Theatre Group Asia (TGA) announces that New York-based Emmy Award-winning choreographer, celebrated Fil-Am director and performer, and sought-after dance educator Karla Puno Garcia will serve as director and choreographer for its local production of A Chorus Line, opening March 2026 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater.

Puno Garcia’s impressive performance résumé includes numerous Broadway credits, most notably as the first Filipino cast member and dance captain in Hamilton. Her other Broadway performances include West Side Story where she played Lupe, Gigi, and Hot Feet. She also toured the U.S. in Wicked and The Addams Family. On television, she was a finalist on Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance and appeared in NBC’s Smash, Annie Live!, and Disney+’s Better Nate Than Ever.

In 2023, Puno Garcia made history as the first woman of color to choreograph the opening number of the Tony Awards, earning her an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming. She made her Broadway choreographic debut in Days of Wine and Roses alongside Sergio Trujillo. Since then, she has choreographed Cher, The Connector, Noir, and Rent. She also worked on the TV series Power Book III: Raising Kanan and contributed choreography for and appeared in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film directorial debut, the Oscar-nominated Tick, Tick… BOOM!.

She has also directed and choreographed several short dance films such as The Spot, They Wake, and Bustin’ Loose, which have been featured in several international dance film festivals. An alumna of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, she teaches at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway, while also conducting global dance workshops.

TGA’s Overall Artistic and Creative Director, Tony Award-winner Clint Ramos, describes, “Karla is a great Filipina force. She’s incredibly lauded and celebrated on Broadway. For A Chorus Line, we needed someone who can honor the original choreography by Michael Bennett and his associate Baayork Lee [the original Connie Wong], but who can also bring her own artistry and excellence to make the material come alive and resonate in the modern context. We are thrilled to have Karla helm this project and can’t wait for the Philippines to see her work.”

On leading the iconic musical, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Puno Garcia reflects: “I was very flattered when Clint asked me if I was interested in directing and choreographing A Chorus Line. I got so excited, I immediately said yes. Although I’ve never performed in the show itself, my connection to A Chorus Line is quite deep. I have lived its story my entire life. I’ve been a chorus member countless times and have danced in ensembles for the past 20 years. I think the spirit of the show is something I’ve trained all my life to embody.”

Depicting the trials and triumphs of Broadway’s unsung heroes, A Chorus Line is hailed as a musical masterpiece that revolutionized Broadway. In 1976, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama — one of the very few musicals in history to ever do so — and swept the Tony Awards with wins for Best Musical, Best Book (James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante), Best Original Score (Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban), Best Direction (Michael Bennett), and Best Choreography (Michael Bennett and Bob Avian). The story follows 17 performers enduring a grueling audition for eight coveted spots in a Broadway chorus, highlighting their personal stories of ambition, disappointment, and perseverance.

This is a tale Puno Garcia knows intimately. She shares, “What resonates most with me is the fight and resilience it takes to stay in this business. Being in an ensemble is very specific. There’s a certain pride in dancing alongside your peers, eight shows a week, through injury, emotional hardship, breakups, missed family events, and more. The schedule is intense. That level of sacrifice is something I’ve lived through and understand deeply. But to me, it’s all worth it. At the end of the day, we get to do something we absolutely love. That reward is indescribable.”

In a case of life imitating art, TGA, in collaboration with Puno Garcia, has launched an international search for the A Chorus Line ensemble, which started in New York last month. The casting continues with a soon-to-be announced nationwide search in partnership with Ayala Malls throughout key Philippine cities, and is open solely to artists of Filipino heritage.

On what she’s looking for, Puno Garcia explains, “We’re searching for talent that’s exciting, unique, and individual — performers with a strong sense of self. That’s vital to bringing the musical’s characters to life. For those interested, I say: Dance your face off and be a star! Follow your gut, get ready, and go for it! Trust yourself. What you perceive as flaws might just be your superpower. Although we’re looking for an ensemble, each dancer should make the effort to be seen. We want to meet who you are.”

This initiative aligns with TGA’s mission to unite internationally renowned Filipino artists with homegrown talent. Puno Garcia emphasizes, “It’s incredibly important for more Filipinos to have opportunities like these. That’s how I got my start. I saw others fly before me. That gave me the inspiration and confidence to spread my own wings. I fell in love with dance at age three during my first tap class. Then I trained at a dance studio where I saw students graduating from my dance school going on to Broadway. That was always the big goal for me as a young dancer. There are so many other great talents out there with infinite potential but don’t get the chance to train or be given a stage. That’s what makes this project even more meaningful. We get to see and discover the talent out there.”

Puno Garcia promises a production that honors the legacy of A Chorus Line while making it resonate with a new generation of Filipino theatergoers, “I’ve been in conversation with Baayork Lee, who embodies the spirit of the original production. I think I can bring my natural choreographic instincts — my sensitivity to music and versatility in dance genres — into the directing process. Once we complete the casting, we’ll breathe new life into the material while staying true to the original show’s hallmarks. I’m especially excited to explore the characters with the all-Filipino cast we’re forming. I want to hear their stories and how they connect with the roles they’re portraying. I can’t wait to be inspired by their perspectives and find a way to use our combined experiences to organically create something that translates into today.”

The show’s executive producer and a former internationally-acclaimed danseur himself, Chris Mohnani echoes, “We, Filipinos, are known to be great singers. This time, we’reexcited to stage a piece of musical theater that puts a spotlight on our dancing talent, utilizing movement as a vehicle to unravel a story. A Chorus Line glorifies intense love for the arts, profound passion, and razor-sharp focus in working to produce excellent work – the very values TGA advocates.”

For more information about A Chorus Line, please visit www.theatregroupasia.com, or follow Facebook and Instagram @theatregroupasia.

*A Chorus Line is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.com