By Alayna Een
Front Row Reviewers is leading you Into the Woods with our review of the West Valley Arts production of this beloved Broadway classic by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim. Into the Woods combines the characters and plots of some of the world’s most beloved fairytales into dichotomies of happy endings and traumatic loss, of hope and chaos. The vocal talent and acting caliber of this cast are truly incredible—there are no weak links.
Annie Ferrin captures the full range of the Baker’s Wife, from the girlish dreamer to the quick-thinking trader. She pairs well with the mild Baker, Jared Lesa, whose insecurities bubble beneath the surface. His acting and choices are poignant and powerful, and his decision to look at his son at the line “I think I see a glimmer” during the finale was incredibly touching. Josh Egbert is both the professor-like narrator (complete with storybook podium) and the toadstool-clad Mysterious Man, and his fatherly moment with the Baker in “No More” is truly touching.
Dianna Graham plays the ghoulish then glamourous Witch with a power and range that Bernadette Peters would be proud of. While one of the major tenets of Into the Woods is that the characters are changed by their experience in the woods, I would argue that Rapunzel’s change is the wildest, and Jordan Petersen handled it masterfully.
Chloe Victoria is a fantastic Cinderella, emphasizing the uncertainty the character feels in the three balls, and the line “Wanting a ball is not wanting a prince” is especially poignant. Cinderella’s stepfamily (Kerilyn Johnson, Stepmother; Sydney Claire, Florinda; Jaymie Lambson, Lucinda) is always dressed to impress with stylish sequin gowns or garish feathered outfits (a credit to Alicia Kondrick’s costuming). And while they spend the majority of the story being some combination of selfish, jealous, or miserable, they do it with energy and finesse. Natalie Peterson was a veritable nature goddess as Cinderella’s Mother and fully unflappable as Granny. Sibley Snowden is delightful as Little Red. She leans into the character’s youthful candor without making her bratty. It’s a fine line, and she skips merrily along it.
Ren Cottam’s Jack is thoughtful and sincere, and he beautifully captures the nuances and awkwardness of a budding adventurer on the cusp of manhood. Kirsten Morgan plays a poignant version of Jack’s Mother: kind, overwhelmed, and steadfast rather than spent and stubborn. This is the first time I’ve seen Into the Woods with Milky White appearing with a puppeteer. And I don’t think I can ever go back! Dan Radford (also Cinderella’s Father) brought the puppet to life with timely tail-wags, eyelid flutters, and even heartrending labored breaths. And what the puppet can’t do, he does himself. I didn’t know a silent cow could steal a Sondheim show, but Radford’s Milky White certainly does.
Chase Petersen is the charming (not sincere) Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf, whose clear, resonant singing voice and practiced, dancer-like stances make him everything maidens could wish for. Simply said, he plays a shallow character deeply and commendably. Woody Brook (Rapunzel’s Prince/Steward) plays the less-suave and more agitated shadow of the crown prince, and while the vocal styles and characterizations are different, the two princes reach perfect synchronization in their cape flares and ending consonants—a delightful take on “Agony.”
All the actors shine in their roles, with many of them dexterously covering two parts. Because it is a theater in the round, there is no such thing as a background moment—the actors have to be fully focused and in character at all times. This leads to some truly remarkable moments between unlikely characters and makes it clear that the ensemble is so much more than the sum of its stars. One of my favorite things of the whole show was seeing the character connections grow from mostly predictable in-group interactions (for example, the royals, the stepfamily, the villagers) at the end of the first act to randomized, inclusive connections at the end of the second act as a symbol that our strength comes from setting aside our differences and banding together in our journey into the woods. And thanks to the brilliant direction of John Sweeney, there are many such moments in the woods.
And just as the ensemble comes together to highlight a poignant message of the play, John Sweeney is not alone in fueling the magic from behind the scenes. Marilyn Montgomery’s stunning choreography leads to crisp and interesting musical numbers, especially in the “Midnight” songs as the actors whirl around in darkness with glowing lanterns in their hands (part of Michael Gray’s clever lighting design). And the titular woods, designed by scenic designer Jason Sullivan are both immersive and ever changing.
Into the Woods is my favorite musical, and I make a point to see live productions of it as often as I can—possibly to make up for the truly lackluster high school production I was in as Rapunzel. I delight in the fact that, to quote the finale, “Each time [I] go, there’s more to learn of what [I] know.” But this is one of the best productions I’ve ever seen, and I don’t say that lightly. I may have to follow the lead of these timeless characters and return to West Valley to enter the woods again before the run is over.
A review by Front Row Reviewers. West Valley Arts presents Into the Woods by James Lapine (book) and Stephen Sondheim (music).
West Valley Performing Arts Center, 3333 S, Decker Lake Dr, West Valley City, UT 84119
April 13 to May 6, 2023 at 7:30 PM (3 PM Matinee on Saturdays, ASL performance April 29)
Tickets: $18–25
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Contact: 801-965-5140, harmanboxoffice@wvc-ut.gov
Box Office Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
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