Dayton Will Go INTO THE WOODS Thrice at TheatreLab Dayton, Epiphany Players Drama Ministry & Middletown Lyric Theatre

INTO THE WOODS, one of the most produced musicals all over the country, and one of the most popular of the Stephen Sondheim cannon. Why is this musical that clashes all of The Brothers Grimm fairy tales into one multiverse so widely beloved and so often performed by high schools, community theaters, and regional companies? Why does it seem like every man who does musicals has The Baker as one of his dream roles?

And why have we, as theater goers, not gotten sick of it yet? Well… I’m pretty positive that a lot of people have gotten sick of this show, but there’s a logical reason why people still produce it and still love it. This musical is not just one giant fairy tale filled with wit and magic, the story of INTO THE WOODS taps into reality. This show has displayed universal concepts of family, the relationship between parent and child, and the impact that one’s story has on another.

Despite the illusion that each character is individual in their actions without any repercussions, each princess, prince, witch, wolf, and child has an effect on the random strangers they cross paths with. When it comes to parents and children, the function of these classic fairy tales is to teach lessons about  how to survive in the real world while also creating a bond of trust with their parents.

This story, however, shows us how complex said bonds can be in a family like Rapunzel and her guardian The Witch, or with Jack and his Mother, and also how complicated the simple lessons of good versus bad turn out to be in the world of the woods. 

If you are familiar with musical theatre to any degree, you probably know all about INTO THE WOODS and know what goes down in the plot. You’ve probably been a part of some production of it in the past. So while I won’t go deep into what it’s about, I will however be doing a comparison piece.

You see, here in the greater Dayton area, there will be 3 different productions of INTO THE WOODS going on, the first in May produced by TheatreLab Dayton, followed by Epiphany Players Drama Ministry in July, and finally, by Middletown Lyric Theatre in August. Apparently we’ll be taking a break from Sondheim during pride month.

In this “trilogy” my goal is to observe this occasional ecosystem of the same show being done within miles of each other this summer. I intend to look at what unique choices each company makes with their interpretations, and I intend to do so with no bias or favoritism.

To wrap things up, my main intention is to just enjoy one of my favorite musicals, and what better way to do so than to see how one popular tale can be presented by three different mindsets and cast dynamics.

As much as some of us groan about how everyone does the same types of shows year after year and wish we had more unique stories to tell, you can’t deny that this one belongs in the category of “classic”. And there is always a strong case for the classics when it comes to live theatre. Just because something is deemed popular does not mean there isn’t something about it to love, because it also solidifies how many people have been impacted by this story, its music, and its morals over the years. A

nd instead of looking at INTO THE WOODS as overdone or overrated, consider that if that show is added to a groups season, and it’s the one that makes the most money for said group that may be financially struggling, then maybe its popularity is actually benefiting the community as a whole, and allowing local theatre to continue towards the future.

How To Get Tickets

TheatreLab Dayton

https://www.theatrelabdayton.org/upcoming-shows

Epiphany Players Drama Ministry

https://www.epiphanydayton.org/summer-musical/

Middletown Lyric Theatre

https://www.middletownlyric.org/P_Boxoffice.html

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