PCPA ventured "Into the Woods" on Saturday night to open its run of Stephen Sondheim's musical. There's fun to be found in following well-known fairy tale characters such as Little Red Riding Hood (Ekatrina Bouras), Rapunzel (Elizabeth Martinié), and Cinderella (Gracie Jurczy) lose themselves in the woods. Our familiarity with the stories allows Into the Woods to enlarge, send up, fracture, and interweave their storylines--all in the service of an engaging evening of musical theater.
The musical power of the cast entrances us with the songs, helping us follow the tracks of the plot that sometimes branches off in all directions. Likewise, the acting serves the ironies of the story. For example, PCPA company member, Yusef Seevers, employs similar body language in both his two roles to underscore the commonality between Cinderella's Prince and the Wolf. As the Wolf, he charms Little Red Riding Hood to stray off her path: "Hello, little girl, what's your rush?/ You're missing all the flowers/ The sun won't set for hours/ Take your time.") As Cinderella's Prince, Seevers recapitulates the lupine stalking movements of the Wolf as he persuades the Baker's Wife (played with hilarity by Emily Trask) that they should share "a moment" in the woods.
Director Roger DeLaurier, for whom this production marks a final curtain call to his lengthy and remarkable career at PCPA, balances the musical's notes of sweetness and sorrow. The characters chase their quests, and, fulfilling them, discover there are no happy endings, only moments. The Witch (Lexi Rhoades) delivers the emotional climax of Act Two in her beautiful solo "Last Midnight" in which she abandons the other characters, cursing them by leaving them alone. DeLaurier counters the melancholy with notes of solace in the penultimate song, "No One Is Alone" sung by Cinderella (Gracie Jurczy) and the Baker (the always fabulous George Walker). The Baker, his baby, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack huddle together. Their repeating lyric of "Someone is on your side/ No one is alone" is cast across the mass of audience members who've gathered for this "once upon a time" story.
"Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor," as Cinderella says, and, for that reason, I recommend you find your way to the newly renovated Solvang Festival Theater for Into the Woods playing until September 4, 2022.
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