By Carol Davis
CARLSBAD, Californa — The very first time I saw the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical Into The Woods was at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986 where it debuted and ran for fifty performances. It subsequently went on to Broadway in 1987 where it won Tony’s for Best Score (music and lyrics by Sondheim), Best Book (James Lapine) and Joanna Gleason won the Tony for Best Actress.
For those of us seeing it on opening night we were entranced by the first act. Soon however, after intermission, the opening scene of Act II became somewhat of an anomaly.
The first act is a charming children’s story inspired by Bruno Bettleheim’s 1976 book, The Uses of Enchantment with several of the Brothers Grim fairy tales including ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Rapunzel’ woven together.
The second act explores the results of each of the characters wishes if they went beyond the ‘happy ever after’ ending, ending. That was an unexpected turn of events that caught first night audiences off guard.
A huge crash, trees falling and dark clouds filled the stage as Act II began. It seemed like a quake split the action and all the characters fell to the ground. Gloom and doom hovered over the playing space and from a happy little fairy tale, the reality of ‘being careful what you wish for’ set in, but it took a while to make the shift.
Not to worry. Some of the adjustments made after the show went to Broadway and then back to Los Angeles helped make the transition smoother and, yes Virginia there is a happy ending. Fast forward to what we see now.
Into The Woods traces the stories of the above-mentioned characters that are all tied together by their desires to have more. Jack (Trevor Sanderson) wants his cow ‘Milky White’ to give more milk so he and his mother (Sandra Ellis-Troy) can have more money from the sale of the cow to buy more bread from the Baker. The Baker and his wife (Steve Gunderson) and (Melissa Fernandes) wish they could have a child.
Enter The Witch (Devlin). She bribes the Baker to get her four ingredients to make a magic potent so they (the Baker and his wife) will have a long ago curse lifted and can finally have a child. Little Red Riding Hood (Hannah Rose Kornfeld) on her way to Grandmother’s (Virginia Gregg) meets up with The Big Bad Wolf (Randall Dodge) who follows her to Granny’s.
The Prince (Dodge again) saves Cinderella from her step-mother (Carly Dellinger), Rapunzel finds her own prince (Derek Robert Smith) after escaping from her guarded tower and Narrator Manny Fernandes holds the entire thing together as he navigates us through the book dressed as a Mr. Rogers look-a-like. (Shirley Pierson is responsible for the costumes)
This is true Sondheim on a smaller scale but under the experienced direction of James Vasquez it is as delightful as it should as it plays out on the set created by Tim Wallace with spot on lighting by Jason Bieber. Live music under the baton and direction of Elan McMahan and Charlie Reuter add continuity and depth even though there were a few sound glitches, which by now will be fixed.
With strong support from Randall Dodge who is a hoot dressed in his Wolf’s clothing and later as the Prince, pretty much steals the show as he pounces in front of Red Riding Hood, with that sinister smile and then moves on to meet her at Granny’s house.
Hannah Rose Kornfeld is a perfect Little Red Riding Hood. Last seen by this reviewer as Annie in Starlight’s production of the same name several years ago, Ms. Kornfeld is developing some fine chops to go along with her acting skills. Nice job for a sophomore in high school.
Melissa Fernandes and Steve Gunderson rule as the Baker and his wife. Both are at ease as we follow their quest into the woods to get the necessary ingredients to satisfy the witch. Both are so versatile that seeing them in any production shines a new light on their talents. Sandra Ellis- Troy the ever the loving mom and grandmother, gives fine comfort to her errant son, Jack
Devlin, the wicked witch was hard to understand until after she pushed the heavy hood from her cape off her face. Sporting a wrinkled up witches rubberized mask complete with hooknose blunted her voice until she found her footing (literally); she took a spill right out the gate but recovered soon after. But those daggers on her fingernails? Even I’d be afraid to meet up with her in the woods.
Some unforgettable music is still remembered from this show: “Children Will Listen”, “Giants In the Sky”, “Stay With Me”, “Agony” and “No One Is Alone”. No one is quite like the unforgettable Sondheim, either.
Overall kudos have to be given to New Village Arts for, a) mounting a musical, and b) probably one of the most difficult given that there are about eighteen actors that come and go in this story and at some point they are all in the woods (on the stage) together and finally c) for having live music with the likes of Lyndon Pugeda on keyboards and Jason Payne, percussion.
You go gang!
See you at the theatre.
Dates: September 22nd– October 31st
Organization: New Village Arts
Phone: 760-433-3245
Production Type: Musical
Where: 2787 State Street, Carlsbad Village
Ticket Prices: $33.00-$38.00
Web: newvillagearts.org
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Theatre critic Davis is based in San Diego