Guest Review of Into the Woods

Guest Review of Into the Woods

Every beloved storybook tale ends with a happily ever after, but what really happens after that happily ever after? Seton Keough High School wonderfully performed “Into the Woods” in hopes to answer that question.

“Into the woods” is not the average run-of-the-mill storybook tale. Steven Sondheim’s music and lyrics with James Lapine’s book invite the audience into the woods to witness classic storybook characters cross paths, which creates some unforeseen outcomes.

The production was very engaging. The show was not only on stage, but it was happening all around the theater. Rapunzel would be seen up above in the tech window, the princes would gallop through the aisles, or another one of the many other characters would wonder around the theater as they trekked through the forest.

Jessica Harzer gave a standout performance as the witch. Her voice was powerful, yet lovely much like the personality of the witch is. The witch may seem to be an all-around evil woman, but she had a soft spot for Rapunzel. “Stay with Me” and the “Witch’s Lament” highlighted the Witch’s second layer, as well as her stellar singing voice.

The entire cast had the opportunity to stand out in their own way that kept the show entertaining and amusing. Jack’s mother (Hannah Keller) decided to snack on some popcorn while watching a spell be broken, the princes (Lauryn Chomicz and Liz Heppding) engaged in normal sibling rivalry, and the stepsisters (Emma Kalinski and Hannah Bangs) always seemed to be facing the wrong way during dance numbers since they began blind. There were also some standout moments that weren’t funny, but were powerful. Ryann Cooper’s portrayal of Rapunzel during the “Stay With Me” scene was tremendous. It is clear Rapunzel does love the witch, but she also fears what she will do to her. Her screams are moving, giving the audience an idea of the terror that lies in store for her.

The sets were very well done. The rooms of the different houses were fold-able which seemed to make set changes a little easier. When the rooms were removed, a lovely forest mural took up the back wall. With the addition of a few logs and Cinderella’s tree, it seemed as though the characters had entered the deepest reaches of the woods. The stage crew did a good job at setting up the scenes efficiently, but their outfits should have been all black to further conceal them, making the scene changes look like magic

Seton Keough did a fantastic job at incorporating the magic and reality of these classic fairy tales.

by Jordan Stanford of Long Reach High School