BWW Reviews: INTO THE WOODS at Center Stage is a Triumph

I enjoyed so much seeing the Center Stage production of  Into the Woods, I've seen it 3 and 1/2 times (theater aficionados will understand).

Into the Woods is a co-production with The Westport Country Playhouse whose Artistic Director, Mark Lamos is in the director's role and he has performed admirably. Lamos also directed the wonderful Center Stage presentation of Sondheim's A Little Night Music. Hopefully, he can return for another dose of Sondheim.

I had the pleasure of seeing the original Broadway cast which was nominated for nine Tony Awards in 1988 and won three: Joanna Gleason (Best Actress in a Musical), James Lapine (Best Book), and Stephen Sondheim (Best Score). The Phantom of the Opera won the Tony for Best Musical that year.

Sondheim and Lapine combine the tales of Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood, Jack (the Beanstalk Jack), and Rapunzel (of the tower fame). Added  to this cast of characters is a a childless Baker and his wife and a witch who places a spell on the Baker and his wife (for stealing from her vegetable garden) that results in their inability to have a child.  The curse can be reversed if the Baker and his wife follow explicit instructions from the witch who is responsible for the Baker and his wife being childless. The witch informs the Baker that if and his wife want the curse reversed, they are to "Go to the wood and bring me back One: the cow as white as milk, Two: the cape as red as blood, Three: the hair as yellow as corn, Four: the slipper as pure as gold". They are given three nights to achieve their goal. (similar to the television hit series "Amazing Race".)

In the CD booklet of the Original Broadway Cast Recording, Sheryl Flatow sums up the musical this way: "...most fairy tales present right and wrong in childlike terms of black and white. Sondheim and Lapine serve up a cautionary tale in various shades of grey: witches tell the truth, nice people lie, good people die. Yet the characters' deeds and misdeeds bring them together, until they coalesce into an interdependent community and work in concert to slay a Giant who threatens their very existance. The message is clear: only by bonding together can we conquer teh giants who cast their shadows over own society."  Remember...it takes a village...

In the original production, Danielle Ferland played the role of "Little Red Ridinghood". She's now grown up and is playing the role of "The Baker's Wife".

Playing the baker is the wonderful Eric Liberman who brings such emotion to his character.  The ensemble is universally talented including Justin Scott Brown (Jack), Jenny Latimer (Cinderella),Cheryl Stern (Jack's mother) and Nik Walker who plays the Wolf and Cinderella's Prince.

Lauren Kennedy nails her role as the Witch.

Playing the Narrator is Jeffry Denman who very artfully coordinates the action.

But it is petite Dana Steingold who steals the show in the role of "Little Red Ridinghood". It's an unforgettable performance.  Whenever she is on stage, you can't take your eyes off of her. She's ready for Prime Time!

Adding to the enjoyment is the 7 piece orchestra under the baton of Wayne Barker.

Lamos pits the action as if it took place in a doll house. There's even an actual doll house stage left. One actor actually leaps out of a "jack in the box". In charge of these "dolls" is the narrator.

One of the funniest lines in the play is uttered by the Baker's wife when she sings "I'm in the wrong story." Sondheim admits in his book "Look, I Made a Hat" that it was Joanna Gleason that thought of the line during rehearsal.

At the end of the play, Cinderella can be heard quietly saying "I wish". My wish was that the production have an actual bean stalk, have stairs that Cinderella falls down, a better depiction of the Giant, have Cinderella's father not look like he's sleep-walking on stage, and finally, please, make the Giant's voice so they the Giant can be understood. 

On opening night, when the theater became completely dark (for the requisite no cell phones announcement) one could hear a young child start screaming "I want to go home" incessantly. A patron then yelled out "Listen to him. Take him home". The young theatergoer got HIS wish.

For families with elementary and middle school students, Center Stage is presenting Into the Woods Act 1  Only to avoid some of the more mature questions raised in Act 2. 

Tickets are only $15 for adults and $10 for children, general admission for the Sunday evening performance, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. Act 1 lasts about 90 minutes.

Into the Woods continues until April 15.

For tickets, call 410-332-0033. Visit www.centerstage.org/woods for more information.

For those who want to see it at The Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, CT, it runs May 1 to May 26. For tickets 203-27-4177.

                                              The Whipping Man is Next

The hit Off-Broadway play, The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez ends the season playing April 4 to May 13, 2012.  This will be Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah's debut as a Director since taking over the reigns at Center Stage.

                                E. Faye Butler Returns for the Final Cabaret

What a way to end the year. E. Faye Butler returns for only four nights - May 17-20. Butler was last seen in the area at Arena Stage in the Irene Lewis directed Trouble in Mind.

                    FREE INTO THE WOODS AT CENTRAL PARK THIS SUMMER

If you want more Into the Woods, New York's Public Theatre will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary of free "Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte".  Directed by Timothy Sheader, it will begin previews on Monday, July 23 and continue for five weeks through Saturday, August 25. What a venue to watch this classic Sondheim musical. Something different, the narrator will be played by a child actor.

Beginning the summer season will be Shakespeare's As You Like which begins June 5 and continues through Saturday, June 30. It will feature a live Bluegrass band. Daniel Sullivan directs and the setting will be in rural American South, circa 1840.