Emmy Award winner and Broadway powerhouse Karla Puno Garcia was in Denver, on her way to the airport, when she received a call from Theatre Group Asia (TGA) executive producer Chris Mohnani asking if she wanted to direct A Chorus Line in the Philippines.

“I was like, absolutely! Yeah! So it was literally like that. And then, of course, we fleshed everything out. But yeah, I’m just very grateful for it,” Garcia shared at a recent intimate media roundtable.

Garcia, a Filipino-American choreographer, performer, and educator, sparked Pinoy pride last year when she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming for her opening number and lifetime achievement tribute at the 76th Annual Tony Awards. She was the first woman of color to choreograph the Tony Awards.

A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she has performed on Broadway in productions including Hamilton — where she became the show’s first Filipino cast member and served as dance captain — and has led choreography for stage, film, and television, including Tick, Tick… Boom! and Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

She recently visited Manila for a media roundtable, fresh from opening as choreographer of Romy and Michele The Musical on Broadway. Garcia is also leading the final callbacks and overseeing the mandatory bootcamp for TGA’s A Chorus Line, which is set to stage in March next year.

The weeklong bootcamp involves intensive choreography sessions, vocal training, and creative workshops for finalists before the final cast lineup is announced. Last month, however, TGA revealed that the musical’s lead role of Zach has been given to Tony and Grammy Award nominee and Hollywood star Conrad Ricamora.

A tale of hopeful dancers

A Chorus Line is a groundbreaking musical that premiered on Broadway in 1975. Created by Michael Bennett, with music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban, it tells the story of 17 hopeful dancers auditioning for a Broadway show, vying for eight spots, while revealing their personal struggles and dreams.

The show won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Celebrated for its honest portrayal of performers’ lives, it has had a lasting cultural impact on musical theater for highlighting the humanity behind the spotlight.

At the media interview, Garcia admitted that when she was younger, she didn’t connect much with A Chorus Line. But that changed with the 2006 Broadway revival, directed by Bob Avian, which ran until 2008 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

“I was just starting out in New York City, and the show felt like a time capsule — very traditional, even though it was revolutionary at its time, like the Hamilton of that era. I was entering the industry when the 2006 revival came out, which brought new life to the show. Seeing it then was exciting because it reflected what I do for a living.”

She shared that she began dancing at age three, starting with tap and traditional Filipino dance, including tinikling and singkil. She later studied competitive dancing and majored in dance at New York University, graduating with a BFA and a minor in journalism.

“I trained in modern and concert dance, so my background is diverse. When I started musicals, working with choreographers like Sergio Trujillo and Andy Blankenbuehler, my work became more versatile. I also engaged with the hip-hop scene, which brought new vocabulary to my style. All of this influences my aesthetic… Now, after living 20 years as an ensemble member, reflecting on A Chorus Line feels very different. These stories are timeless — they deal with resilience and coming together from different places to dance, act, sing, and tell stories. It’s the first show where a director asks performers about their personal stories, so it’s very meta,” she added.

Garcia’s visit to Manila marks the culmination of a wide-reaching global search that attracted nearly 300 performers from the Philippines and abroad. The casting process began in New York City, where Garcia personally led the first international call, then continued throughout the Philippines in collaboration with Ayala Malls and Seda Hotels. Auditions were held nationwide at Ayala Malls Circuit Makati, Central Bloc in Cebu, Capitol Central in Bacolod, and Abreeza in Davao, showcasing exceptional Filipino talent from various regions and disciplines.

Pinoy work ethic

Working alongside Mohnani and Associate Choreographer JM Cabling for the all-Filipino cast of A Chorus Line, Garcia said she remains in awe of their work ethic.

“Everyone is so committed to the process. Sometimes I have to remind them to pace themselves because it’s a hard show. But their excitement makes me eager to come back and really dive into it. Filipinos are thorough, hardworking, and talented singers, dancers, and actors — I’m proud of that,” she said.

She also admitted that yes, TGA’s version will include Filipino elements, but she remained tight-lipped about specifics: “You have to see. Since I’m Filipino-American, I bring those two parts of my identity naturally and intentionally to my work,” she hinted.

With TGA leading this historic production, Garcia and the all-Filipino cast are preparing to bring A Chorus Line to Philippine stages — honoring its Broadway legacy while showcasing the depth and talent of Filipino performers.