Arvada Center to Present INTO THE WOODS in September

How long does "Happily Ever After" last? This fall the Arvada Center honors the late, great Stephen Sondheim with a unique take on his immensely popular musical, Into the Woods. Audiences will be familiar with the stories of Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk, but this hit musical explores the real lives of these characters, and the not-always-positive consequences of choices made in fleeting moments.

"The Arvada Center's Into the Woods is going to look and feel like magic," says Lynne Collins, Artistic Director of Theatre and director of Into the Woods. "It starts out childlike and innocent with the fairy tale classics of childhood, but as the play progresses, it grows up and shows us what really happens after happily ever after."

Currently playing on Broadway with stars like Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods has cemented its place as an iconic fixture in the musical theatre canon. The Arvada Center's production exists as an invention of a child's imagination but takes a deceptively dark turn as the audience journeys from child's fairy tale to grown-up cautionary tale.

Collins emphasized building a cast that centers around Colorado artists. "I'm proud to feature a lot of talented local actors in this cast," she said. "It's an exciting way to kick off our new season and my first time helming a musical at the Arvada Center." Actors previously seen at the Arvada Center including Shannan Steele (Mamma Mia!), Sheryl McCallum (Jesus Christ Superstar), and Jake Mendes (Bright Star) will return to the stage for this production along with a crop of actors making an Arvada Center debut.

Tickets start at $53. To purchase tickets to Into the Woods visit the webpage: https://arvadacenter.org/events/into-the-woods

PERFORMANCE DETAILS:

Into the Woods
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by James Lapine

September 9 - October 9, 2022

Main Stage Theatre

The cast includes: Nicole deBree (The Witch), Rudy Martinez (The Baker), Shannan Steele (The Baker's Wife), Aynsley Upton (Little Red Riding Hood), Jack Wardell (Jack), Sharon Kay White (Jack's Mother), Quynh-My Luu (Cinderella), Cordell Cole (Cinderella's Prince/Wolf), Hanna Dotson (Rapunzel), Jake Mendes (Rapunzel's Prince), Sheryl McCallum (Cinderella's Stepmother), Leslie O'Carroll (Nanny/Mysterious Man).

Creative team:

• Lynne Collins, director
• Trent Hines, music director
• Clare Henkel, costume designer
• Shannon McKinney, lighting designer
• Brian Mallgrave, scenic designer
• Max Silverman, sound designer
• Zach Madison, stage manager

About the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities