Twisted Fairy Tales Arise in Into the Woods
Sacramento Light Opera Association's next-to-last production of the year is Stephen Sondheim's 1988 Tony Award winner INTO THE WOODS, running Apr. 8-13 at the Sacramento Community Center Theatre.
This delightfully funny musical takes aim at several of the famous "Grimm's Fairy Tales," stretching happily-ever-afters into twisted plots that are intertwined at every turn and hold unexpected results for the characters involved.
With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, INTO THE WOODS grabbed the 1988 Tony for Best Musical Score. The songs are both funny and profound, and INTO THE WOODS makes believe that the classic fairy tales of "Little Red Riding Hood,"The Baker and His Wife," "Cinderella" and "Jack and the Beanstalk" are all happening in the same forest at the same time.
The musical roughly follows the traditional fables, but intertwines the lives of the characters as they try to achieve their goals.
Little Red Riding Hood stops in at the Baker's Shop to stock her basket with goodies and Jack sells his favorite cow to the Baker for some magic beans the Baker's father had stolen from the witch next door.
The Baker and his Wife actually serve as the centerpiece of this fable as it's their task to collect four items for the witch - a red cape, a white cow, golden hair and a golden slipper - so that she will remove a curse from them that leaves them childless.
The Baker and His Wife go Into The Woods to find the items the witch requested and the way you think of these fairy tales is forever changed as a result!
Of course, by the end of Act 1, everything is resolved the way it should be - Little Red Riding Hood saves her grandma from the wolf - an anatomically correct creature that left the audience wondering if that "little thing" they saw sticking out of the front of the costume was really what they thought it was.
The Baker and His wife get the curse removed and are blessed with a child.
Jack and his mother are rich beyond belief with his loot stolen from the giant.
Cinderella finds her Prince Charming, and by coincedence, Rupunzel, who turns out to be the Baker's long lost sister and daughter of the witch (taken at birth from the Baker's family) gets the Prince's brother.
And the witch gets her wish as the items the Baker collected when fed to the cow restore her youth and beauty.
Everyone lives happily ever after - for awhile - then it all goes to hell!
Act 2 shows the "After" in "Happily Ever After."
Little Red Riding Hood now carries a knife and wears the skin of the wolf as her new cape.
The giant's wife terrorizes the village in her quest to find Jack, the boy who murdered her husband.
Cinderella is finding life in the castle isn't as magical as she thought it would be. Rapunzel goes crazy and both prices cheat on their wives, including a magically meaningless moment Prince Charming has with the Baker's wife in the forest.
But as it happens in fairy tales, everything sorts itself out in the end.
Some characters die, new relationships are forged, and as the real world intrudes on that of the "happy ever after" ending, everything still manages to work out in the end.
Not having had any previous experience with INTO THE WOODS, I found this one a delightful surprise. The music and songs were fantastic, the set was awesome and the characters quickly endeared themselves to you, especially the squeaky-voiced Little Red Riding Hood, played by Tracy Katz, who also played the role in the original National Tour of the production.
INTO THE WOODS also starred Patricia Ben Peterson as Cinderella; David Patrick Ford as Jack; John Herrera as The Baker, Judy McLane as his wife; Michele Pawk as the Witch; Jani Neuman as Rapunzel; and Eric Kunze in the dual role of the Wolf and the Prince.
Next up in the Broadway Series is PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, opening May 29 at the Sacramento Community Center Theatre for a five-week run.
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