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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Into the Woods Also see Gil's reviews of Alfie Boe with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Doubt, Angels in America: Millennium Approaches
Sondheim's score, which includes some of his most intricate and humorous rhyme schemes, and Lapine's book come together effortlessly in a show that has just as many comical moments as it does reflective ones. The two have seamlessly woven together familiar fairy tales that we all grew up with into a musical where the stories of Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel all interconnect with each other. Since most of these well-known tales are set in the woods, it isn't a far stretch to assume that they all happened in the same place at the same time. But what Sondheim and Lapine also did was to create an entirely original fairy tale, the story of the Baker and his wife who are desperate to have a child, as the way to bring these famous stories together. The Baker and the Baker's Wife live right next door to a Witch. She tells the couple that she placed a curse on their family and that is why they are unable to have a child. However, if they wish to have the curse reversed there is a potion that is made up of four items that they can bring to her and the curse will be lifted. But how they can get the ingredients for the potion isn't clearly spelled out. When the Baker and his wife are sent off to the woods by the Witch, they meet up with the other fairy-tale characters: Jack on his way to market to sell his cow, Little Red on her way to her grandmother's house, Rapunzel who lives in a tower in the woods, and Cinderella who is on her way back from the ball. They, and the audience, quickly realize that the four required items are related to these other characters—yet another creative way that Sondheim and Lapine combine the stories into one adventure. But that is just the tip of the iceberg in creativeness, as the second act shows what happens after "happily ever after," with the humor and happiness of the first act having serious repercussions. Sondheim and Lapine are clearly saying to be careful what you wish for, as all wishes that come true may not result in the exact type of happiness we originally dreamed they'd have. The large ensemble cast is just about perfect. Michael Schulz make a charming Baker, with a sensible delivery of his lines and a lovely voice. His solo "No More" is especially touching. As his wife, Ally Lansdowne has a warm, exceptional voice and manages to bring plenty of spark to her comic lines but shows the conflicted side of her character as well. Tatum Dial makes a sweet yet sensible Cinderella, delivering a clear as a bell version of her solo song "On the Steps of the Palace." As the Witch, Carly Copp brings the right blend of menace and comedy. She appears appropriately agitated at the humans she has to deal with and also looks quite stunning once her character experiences a transformation. Sam Primack makes for a stellar Jack. He brings a keen sense of exuberance to the part and delivers every one of his lines with the right level of care and understanding to ensure the comic ones pop and the serious ones have meaning. His excellent voice delivers an exceptional "Giants in the Sky." Alex Kirby is perfectly sweet and sassy as Little Red Riding Hood, yet also displays hints of grown-up feelings and understanding once she encounters the Wolf. As the two Princes, Connor Baker and Julian Mendoza are hilarious, with Baker using an affected voice and condescending tone which adds a nice amount of humor to his line delivery and Mendoza displaying some impressive vocal chops. While their duet "Agony" is a crowd pleaser, it would be even more effective if the two didn't slightly overact the humorous lyrics. The large supporting cast works very well; I especially liked Spencer Claus as the Steward who, with perfect line delivery, a comical accent, and appropriate facial expressions, elevates this usually one note part into a more fleshed out one. Producing Artistic Director Bobb Cooper delivers clear direction of this fast-paced musical. He also ensures that his cast doesn't simply copy the recent film character portrayals or the performances of the original Broadway cast, both of which are easily available on video, instead offering some nice original performances of their own. Sondheim's score has many overlapping and intricate parts and Cooper and the cast manage their way through the score without a single hiccup, which is a huge achievement. None of the fast-paced songs are slowed down, something a less accomplished cast might resort to doing, which allows for a swift telling of the story. While Cooper does an impressive job overall, there are two moments that could be improved upon. During the song "Agony," the Baker's Wife is supposed to overhear the two Princes telling about the women they are perusing, without them being aware she is there. Yet the Baker's Wife isn't partially hidden behind a tree but in full view of the audience and both of the Princes. Also, during one of Sondheim's best songs, when Cinderella sings "On the Steps of the Palace," Cooper has her constantly walking around the stage, which distracts from the intricate rhyme scheme of the lyrics. Also, some of the humorous lines are too rushed, or delivered too seriously, thus losing a few punch lines in Lapine's well-crafted book. While the set is a rental from 3D Theatricals in Long Beach, California, Tom Buderwitz's design is spectacular and shows that sometimes renting an existing set from another company, instead of building one yourself, can provide excellent results. The combination of the impressive set with the colorful and exceptional costumes from Karol Cooper, remarkable lighting from Mike Eddy, and Almir Lejlic's clear sound design make this production one that any professional theatre in town would be proud to present. With some of Sondheim's brightest gems, including the ballads "No One is Alone," and "Children Will Listen," Into the Woods is a show that also has important lessons and messages underneath the comical exterior. Even with a cast of teenagers, the Valley Youth Theatre production is able to get those messages across. With just a very few shortcomings, the combination of a very good cast, clear direction, and impressive sets, costumes, lighting and sound, make this Into the Woods an enchanting production of a most creative and ingenious musical. The Valley Youth Theatre production of Into the Woods runs through June 28th, 2015, at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe Street in Phoenix. Tickets can be purchased by calling 602-252-8497 or at www.vyt.com/home. Book by James Lapine Cast: (In Order of Appearance)
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