Into The Woods: A Stellar Production By The Orpheus Musical Theatre Society

Into The Woods: A Stellar Production By The Orpheus Musical Theatre Society

“Living happily ever after” was never Stephen Sondheim’s favoured style. So when he latched onto some of the fairy tales of the brothers Grimm and he and book writer James Lapine headed into the woods in 1986, it was almost certain that the resulting musical would be closer to the W.W. Jacobs story of The Monkey’s Paw (a classic illustration that we should be careful what we wish for) than to riding off into a sunset filled with joy.

It is also worth remembering the theory that fairy tales are frequently seen as a projection of children’s fears and that many of the Grimm classics are horror stories filled with violence and evil. (The early editions of the 19th-century stories were criticized as being unsuitable for children.)

All the better to shock us with as far as Sondheim was concerned as he mixed, matched and mismatched the tales of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk with a soupçon of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty (as brother princes’ second wives — just to underline that happy endings are never guaranteed.)

The tales, set in neighbouring cottages on the edge of the dark and dangerous woods, are held together by the story of a baker and his wife, doomed to be childless, unless they can provide the wicked witch with Cinders’ slipper, Riding Hood’s cape, hair from Rapunzel’s head and Jack’s cow.

Among the assorted challenges of Into the Woods is that the long first act reaches an apparent conclusion and a number of audience members leave during various productions, assuming the show is over. A second issue is that, despite bright colours and the occasional familiar character, this is not a show for children. Then there is the repeated comment on much of Sondheim’s music that attractive musical motifs rarely finish as satisfying songs.

But, and it is a big but, despite having strong reservations about the material, I was delighted with the stellar production by the Orpheus Musical Theatre Society. Director Michael Gareau and musical director Marlene Hudson deliver a show that is crisp, amusing and as hummable as Sondheim allows, yet true to his intent.

Among the well-chosen cast, Shaun Toohey as the baker and Nicole Milne as the witch are standouts. Skye MacDiarmid exercises considerable vocal  charm as Cinderella and Mackenzie Salhany is appropriately monstrous as the knife-wielding Little Red Riding Hood.  Susanna Atkinson milks the laughs for all they are worth as the dancing cow, while Bob Lackey as the narrator holds the mix of stories together.

This must-see production  of Into the Woods continues to March 13

Into the Woods

Book by James Lapine

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Orpheus Musical Theatre Society

Director: Michael Gareau

Musical director: Marlene Hudson

Choreographer: Debbie Millett

Set: Laura Duncan

Lighting: David Magladry

Sound; John Cybanski

Costumes: Joy Lackey and Cynthia Sanoy

Cast

The Narrator

Bob Lackey

Cinderella

Skye MacDiarmid

Jack (of beanstalk fame)

Graeme Parke

Milky White, Jack’s Cow

Susanna Atkinson

The Baker

Shaun Toohey

The Baker’s Wife

Emily Reid

Cinderella’s Stepmother

Antonia Pigot

Cinderella’s Stepsister Florinda

Mary Picard

Cinderella’s Stepsister Lucinda

Liisa Steinwedel

Jack’s Mother

Barb Seabright-Moore

Little Red Ridinghood

Mackenzie Salhany

Witch

Nicole Milne

Cinderella’s Father

Gary Moore

Ogres

Trevor Scott, Gary Moore

Cinderella’s Mother

Christine Moran

The Mysterious Man

Bob Lackey

The Wolf

Dennis VanStaalduinen

Rapunzel

Julia Barry

Rapunzel’s Prince

Darren Bird

Little Red Ridinghood’s Granny

Christine Moran

Cinderella’s Prince

Dennis VanStaalduinen

Royal Steward

Trevor Scott

The Giantess

Christine Moran

Snow White

Janine Robinson

Sleeping Beauty

Emily Hay

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