Fantasies come out of the woods Sondheim musical spellbinds with new take on fairy-tales

Author: Caitlin Vincek

Wandeirng into the Hepburn Zoo last weekend was like entering into a storybook. Once the show started, however, was not "Into the Woods," where it's not all princes and castles. Or it was, but with a twist.

Most of the characters - Little Red (of the Riding Hood fame), Jack (who climbed the infamous Beanstalk) and Cinderella (she lost her slipper) - are recognizable, but as the musical progresses, these characters transform from fantastically pure childhood comrades to intriguingly complex strangers. When Little Red's wolf craves not just an afternoon snack, but a "cape as red as blood," a symbol of Red's virginity, or when Jack unleashes a giant that wreaks havoc on the entire village or when Cinderella's prince cheats on her, you thank God your mother never read you these stories before bed. These fairy tales are niether utopian fantasy nor horror story, but reality.

Steven Sondheim's "Into the Woods" is about growing up - Little Red "strays from the path" to discover her sexuality. Jack, the Mama's boy, goes off in search of independence and must learn to take responsibility for his actions. Cinderella struggles to find courage and self-respect in a world that does not understand her. A young couple wants a child, but must first learn to cooperate and appreciate each other. A witch locks her daughter, Rapunzel, away in a tower in a desperate attempt to shelter her from the often dark truths of the world. The play highlights the time in life when the sheltered fantasy of childhood begins to give way to the reality of life, and the fairytale characters step off the page and into the real world, where they encounter, for the first time, the obstacles, fears and wishes that everyone experiences.

Middlebury College Musical Players' (MCMP) riveting performance of this unique tale took its audience through a wild range of emotions. We laughed (ironically) at the "Agony" of the Prince Charming brothers - one too dashing for his own good, the other a goofy pseudo skater-boy, played by dynamic duo Michael Tierney '09.5 and Patrick Martinez '09. We sobbed our way through the heartfelt "No One is Alone," in which Cinderella (Laura Budzyna '08) and the Baker (Michael Nevadomski '09) teach us "someone is on your side" and the Baker's Wife (Shannon Gmyrek '06) reminds us "no one leaves for good." We smiled, wide-eyed, at the big voice coming from the small Jack (Dan Kelley '08) in an energetic rendition of "Giants in the Sky." We held our breath during the powerful "No More" by the Baker and his father (Gonzalo Alonso '06) moved by the genuine tears in Nevadomski's eyes. We were chilled by the cold reality of the witch's (Allison Corke '08) "Last Midnight." We cooed at Jack's pouting-and-foot-stomping attempts to convince his mother that he is a man, giggled at Little Red's (Olivia Kerr '08.5) innocence mixed with a cynicism she doesn't know she has and scratched our heads at the puzzling antics of the Mysterious Man (Gonzalo Alonso '06).

At the risk of being ridiculously cheesy, "Into the Woods" was a royal success. Several members of the cast observed that the musical was an incredibly ambitious project for a club that has done less-involved shows in the past. MCMP alum Erin King '04 commented that "Into the Woods" was undoubtedly the best production the club has ever done. She was amazed at how far the club has progressed in its 10-year history.

"We didn't keep anything hidden. Everything was really direct and the undertones were brought up to the front," said Director Kevin Tierney '08. The set and venue were crucial factors - the set was cleverly designed with vines and shadows that actors ducked in and out of, appearing and disappearing as if in the woods. Tierney explained that he envisioned the set to be like a pop-up story book. The cardboard doors, cow and other props created a flat, fantasy world that stood in stark contrast to the very real, human characters. The intimate setting of the Hepburn Zoo also enhanced the show's intensity, allowing for maximal interaction between the audience and actors. Perhaps the only downfall was the near smoldering temperature in the theater, caused by three hours of stage lights and virtually no circulation. "I think I would have enjoyed the singing more if the sweat hadn't been dripping off my nose," said parent Paul Jawin.

And we can't forget the music. The pit consisted of four musicians and a conductor/keyboardist who played tirelessly through three hours of extremely challenging music that fueled show's intensity throughout. Musical director and narrator Mark Barber '06 said, "The thing that's unique about Sondheim's music is that it speaks." Because Sondheim writes music specifically for each character and mood, Barber suggested that you can listen to the music without lyrics and still come away with the message. At the end of the journey, "Into the Woods" leaves its audience with a myriad of profound messages. Among the most important is the idea of moral ambiguity. "There is no standard moral code," explained Budzyna, who, in "No One is Alone" proclaims that "witches can be right, giants can be good, you decide what's right; you decide what's good." The finale cautions us that children learn from our actions even if they appear not to listen to our instructions: "Careful the things you do; children will see and learn. Children may not obey, but children will listen."

It was clear that "Into the Woods" turned fantasy into reality both on and off the stage as the cast gushed enthusiastically about the experience. Gmyrek, for whom "Into the Woods" was a farewell performance, explained that producing the show was "a real dream made reality." Director Tierney echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that he was thrilled to have worked with such a "wonderful [group of] people who wanted to put on a good show." Gmyrek concluded, "I feel really great about leaving the club's future in the hands of such talented and enthusiastic people" - people for whom "happy every after" is never truly the end.