Lance Joseph Martinez

Emmy Winner Karla Puno Garcia Takes the Helm as Director-Choreographer for PH Production of ‘A Chorus Line’

Article (news)

<p>The Philippines continues to shine on the world stage, with local talents breaking through in every field—from sports phenom<strong> Alex Eala</strong>, to award-winning actress <strong>Dolly de Leon</strong>,<strong> </strong>fashion trailblazer <strong>Veejay Floresca</strong>,<strong></strong> and pageant standout <strong>Emma Tiglao.</strong></p><p>Adding to that list is the Filipino-American<strong> Karla Puno Garcia, </strong>who made headlines last year after winning an <strong>Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming</strong>, thanks to her work on the <strong>76th Annual Tony Awards Opening Number and Lifetime Achievement Tribute.</strong></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1763537384784theatregroupasia_1762478616_3760265634702942088_67173040277.jpg" style="width:700px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @theatregroupasia</span></span></span></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>And soon, Filipino audiences will get to witness her brilliance firsthand. She has officially been tapped as the director and choreographer for the Philippine staging of the legendary Broadway classic<em><strong> A Chorus Line.</strong></em></p><p>Produced by <strong>Theatre Group Asia</strong>—t<strong></strong><strong></strong>he team behind <strong><em>Request sa Radyo</em></strong> and<strong><em> Into the Woods</em></strong>—the production is set to take the stage in March 2026 at the <strong>Samsung Performing Arts Theater.</strong></p><div><br/></div><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@metrodotstyle/video/7569625471579639061" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7569625471579639061" id="v48788568470470360" style="max-width:605px;min-width:325px"><iframe style="width:100%;height:758px;display:block;visibility:unset;max-height:758px" name="__tt_embed__v48788568470470360" sandbox="allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-same-origin" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7569625471579639061?lang=en-US&amp;referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fpersonal%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-11-19T07%3A23%3A04.897342%3Aac5ab3f6-9d82-40e0-9bb3-68b0b1f4aecb%26action%3Dedit"></iframe></blockquote><script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Celebrating its 50th anniversary, <em>A Chorus Line </em>originally won the <strong>Pulitzer Prize </strong>for Drama in 1976. The musical follows 17 ensemble dancers fighting for eight coveted roles in a Broadway show, each revealing their personal stories and the reasons they desperately need the job. Soon, Filipino performers will bring these heartfelt narratives to life for local audiences.</p><p>In an exclusive interview with <strong>Metro.Style</strong>, Karla—who has been in the Philippines to prepare for her upcoming directing and choreography role for<em> A Chorus Line</em>—opened up about how her stay in the country has been so far.</p><p>“Oh, it’s amazing! I brought my 9-month-old, so she’s having fun. She’s been in the Philippines for the first time, and I’ve been able to get to know these actors in the callbacks very well, so it’s very exciting,” she revealed, sharing that both work and family time have made this visit particularly memorable.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1763537482363Screenshot 2025-11-19 at 3.28.33 PM.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @theatregroupasia</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Karla also admitted that her itinerary in the Philippines goes beyond rehearsals. With relatives eager to see her and her own list of favorite local spots, she’s excited to explore the country again during her stay.</p><p>“There are so many families here that I have to see, and so I’m excited to see them. I miss the Greenhills trip. Every time I come, I go to Greenhills. My husband went, I couldn’t go, but I definitely see some shopping in my future, you know, maybe Rockwell,” she said, hinting at plans to revisit the places she loves.</p><p>She then added, “I really love going to Harlan &amp; Holden, it’s my favorite store here. I always drop so much cash when I go there, so maybe there’s a trip there in my future. And then to continue to eat.”</p><p>During the interview, Karla also revisited the moment she first learned she was being offered the opportunity to lead A Chorus Line in the Philippines. At the time, she was in Japan to work on <strong><em>Tick, Tick… Boom!</em></strong></p><p>“So, I was on my way to the airport, I was going to go to Japan to choreograph <em>Tick, Tick… Boom! </em>and Clint calls me, and he said, ‘Hi Karla, do you want to direct and choreograph <em>A Chorus Line</em> in the Philippines?’ And then I said, yes. I said, absolutely. I was just so excited, and I knew in my heart that it was a yes. Like, there was no thinking,” she recalled, describing the offer as an immediate and heartfelt “yes.”</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1763537548603Screenshot 2025-11-19 at 3.27.55 PM.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @theatregroupasia</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile,<strong> Christopher Mohnani</strong>,<strong></strong> Executive Director for <strong>Theatre Group Asia</strong> and Managing Editor for <strong>Samsung Performing Arts Theater</strong>, shared the artistic and cultural motivations behind choosing to stage <em>A Chorus Line,</em> as well as why Karla was the natural choice to lead the production.</p><p>“I think when our founding directors, Clint Ramos and Bobby Garcia, were thinking about it, they wanted to make sure that the generation of today is aware and is exposed, or get to experience the power, the beauty, and the greatness that is <em>A Chorus Line</em>. So it’s really more about that,” Chris explained, emphasizing the show’s enduring relevance.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1763537584406Screenshot 2025-11-19 at 3.28.25 PM.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @theatregroupasia</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>He also highlighted how Karla’s international success made her the perfect fit for the project.</p><p>“Plus, Clint was saying that there is a perfect director that could do it, because Karla just won her Emmy, and she is hitting it big on Broadway. And they were like, the Philippines should experience it, too. So that’s really what it is.”</p><p>When asked about his experience working with Karla, Chris didn’t hold back in praising her artistic clarity and contemporary vision.</p><p>“Karla is so direct in what she wants, and her aesthetic is so now. So, you know, if I were still a dancer, if I had not retired, I would have loved to work with Karla, because it’s what everybody wants to,” he shared.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1763537611083Screenshot 2025-11-19 at 3.28.46 PM.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @theatregroupasia</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><em>Theater Group Asia is officially set to raise the curtains for A Chorus Line in March 2026, and tickets are now available at premier.ticketworld.com.ph.<br/></em></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Lead photos from <strong>@theatregroupasia</strong></p>

<p>In an exclusive interview with Metro.Style, Karla Puno Garcia—who has been in the Philippines to prepare for her upcoming directing and choreography role for "A Chorus Line"—opened up about how her stay in the country has been so far.</p>

In an exclusive interview with Metro.Style, Karla Puno Garcia—who has been in the Philippines to prepare for her upcoming directing and choreography role for "A Chorus Line"—opened up about how her stay in the country has been so far.