Into the Woods at Birmingham Village Players

— Into The Woods takes everyone’s favorite storybook characters and brings them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece with a rare modern classic. Birmingham Village Players (BVP) will present this Tony Award-winning musical by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim May 5-21, 2023. This production concludes Village Player’s 100th season of entertaining theatrical productions.

With a Tony Award-winning book and score, Into the Woods is both enchanting and touching as it tells the magical tale of a Baker and his wife. In their quest to have a child, they make a bargain with a vengeful witch. Their journey into the woods brings them in contact with a host of fairytale characters from the pages of The Brothers Grimm including Cinderella, Jack, Rapunzel, a wolf, a giant, and even a handsome prince or two. Ultimately, the characters are forced to experience the unintended consequences of their actions. One of Broadway legend Sondheim’s most popular works, Into the Woods is a timeless piece of musical theatre genius; a celebration of the power of music to tell stories, illuminate characters and beguile the audience

Into the Woods is directed by veteran director Michael A. Gravame who has directed some of BVP’s critically acclaimed musicals including last season’s The Producers.  “Having directed this musical 30 years ago, it is nice to revisit it with a fresh new concept to a classic show,” said Gravame. “I am taking the concept of The Brothers Grimm passing down the tales literally by setting the musical in the library/writing room of these famous storytellers as they write these legendary tales down, they become the narrators themselves to tell these tales. The characters will come in and out of bookcase entrances and set elements will have the aesthetic of book pages to emphasize the storybook concept.”

“Into the Woods is a brilliant piece of storytelling intertwining all the fairy tale stories written by the Brothers Grimm. Every time this show is produced, it opens a pathway for a director’s fresh take on this wonderful musical. I love creating new ideas and telling stories through visual artistry, music, movement and staging. Into the Woods allows me to be as creative as possible while keeping with the central theme of the piece.”

Performances are May 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 & 20 - 8:00PM and May 7, 14 & 21 - 2:00PM.

Reserved tickets are $25 (includes ticketing fee and can be purchased by calling the box office, 248-644-2075, or from the website https://birminghamvillageplayers.com/into-the-woods/ to place your order.