactly changed, but through this show, I started thinking: ‘Okay, can a prince be like this?’ He’s not traditional. He’s not just charm and good looks. You need compassion, empathy — you have to show that you’re human. You can’t just offer love as some kind of service.”

Mark’s theater credits include Noli Me Tangere, The Full Monty, South Pacific, The Band’s Visit, and Here Lies Love at London’s Royal National Theatre and Seattle Repertory. But this — his first Sondheim — is uncharted ground.

“I think when I saw Lea Salonga in the room, that’s when I realized — okay, this is it. It’s happening. It’s real. We’re doing it,” he said.

Joreen recalled the moment vividly. “Lea Salonga came in a little later because she had just flown in from London or New York. The day she arrived, I had to fly in too. She started working the very next day, and that’s when it hit me — I need to get this done.”

Nyoy Volante and Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante

If Mark and Joreen’s characters are united more in suggestion than in stage time, Nyoy Volante and Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante have the opposite challenge. The married actors play the Baker and the Baker’s Wife — a couple navigating infertility, misunderstandings, and the fragility of love in the face of loss.

“Sometimes, when we’re doing a scene where we’re fighting or arguing, we try to recall times we’ve been in similar situations with each other — because that’s real,” said Nyoy.

Mikkie added, “People in love can have low moments — especially when they’re going through something as difficult as what the Baker and the Baker’s Wife are facing. Any couple who’s gone through that knows how difficult it can be.”

The pair first worked together in Rock of Ages (2012), where they first met and fell in love, and again in the 2018 and 2019 runs of Kinky Boots, where Nyoy played Lola and Mikkie did his makeup backstage. Directed once again by Chari Arespacochaga, this production demands a heavier emotional lift.

Nyoy appreciates Mikkie’s input in the rehearsal process. “Honestly, I appreciate the times when she says, ‘You know what? It might work better if you try it this way.’ And if it doesn’t work, I can always go back to what I was doing. But it’s worth exploring another point of view.”

Mikkie said, “I think we work best when we work together. It helps to have an additional set of eyes.”

When it comes to comedy, Mikkie defers to Nyoy. “It’s his forte; he’s so good at it. So I’ll always defer to him when it comes to comedic timing or delivery.” Nyoy returns the compliment when it comes to clarity and line delivery.

When asked if they bring their characters home, both said yes. “Yes! You cannot escape it,” said Nyoy.

Mikkie agreed. “There are days when we’re like, ‘Can we not think about it tonight? Can we just go out for dinner, watch a movie, and decompress?’ And then maybe talk about it later. You can’t escape it, but if one of us says, ‘Let’s just hang out tonight,’ that’s okay, too.”

“For us, I can imagine that for some couples this might be stressful. But we’re honestly enjoying each other’s company. We just are. We’re lucky that we like each other that much — and we like working together. So, this setup is pleasant,” Nyoy said.

Some scenes, however, still pack an unexpected punch.

“So… spoiler alert: I die,” Mikkie revealed.

“I get to use that in the show,” Nyoy joked.

“But seriously,” she continued, “there’s a scene where I appear as a ghost, talking to him — encouraging him that he can do this, even without me. And I don’t think he can — just kidding! No, but that hit me, emotionally. Because none of us wants to imagine living in a world where our key support system is gone, or has passed away. But for me, what gets me every time is Lea. Every time Lea sings, it just hits you.”

Nyoy agreed.

For Mikkie, Into the Woods reinforces the value of passing stories forward. “That’s what I love about Into the Woods: it reminds people to tell their story, and to tell the stories in the books they love. And even for us as actors, it’s amazing how much learning happens on different levels. Different situations, different perspectives — but so much to absorb. It just hits you. It’s been such an enriching experience. Watching the others perform, doing it ourselves, even helping with other roles — and seeing the show as a whole. It’s really something else.”

Into the Woods is currently playing Thursdays to Sundays at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater throughout August, with sold-out shows.