(From left) Mark Bautista and Joreen Bautista. Images: Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia
Mark Bautista and Joreen Bautista will be bringing the romance to the star-studded cast of the upcoming Manila staging of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into The Woods,” where they will take on the roles of Rapunzel and his Prince.
Mark and Joreen’s casting was announced by Theatre Group Asia in a press statement, where the theater actors expressed their excitement about portraying the classic fairytale story onstage.
“I’ve never played the role of a prince before, so this is going to be exciting for me,” Mark said of his character. He added that being part of the Stephen Sondheim-helmed musical is also shaping up to be an unforgettable experience for him.
“Falling in love with a princess is quite interesting as well. It’s a musical with so many intriguing characters and loads of references and elements in the story,” Mark said. “Also, the fact that this is going to be my first Sondheim musical makes me feel more excited than ever to get involved with such a special material.”
Meanwhile, Joreen said the Manila staging of “Into the Woods” will be her first musical production in the Philippines. She was previously part of the “Do You Hear The People Sing” and “Frozen in Concert,” which are concerts based on hit theater productions.
“What I love about Into the Woods is how Sondheim uses music and lyrics and a whole lot of magic to reveal the raw and imperfect sides of our beloved fairy tale characters, making their stories feel more human,” she said.
The theater production company added that Joreen will also be portraying Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella’s mother in the upcoming staging.
After doing gigs as part of a band called Voizemate, Mark started his entertainment career as a contestant in the now-defunct noontime show “MTB” although he didn’t advance to the final round. It was until “Star for the Night” that propelled him to stardom after finishing as a runner-up to Sarah Geronimo.
He is part of the Sunday noontime show “All Out Sundays,” and appeared in the theater productions of “Noli Me Tangere,” “Bituing Walang Ningning,” and “Here Lies Love,” which he performed at the Seattle Repertory and London’s Royal National Theatre, to name a few.
Apart from being a theater actress, Joreen is known for being a content creator on TikTok where she dubbed herself the “Filipina Disney Princess.” She starred as Kim in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland-helmed productions of “Miss Saigon.”
Other actors confirmed for the August staging of “Into The Woods” are Lea Salonga, Eugene Domingo, Nyoy Volante, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, Arielle Jacobs, and Nic Chien.