Tovic Salvador

Article (news)

Conrad Ricamora

Vlad Bunoan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1763356459140Conrad Ricamora 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Conrad Ricamora. <em>Handout</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Tony Award nominee Conrad Ricamora is set to make a triumphant and deeply personal debut in Manila, leading Theatre Group Asia&#x27;s (TGA) staging of the iconic Broadway musical &quot;A Chorus Line&quot; in March 2026.</p><p>The Filipino-American actor will step into the pivotal role of Zach, the demanding yet vulnerable director and choreographer — marking not only a major artistic moment, but his first-ever visit to the Philippines, the birthplace of his father.</p><p>His connection to the production stretches back to his earliest years in New York theater. While he first watched the 1985 &quot;A Chorus Line&quot; film in 2013 and was “blown away by the artistry,” the more meaningful link was where his career began.</p><p>“The first show I ever did in New York City was at the same theater that &#x27;A Chorus Line&#x27; was written and performed in,” he told ABS-CBN News in a Zoom interview on Monday, referring to his original run in &quot;Here Lies Love&quot; at The Public Theater.</p><p>The invitation to do the show in Manila came from longtime collaborator Clint Ramos, Tony Award winner and TGA’s overall artistic and creative director — and for Ricamora, the answer was immediate.</p><p>“My dad is from the Philippines, but he came over to the United States when he was 10 or 11 and never had a chance to go back just because we were so poor,” Ricamora explained. </p><p>Performing in Manila, he noted, carries a weight beyond career milestones.</p><p>“It means the world to me,” he said. “Living as a Filipino-American and connecting with other Filipinos and hearing about the Philippines and now to be able to go to not only perform, but to visit the Philippines, feels like a homecoming in a way.&quot;</p><p>The role is also a chance to honor his family’s history. “I get to kind of complete a circle that my dad never got to complete.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Stepping into Zach’s shoes</strong></div><p>Ricamora is forthright about how his relationship with dance has shifted since the start of his career.</p><p>“I danced a little bit at the beginning of my career, but then I quickly pivoted into acting, just doing a lot of classical plays like Shakespeare, and then singing in musicals that didn’t feature dancing roles,” he said.</p><p>While recent years have centered on powerful acting performances — from &quot;The King and I&quot; to his Tony-nominated turn as Abraham Lincoln in &quot;Oh, Mary!&quot; — he’s energized by the authority and emotional texture required of Zach.</p><p>“I like the idea that Zach has to control this space and gets to make people’s dreams come true by being the director and hiring,” he said. “I&#x27;m excited to be able to channel my inner control freak, my inner power hungry side of myself.”</p><p>Unlike other versions where Zach is often only heard, Ricamora will be physically present onstage throughout much of the show. He finds the role a natural fit, drawing on his over two decades of professional experience in the industry that &quot;A Chorus Line&quot; so intimately portrays.</p><p>“We&#x27;re telling the story of the profession that I&#x27;ve been a part of for over 20 years now. And so it feels like I bring all of those experiences with me,” he said, noting that Zach, too, was once a performer.</p><p>Director-choreographer Karla Puno Garcia praised the casting, saying Ricamora “brings the gravitas Zach possesses and likewise the raw fragility the character requires.”</p><p>And when it comes to the musical’s central question — What would you do if you couldn’t dance anymore? — Ricamora approaches it through the lens of someone whose craft isn’t bound by age.</p><p>“I think that’s something that’s unique more to dancers than to actors,” he said. “A dancer’s career is a lot of times so much shorter, and an actor can act — I mean, Ian McKellen is still acting, and he’s like, in his 80s.”</p><p>But one thing is certain: he would never stray far from the arts.</p><p>“I would have to go into teaching or still being in the arts in some way, still fostering and nurturing that creative side of myself… It’s like I would have to just keep doing it no matter what the situation was,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Paving the way for Asian-American artists</strong></div><p>Ricamora’s rising visibility has helped shift long-standing norms in Hollywood. For instance, his breakthrough as a romantic lead in Hulu’s &quot;Fire Island&quot; remains a milestone.</p><p>“Being able to be the romantic lead in a movie is not something that a lot of Asian-American men think is possible because we&#x27;re so often emasculated in the entertainment industry. It was nice to be able to kind of be one of the few that has been able to do that,” he said, fondly recalling the camaraderie on the &quot;Fire Island&quot; set, which included Bowen Yang, Joel Kim Booster, and Margaret Cho.</p><p>Ricamora is also part of the forthcoming and highly anticipated film &quot;The Devil Wears Prada 2,&quot; a role he landed through a single audition. Experiences like that, he said, reflect a gradual but meaningful evolution within the industry. “There’s still a long way to go, but I hope that we keep getting more and more opportunities.”</p><p>He sees his casting — including his unconventional portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in &quot;Oh, Mary! &quot;— as part of a growing movement to expand what representation looks like onstage and onscreen.</p><p>“I just think that it says anything is possible,” he said, also referencing &quot;Hamilton,&quot; where actors of color play figures like George Washington. “I think it’s great because it gives opportunities to people of color, and then again, like I said, I hope this will empower younger actors to dream bigger.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Message to the next generation</strong></div><p>His commitment extends beyond performance. Ricamora recently founded The Right to Be There, a scholarship fund supporting training for up-and-coming Asian-American male actors.</p><p>And despite the accolades — including his Tony nomination — he remains grounded.</p><p>“My job is just to stay focused on the storytelling, and then whatever’s swirling around is great,” he said.</p><p>Ricamora’s arrival in Manila is seen as another meaningful moment for local artists — a living example of representation, possibility, and return. It’s a mission that aligns with TGA’s commitment to championing global Filipino talent.</p><p>&quot;I hope that younger Filipino artists watching me will see that a career in the arts and in acting and singing and dancing is possible, that there is a space for them, and that they can take up space in a really powerful, beautiful way,&quot; he ended.</p><div><br/></div><div><em>&quot;A Chorus Line&quot; will run from March 12-29, 2026 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati. </em></div>

<p>Conrad Ricamora comes home to lead 'A Chorus Line' in Manila, bringing with him a legacy of representation, reinvention, and a family story finally coming full circle.</p>

Conrad Ricamora comes home to lead 'A Chorus Line' in Manila, bringing with him a legacy of representation, reinvention, and a family story finally coming full circle.

ONE ON ONE: Conrad Ricamora comes home to lead ‘A Chorus Line’ in Manila

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

People, Culture, and Events

ONE ON ONE: Conrad Ricamora comes home to lead ‘A Chorus Line’ in Manila

Vlad Bunoan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 17, 2025 01:27 PM PHT

|

Updated Nov 17, 2025 01:43 PM PHT

Read More:

Conrad Ricamora

A Chorus Line

Theatre Group Asia

Circuit Makati

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.