Review: INTO THE WOODS at The Phoenix Theatre Company

BroadwayWorld Guest Contributor, David Appleford, gives a resounding thumbs up to INTO THE WOODS, now onstage at The Phoenix Theatre Company. With, wit, wonder, and emotional depth, this acclaimed musical casts a powerful spell.

Fairy tales have always promised us that once the dragon is slain and the prince is kissed, the story ends in blissful finality. But Into The Woods, now playing at The Phoenix Theatre Company’s Hormel Theatre until July 13, dares to ask, what if that happy ending is only the beginning?

In this sumptuous and strikingly realized production, directed by Karla Koskinen, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s intricate musical weaves together classic fairy tale characters and forces them to face the fallout of their own wishes. It’s a dazzling, extremely funny, and ultimately haunting journey, staged with both grandeur and intimacy in a way that lingers long after the final note.

Since its Broadway debut in 1987, the musical has undergone countless variations and differing styles of presentation, yet this production leans into a more traditional interpretation, one that should satisfy purists and newcomers alike.

Sondheim’s intricate score is no small feat, and the opening Prologue, a twelve-minute whirlwind introducing the tangled fates of Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, the Baker and his wife, and the Witch is one of the most demanding ensemble numbers in musical theater. The cast rises to the challenge with breathtaking clarity, delivering an introduction that feels as fresh, intricate, and urgent as the first time it was sung. Koskinen’s direction ensures that even in this frenzied beginning, every character’s longing, folly, and humor shine through. And at the heart of this production is a diverse cast that knows precisely how to navigate the shifting tones.

The first act moves with a playful, near-manic energy, as these beloved characters crisscross the woods in search of their desires. Dani Apple’s Cinderella exudes warmth and wit while battling against the unfair demands of a ‘wicked’ stepmother (Savannah Inez), and her two ‘ugly’ stepsisters (Lauren Carroll and Ellie Barrett Harvey), while Elyssa Blonder’s Little Red Riding Hood with a bottomless appetite (and hair like Goldilocks) strikes the perfect balance between bratty and bold when confronted with Shonn Wiley’s sensuous big, bad Wolf, a creature so turned on at the mere thought of talking to his meal with the red cape, he can hardly contain himself. 

Tre Moore brings an endearingly dopey charm to Jack, with Elyse Wolf’s sharp-witted Jack’s Mother keeping him grounded. The comedic high points belong first to Liam Boyd and Shonn Wiley (now stripped of his wolf costume) as the preening, peacocking princes, whose Agony is as uproarious as ever, then to Grace Rogers as Rapunzel as she hilariously and repeatedly runs across the stage while not so quietly losing her mind.

But it’s Nick Barakos’s Baker and Meggie Siegrist’s Baker’s Wife who provide the show’s emotional core. Barakos brings a quiet, growing strength to the role, evolving from a bumbling everyman to a reluctant leader. He’s the moral center, while Siegrist’s energy-fueled comedic timing is razor-sharp.  When she sings Moments in the Woods, it lands with a poignancy that reminds us why Sondheim is unmatched in musical storytelling.

And then there’s Alyssa Chiarello as the Witch, always the juiciest role in the show. Chiarello is a force of nature who commands every moment she’s on the Hormel Theatre stage. Her transformation from haggard sorceress to regal manipulator is thrilling to watch. Plus, her Last Midnight is sung with raw power and bitterness as she realizes that even magic can’t prevent the pain of loss.

And in a smaller though no less important role is Trisha Ditsworth as Cinderella’s Mother, appearing like an ethereal vision from the past, with a strikingly powerful voice that can also be as gentle as a lullaby carried on the wind through those ancient trees of the woods.

Bringing it all together is Michael Kary as the narrator, an all-knowing presence guiding us through the chaos, keeping perspective on each of the stories, and telling them with a sly, knowing wink. He actually looks as though he’s amused by the tales as much as the audience. And in an inspired moment of comical absurdity, the cast, ultimately fed up with his commentary, stop in their tracks, revolt, and decide to take control of their own destinies when they don’t like what they’re hearing. 

This is no sanitized Disney fantasy, but rather a meditation on the bittersweet realities of life, love, and the mistakes that shape us, made all the more evident in Act Two. This is where Into The Woods seduces you with a twinkling Sondheim opener, a revisit to the Prologue which then morphs into So Happy.  But then it pulls the rug out from under you as it turns from an upbeat, delightful romp to stark reckoning. Wishes are granted, but at a price. Heroes falter, villains reveal their humanity, and grief reshapes the landscape.

As relationships fracture, characters must confront grief, guilt, and responsibility. Some productions struggle to maintain momentum here, but this cast of The Phoenix Theatre Company carries the weight of the show’s tonal shift beautifully, accompanied by the visual aid of Nicole L Olson’s appropriate though never showy choreography. No One is Alone is particularly moving as the remaining characters cling to one another in the face of uncertainty. 

Visually, Stagecraft Theatrical’s set is a standout; rich without being overstuffed, capturing the enchanting-yet-foreboding abstract essence of the woods, brought to life by Tim Monson’s ever changing atmospheric lighting. But, under the guidance of music director Kevin Robert White, backed by a full 12-piece live orchestra, it’s the voices - pure, powerful, and precisely controlled - that make this production soar, heard with a clarity of sound throughout every corner of the house by designer Dave Temby.

In the end, Into The Woods grips you with its charm and unsettles you with its wisdom while it captures the show’s magic, humor, and melancholy in equal measure. It doesn’t just tell fairy tales, it forces us to reexamine them, reminding us that they were never just bedtime stories; they were warnings, lessons, and perhaps even reflections of ourselves. And in that regard, this production is nothing short of a triumph.

The Phoenix Theatre Company ~ www.phoenixtheatre.com ~ Box office: 602-254-2151 ~ 1825 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ