By Kathryn Olsen
As many audiences know, Into the Woods is a world-renowned work of creative ingenuity and in Layton, On Pitch Performing Arts is infusing familiar fairy tales with a sense of community experience. This play by with music and lyrics Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine debuted at San Diego‘s Old Globe Theater in 1986. It reached Broadway one year later and won acclaim and awards. It is a popular choice for youth or community theater, but has been produced on stage and in film by some of the entertainment industry’s brightest stars over the thirty-three years since its premiere. I have a habit of re-telling fairy tales and have loved this play since childhood, so was very interested to see how OPPA interpreted it.
As the play opens, the audience meets several characters, each of whom has a single-minded goal. The Baker (Doug Caldwell) and his wife (Lillian Dixon) want nothing more than a child. Little Red Riding Hood (Emily Dickerson) is determined to reach her ailing grandmother’s house to bring her comfort. Jack (Jake Adams) hopes he can get out of selling his bovine best friend, Milky White. Cinderella (Rochelle Pickett) wants to attend the king’s festival with the rest of her family. Most intriguingly, the Witch (Charlene Adams) next door wants to reverse a curse she placed on the Baker’s household years ago. This being a fairy tale, a magic potion and a midnight deadline get involved. The Baker’s Wife spends half of the first act trying to convince Cinderella to give her one of her famous slippers and also accosts Rapunzel for some of her hair. Her husband, meanwhile, struggles to persuade Little Red Riding Hood to give him her cape. Throughout it all, a mysterious man (Justin Lee) lends aid and provides clues, but even when all seems happy ever after, things get complicated. The result is a hilarious intersection of lore while also providing moving insights into the human condition.
Caldwell and Dixon are the nucleus of this play,since the plot is driven first by their quest for a child and is tempered by how life is complicated by getting what you want. Caldwell plays the role of Baker with great irony and strong vocals, though his strongest performance moments are in the second act. Caldwell is thought-provoking as he struggles to reconcile with his family’s tragic past and overcome his own insecurities.
Dickerson plays Little Red Riding Hood on the cusp of maturity, but with very modern elements. She tries to teach the Wolf (Mark Parnell) about consent and has a panic attack while recovering from her ill-fated visit to Granny’s house. Dickerson begins the play with surety that she can get away with things, but transforms into a young woman who can overcome anything.
Pickett’s Cinderella undergoes a change that is no less remarkable as she rises from “kitchen wench” to princess, but the strength of her performance lies in how easily the audience is able to recognize in the maid the power she will need as a ruler. She carries her role with assertiveness and faith in herself and it is a joy to watch.
Jack as played by Jake Adams is a young man with good intentions and inadequate understanding of how the world works. His role is comical because of his gullible nature, but he commands interest in “Giants in the Sky” so that his community and his audience understand how life-changing the knowledge of something extraordinary can be.
The narrator frequently darts off-stage to become the Mysterious Man and it is a natural set of roles. Lee is unassuming, but vital, as the only actor who is able to see the bigger picture that eludes the fairy tale protagonists.
Charlene Adams brings the house down as the antagonistic witch. She is the voice behind some of the most terrifying moments, but has moments of touching vulnerability. She is constantly bewitching people without meaning to because she is simply that naturally powerful, but becomes more forceful in the absence of witchcraft.
The supporting characters appear more briefly, but contribute wonderfully. The two princes (Parnell and Conner Blankman) spend most of their time being lovably obtuse, while Cinderella’s step-family and father express lessons learned with biting sarcasm. Carol Madsen plays the roles of Steward, Giant, and Cinderella’s Mother in ways that enhance the story without overtaking it.
The versatile set of this production is designed by Brandon Stauffer, with all scene changes being effected by turning pages of a gigantic storybook upstage. Light Design by Brayden Weidman complements this to create environments and tension, Prop Designer April Daw provides small enhancements such as the cow on wheels, but also makes a running gag of a single pillow. The entire show is unified by the clever and complicated choreography Megan Call, while costuming by Stephanie Peterson establishes rank and allegiances. Music Direction by Emily Roh allows the wide range of vocal styles to unite in chorus numbers while solos are performed well. Director Kate Rufener helms this remarkable cast in a way that allows for a unified, but diverse, ensemble.
It’s not yet the last midnight, so come to On Pitch Performing Arts Center for an unforgettable night of familiar themes and complicated endings. Audiences young and old will find something to relate to and they will leave wondering what they wish for most in life.
On Pitch Performing Arts presents Into the Woods; Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by James Lapine
On Pitch Performing Arts Center, 587 N Main St, Layton, UT 84041
Oct 4-19, 2019, 7:30 PM
Tickets: $12-15
Contact: 385-209-1557
www.onpitchperformingarts.com
On Pitch Performing arts Facebook Page
Into the Woods Facebook Event
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