Theater Review: ‘Into the Woods’ brings a magical performance straight from Broadway

As a teenager I fell in love with “Into the Woods” the first time I saw a small town theater’s production of it. That feeling has carried on, and finally seeing it professionally performed live was amazing, especially with such a stellar cast.

For those unfamiliar, “Into the Woods” is a musical fantasy “dramedy” created by Stephen Sondheim that blends classic fairy tales together, all happening at the same time, plus an original story about a baker and his wife who desperately want a baby. The main cast includes Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and the Beanstalk), Rapunzel, and others. The first act has a classic fairytale ending, while the second is much darker, dealing with the consequences of your actions, and being careful what you wish for.

This particular production and cast of “Into the Woods” came straight from Broadway and will only be visiting a few 10 cities on a limited engagement (this is the only one in Florida). Seventeen out of 18 cast members on stage each night were in the Broadway production and 97% of the whole company, including off-stage, are also direct from Broadway. The show is a bit different than what one might expect, as the sets are much more minimalist than the traditional production and the orchestra is on display the entire show. While I’m not usually a fan of this type of staging, I didn’t mind it as much since the woods are the main setting and all they really need for those are trees, which they had.

The cast oozed talent, notably Tony Award Winning Actresses Montego Glover and Stephanie J. Block, who portray the Witch and the Baker’s Wife respectively. They were just absolutely phenomenal. A surprise was the understudy for the role of Cinderella, Ellie Fisherman, who really made the character her own and delivered a fantastic performance.

The puppeteering added to this production was a hit with the audience. The main puppet being the very lovable cow, Milky White. Plus there a few other fun characters represented in a new way, like Jack’s golden egg-laying chicken, or the giant’s huge boots stomping around the stage.

“Into the Woods” is performing through June 11 at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Fla. The production will also be traveling to San Francisco and Los Angeles Calif. next, before ending their run. While families with little ones may still enjoy the show, be sure to explain to them that the second act will be a bit sad and these aren’t the same versions of the characters they know from the theme parks and television.