'Into the Woods' You Should Go

Photo: Ken Stanek Photography

I was a little skeptical that the intimate, in-the-round stage at the Spotlighters Theatre would be able to do justice to the action-packed musical production Into the Woods. Failing to learn from the past, I always had those misplaced reservations when Spotlighters ambitiously tackles a grand splashy musical only to discover the creative team and performers manage to pull it off and then some.  The same trepidation I had for Into the Woods going in, with 17 cast members wearing over 100 costumes, singing over three dozen songs, numerous scene changes and the like, was put to rest quickly as Director Fuzz Roark with a fine ensemble and crew delivered a delightful and thoroughly entertaining production.

Into the Woods, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, is a multiple Tony Award winner. The show opened on Broadway in 1987 and ran for 765 performances. Sondheim had won eight Tony awards in his prolific career–more than any other composer.

As kids we all remember those fairy tales where the characters lived happily ever after. With the Spotlighters’ presentation of Into the Woods, we get to enjoy four such fairy tales—“Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Rapunzel.” Their plots are interwoven and linked with the original story of the Baker and his Wife in this magical, entertaining, and sometimes dark musical that confronts real issues found in adulthood, not necessarily childhood.

For full review, visit MD Theatre Guide.