'Into the Woods:' Grimm Tales Well Told

Into the Woods

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by James Lapine; Director and Costume Designer, Stacey Stephens; Musical Director, Charles Peltz; Scenic Designer, Janie E. Howland; Choreographer, Wendy Hall; Lighting Designer, David Wilson; Production Stage Manager, Karen Parlato, Executive Producer and Artistic Director, Robert J. Eagle

CAST (in order of appearance): Scott Wahle, McCaela Donovan, Gregory Isaac Stone, Catherine Lee Christie, Doug Jabara, Shannon Lee Jones, Elizabeth "Betsy" Foley, Emily Goldberg, Elizabeth Ann Berg, Jack F. Agnew, Bryan Miner, Allison Russell, Rachel York, Katie Ford, Ayal Miodovnik, Krista Buccellato, Brennan Roach

Performances through June 27 at Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston, Robinson Theatre, 617 Lexington Street, Waltham, MA  Box Office 781-891-5600 or www.reagleplayers.com

The Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston celebrates its 42^nd season and joins the ongoing birthday salute to octogenarian Stephen Sondheim with Into the Woods, starring Drama Desk and IRNE Award winner Rachel York as the Witch. Joining her at the head of the ensemble are Boston TV personality Scott Wahle as the Narrator/Mysterious Man, and Equity actors Doug Jabara (Baker), Shannon Lee Jones (Baker's Wife), and Ayal Miodovnik (Wolf/Cinderella's Prince). As is so often the case in a Reagle production, the balance of the company is a talented mix of veteran performers, college students, and recent graduates who interpret Sondheim's music and lyrics with skill and depth of feeling.

RMT's new Associate Producer and Artistic Director Stacey Stephens directs the musical intertwining of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, including Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel. Their stories are tied together with that of the baker and his wife who wish to begin a family, as they all pursue their wishes and quests. Like any good fairy tale, Into the Woods has fantastic happenings, dark and scary moments, metaphors, and life lessons, all bound up in an accessible and entertaining cover. Stephens expertly juggles all the tales, spotlighting first one, then another, until they merge cohesively into author James Lapine's view of personal responsibility and the consequences of "wishing." 

At nearly ninety minutes, act one alone could suffice as it neatly concludes each character's quest with a happy ending. However, that isn't likely to happen in a Sondheim opus where it is much more compelling to take the next step from "ever after" to "what if?" In the vein of "be careful what you wish for," the journeys continue in act two with some characters meeting their demise, others engaging in bickering and blaming, and everyone learning something about themselves in the woods. Still, we are left with a glimmer of hope when the entire company joins in the finale.

In contrast to York's leading lady star turn in last summer's Hello, Dolly! she does not bear the brunt of the responsibility for the success of this production, owing to less stage time. However, the Witch is a pivotal role and York manages at once to play her as funny and evil, as well as sexy, commanding, and vulnerable after the character's transformation. Her gentle pleading with her daughter in "Stay With Me" and her grief-stricken delivery of "Witch's Lament" reveal the well-guarded heart of this complex woman. York brings her "A" game and raises the bar for the rest of the cast. Wahle sets an amiable tone, rather like our tour guide, as he ambles around the stage narrating the goings-on with a twinkle in his eye. Jabara and Jones both sing beautifully and have great chemistry together. Individually, they convincingly show the changes in the baker and his wife as they traverse their story arcs.

Equally impressive are McCaela Donovan (Cinderella) and Gregory Isaac Stone (Jack), two young actors making their Reagle debuts. Her voice is clear as crystal, his rich and strong, and both exude innocence and optimism to illustrate the wishes of their lonely characters. Stone captures Jack's excitable, joyous qualities as well as his dim nature, and Donovan simply captivates. Allison Russell's Little Red Riding Hood starts out as a child with a bravado born of naiveté, but quickly gets wise to the ways of the woods and the Wolf. As her lupine stalker, Miodovnik oozes creepiness and makes the most of his song "Hello, Little Girl" when they meet. Reappearing as a wolf in Prince's clothing, Miodovnik struts and swaggers affectingly, letting us know that the royal character is quite impressed with himself.

Music Director Charles Peltz conducts a full pit orchestra and has the good fortune to work with an ensemble composed entirely of actors who can sing and make it look easy. Choreographer Wendy Hall creates a lot of movement for the ensemble, but there is limited traditional dancing. Scenic Designer Janie E. Howland uses a multi-tiered set backed by giant storybook "pages" seemingly torn from volumes of Grimm's tales, with paper trees that drift in and out to represent scenes in the woods, and other set pieces for the baker's shop and Cinderella's hearth. David Wilson's lighting effectively makes the woods seem scary and perilous, and simultaneously showcases the dark shadows on the evil Witch's craggy face and the beautiful goodness of the girl in the ashes. Stephens' costume designs enhance the visual presentation of the characters, most notably the multi-hued robe and sultry, red full-length sheath for the Witch, Cinderella's ball gown, Little Red Riding Hood's cape, and the Princes' uniforms.  

The production is not without flaws as the first act occasionally lags and there are some sound issues with body mics cutting out momentarily and masks muffling the voices of the Wolf and the Witch. However, the masks are so creative that it seems a worthy tradeoff, and the booming sound effects for the Giant's footsteps can be felt in your stomach. She doesn't appear on stage, but Stephens et al certainly conjure her up in our collective imaginations. Into the Woods is an ambitious undertaking by any measure, but the risk pays off with a big reward for Reagle Music Theatre.