Jessica Grove Stars as 'The Witch' in INTO THE WOODS, Beginning Tonight at The Encore Theatre

The Encore Theatre set to open the fairytale musical "Into the Woods!" Preview night is tonight, August 6th.

"Into the Woods" is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted on Broadway in 1987 and ran for 764 performance garnering many awards during it's initial Broadway run including Best Actress in a Musical and Best Original Book and Score. The show has spawned numerous national tours and revivals and remains one of the American Theatre's best loved musicals to produce.

The main characters come from the classic fairytales Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood, and are tied together by a more original story involving a baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family. While everyone is familiar with the traditional fairytale ending of happily ever after, this musical follows these stories even further to explore the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests.

"This style of actor driven theatre potentially creates a unique and exciting experience for audience members and actors alike" said director Daniel C. Cooney. " We are aiming for an intimate, story driven experience which relies on the audience being an active part of the story telling through imagination." Cooney is one of the co-founders of The Encore, a Broadway veteran, and is directing this show leading up to his next project - a production of "Bandstand" starring Laura Osnes at the Papermill Playhouse this fall.

The production is under the Direction of Daniel C. Cooney with Musical Direction by Tyler Driskill. Alexander Kunitz is Stage Manager with Costume design by Sharon Urick, Set design by Sarah Tanner, Lighting design by Dan Walker, Prop design by Anne Donevan.

The Encore Musical Theatre Company is proud to announce the opening of INTO THE WOODS tomorrow, August 7th, 2015. The production will play through Sunday, August 30th, with a preview performance tonight, August 6th. The show will be the final show of the Encore's 7th season.

"Into the Woods" on Friday, August 7th with a performance followed by an opening night reception at Terry B's Restaurant in Dexter - tickets: Adults $32; $30 Seniors, Encore 100 Member; $28 Groups of 10 or more or Children under 17. For tickets, call The Encore Theatre Box Office at 734.268.6200 or visit the website www.theencoretheatre.org/tickets.

THE CAST for "Into the Woods":

The Witch: Jessica Grové

The Baker: Matthew Brennan

The Baker's Wife: Thalia Schramm

Cinderella: Karina Stribley

Cinderella's Prince/Wolf: Sebastian Gerstner

Little Red: Hannah Hesseltine

Jack: Elliott Styles

Mysterious Man/Cinderella's Stepmother: Jeff Steinhauer

Rapunzel: Maggie Malaney

Rapunzel's Prince: Peter Crist

Lucinda: Cassi Mikat

Florinda: Maggie Williams

Jack's Mother/Cinderella'sMother/Little Red's Gran: Emily Rogers

Steward: Ari Axelrod

Cinderella's Father/Milky White: Tim Brayman

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director: Dan Cooney

Music Director: Tyler Driskill

Choreographer: Matthew Brennan

Stage Manager: Alex Kunitz

Production Supervisor: Tobin Hissong

Costume Designer: Sharon Urick

Set Design: Sarah Tanner

Lighting Design: Dan Walker

Prop Master: Anne Donevan

Development Director: Chuck Colby

Casting: Thalia Schramm

Enhancing the performing arts in Washtenaw County. The Encore Musical Theatre Company is a non-profit musical theatre located in the historic Village of Dexter. Our mission is to create quality, original theatrical productions with an emphasis on Musical Theatre, utilizing a unique mixture of Broadway and Local talent of all levels, while engaging and entertaining a wide spectrum of the surrounding communities. Professional arts performances in a perfectly intimate setting. With plenty of parking, no traffic or other distractions, you can savor your evening and experience musical theatre at its best. Our intimate atmosphere allows you to fully immerse yourself, relax and embrace the Encore experience.