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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