Into The Woods at The Palladium

As the result of the curse of a once-beautiful witch, a baker and his wife are childless. Three days before the rise of a blue moon, they venture into the woods to find the four things that will reverse the spell: One, a cow as white as milk; Two, a cape as red as blood; Three, a slipper as pure as gold; and Four, hair as yellow as corn. During the journey, they meet Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Jack of the beanstalk fame, each one on a quest to fulfill a wish of their own. .

Clayton Brown, who starred in SPO’s Putting it Together, returns as the Baker. Caroline Tye (Mercedes in Carmen) plays his not-so-faithful wife, and Tara Curtis (the Azucena cover from Il trovatore) is the Witch. Making their SPO debuts are Emma Grimsley as Little Red, Megan Pachecano as Cinderella, and Kevin Grace as her prince.

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s inspired retelling of these fairy tales marries clever yet wise lyrics with tricky tonal shifts and changing rhythms. St. Petersburg Opera is using the original full orchestration and outstanding singing actors who can deliver the music with power and meaning. You will leave the theater pondering the complex nature of love and loss, taking responsibility for one’s own actions, and the things we pass on from one generation to the next.