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By NIKA ROQUE, GMA Integrated News
Published August 5, 2025 2:50pm
“Into the Woods” is more than just a fairy tale.
The musical sees several fairy tales like "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Cinderella," and "Little Red Riding Hood" intertwine, but also tells a story about humanity, consequences, and contentment.
In an exclusive interview with GMA News Online, stars Josh Dela Cruz (Cinderella’s Prince/The Wolf) and Arielle Jacobs (Cinderella) expressed hope that audiences will be able to reflect on these themes when watching “Into the Woods.”
Arielle said that at its core, the musical is all about being careful with what you wish for, as these may have consequences.
“You have to be very thoughtful about what you're going after and what you're hoping for because you don't know what the end result will be, and you have to be okay with that,” Arielle said.
Josh added that a learning would be, “You can’t just act, you have to think.”
He also cited a line towards the end of the show that goes, “Sometimes the spell may last past what you can see.”
He agreed that being thoughtful is one of the most important lessons from the show.
“Like, how do you treat the people in your life in pursuing your wish? And why are you pursuing your wish? Are you pursuing it because of an idea or because of a selfless need?” Josh said.
“But it's all about self-discovery and, you know, we just have to make our choices and we'll deal with the consequences later,” he added.
Arielle added that the show, towards the end, also teaches a lesson on community and knowing that you are not alone.
“The only way that we can survive is with community. If [there are] ever forces that we're dealing with, we have to come together as a community to figure things out and to get the best result we can,” she said. “And also realize that when we come together as a community, we're not alone because we have each other.”
“We're small in comparison to how big things are outside of our own lives,” Arielle added.
Josh added that in the first two acts, everybody is so focused on their own wishes, which leads to them having a “literal giant problem to deal with later.”
“If you have a community, it's easier to get through because you can't do it alone,” he said.
“Into the Woods” is made up of a star-studded cast, with Lea Salonga as the Witch, her child Nic Chien as Jack, Mark Bautista as Rapunzel’s Prince, Nyoy Volante as The Baker, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante as The Baker’s Wife, Eugene Domingo as Jack’s Mother, Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Granny or the Giant, and many more.
Tony Award winner Clint Ramos will serve as the overall artistic and creative director, alongside co-producers John and Joanna Echauz, and Samsung Performing Arts Theater Executive Director Chris Mohnani.
“Into the Woods” opens at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati on August 7. More shows were added due to high demand.
—Nika Roque/CDC, GMA Integrated News
