INTO THE WOODS Plays Spanos Theatre, Performing Arts Center 7/16-18

An ambivalent Cinderella? A bloodthirsty Little Red Ridinghood ? A Prince Charming with a roving eye? A witch who...raps?

They're all among the cockeyed characters in James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's fractured fairy tale, Into the Woods, opening July 16 at the Spanos Theater PAC.
When a baker (Matthew Ambrose) and his wife (Lacey McNamara) learn they've beencursed with childlessness by the Witch (Kerry Mayling) next door, they embark on a quest for the special objects required to break the spell, swindling, lying and stealing from Cinderella (Lauren Seidenberg) , Little Red Ridinghood (Rachel Vasquez), Rapunzel (Danielle Dutro) and Jack (Joe Ogren), of beanstalk fame .

Everyone's wish is granted at the end of Act One, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disastrous results. What begins as a lively, irreverent fantasy becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children.

Other members of the cast include: Mike Mesker (Narrator/Mysterious Man), Debora Schwartz (Jack's Mother), Garrett Marshall (Cinderella's Prince), Erik Austin (Rapunzel's Prince), Olivia Richardson (Stepmother), Katie Ridge (Florinda), Ashlin Hatch (Lucinda), Sandy Schwarer (Granny/Giant) and Lester Wilson as the Wolf. M
embers of the creative team include Stephen Tosh (Musical Direction), David Beals (Lighting Design), and Keith Wetzel of Costume Capers (Costume Design). Professional backdrops will be provided by Grosh, Inc.

When Into The Woods first opened on Broadway in 1987, it was called "the most imaginative musical of the season, a major theatrical event" by Jeffrey Lyons, then a theatre critic for WCBS-TV. The play's soaring melodies and witty dialogue caused it to become a Broadway blockbuster, running for 764 performances and then beginning a 17-month national tour. Writers James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim also won the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for Sunday in the Park with George.

Don't miss Kelrik's production of this intelligent musical comedy, a great choice towrap up the Kelrik legacy. It is a perfect Goodbye but also a celebration of our success here in San Luis Obispo.

INTO THE WOODS
July 16 - 18
Friday & Saturday @ 7PM, Sunday @ 2 PM
$22.50 - $27.50
Spanos Theatre, Performing Arts Center, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
805 756-ARTS or www.pacslo.org

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