Catrina Teruel is bringing a piece of her Filipino grandmother onto the stage at Rancho Mirage Amphitheater this weekend, playing the Witch in Desert Theatricals' production of Stephen Sondheim's “Into the Woods,” running October 23 through 25. The show marks the opening production of the company's eighth season, and for Teruel, the role has become something deeply personal rather than just another national-caliber credit on her résumé.
According to NBC Palm Springs, Teruel told interviewer Manny the Movie Guy that she drew inspiration for the Witch directly from her Filipino grandmother, imagining how that same protective instinct might manifest in a fairy-tale mother figure. “She might have put her somewhere away from people to protect her,” Teruel said of the choice, describing her Witch as, at her core, a mother and a woman first. Manny the Movie Guy, who previously shared the stage with Teruel in “South Pacific,” conducted the interview for the entertainment report.
Teruel is no stranger to sharing scenes with him or performing in the Coachella Valley. She appeared with Desert Theatricals as Bloody Mary in the company's 2023 production of “South Pacific,” a performance that earned her a Desert Theatre League award nomination. Before that, she toured nationally as Bloody Mary in the 2022 “South Pacific” tour produced by Big League Productions, hitting 43 U.S. cities, according to Rodgers & Hammerstein. Per NBC Palm Springs, she is also a veteran of “Miss Saigon” and “The King and I.”
A Famous Role, A Fresh Challenge
The Witch has been part of theatrical lore since Bernadette Peters originated the role on Broadway in 1987, and Meryl Streep later brought the character to the screen in Disney's 2014 film adaptation, per NBC Palm Springs. Teruel told the outlet that getting your wish does not always mean the story is over — a line that captures the musical's second-act turn, as the Baker and his wife, who set out into the woods seeking spell-breaking ingredients so they can have a child, discover that happily ever after is rarely the end of the tale.
The Witch has been part of theatrical lore since Bernadette Peters originated the role on Broadway in 1987, and Meryl Streep later brought the character to the screen in Disney's 2014 film adaptation, per NBC Palm Springs. Teruel told the outlet that getting your wish does not always mean the story is over — a line that captures the musical's second-act turn, as the Baker and his wife, who set out into the woods seeking spell-breaking ingredients so they can have a child, discover that happily ever after is rarely the end of the tale. The Witch's rapping has been a challenge for Teruel, who had not rapped in a show before taking on the role, per NBC Palm Springs. When the show debuted at the Martin Beck Theatre in November 1987, it ran for 764 performances and picked up 10 Tony nominations, winning three, including Best Original Score for Sondheim and Best Book for James Lapine, according to the Sondheim Guide.
Local Talent Rounds Out The Cast
Teruel is joined onstage by Lizzie Sosa as the Baker's Wife. Abigail Matossian played Tracy Turnblad in Desert Theatricals' April 2025 production of “Hairspray” at the same venue, according to BroadwayWorld. Local actor Jacob Lozano is also cast as Sancho Panza in Desert Theatricals' “Man of La Mancha.” The production will be accompanied by a 12-piece orchestra, per NBC Palm Springs.
Desert Theatricals was founded in 1994 by producers Ray Limon and Joshua Carr and has a “Broadway Under the Stars” partnership with the City of Rancho Mirage. The company previously operated in Poway and Tustin before relocating to the Coachella Valley in 2017, per BroadwayWorld. “Into the Woods” opens the company's eighth season, which also includes planned 2027 productions of “Sister Act” and “Man of La Mancha,” alongside a Variety Series featuring a Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald holiday tribute in December and a March concert from Tony nominee Eden Espinosa, the outlet reports.
Tickets And Showtimes
Performances run nightly at 7:30 p.m. from October 23 through 25 at Rancho Mirage Amphitheater, according to NBC Palm Springs. Mezzanine tickets are priced at $75 plus fees, while balcony seats run $55 plus fees, with both available through Desert Theatricals. For this season, the venue has also upgraded its seating, adding wider padded reserved seats and new center-tier tables with bottle service in place of the previous first-come general admission lines, per BroadwayWorld.
