With a live band, translucent trees placed like greek columns, a lustful Prince Charming and wonderful costumes, Western Stage’s Into the Woods, by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, flares with moments of brilliance and style.
As an age- and gender-diverse audience waved their playbills to cool off in the steamy auditorium, Western Stage pulled off their task with poise.
In Into the Woods, once upon a time, our most beloved fictional characters enter into the depths of the woods to find what they desire. Although it’s an ensemble piece, the main focus is the Baker (Dennis Beasley) and his Wife (Jennifer Newman) who live under a curse that doesn’t allow them to have children, due to the mistake of the Baker’s father (Tom Kiatta).
When the Witch (Lyla Englehorn) appears, she grants them the opportunity to have a child, but with the stipulation that they bring her a cow “as white as milk,” a lock of hair “as yellow as corn,” and a garment “as red as blood.” That sets the plot gears into motion, engulfing Jack (Ethan McDaniel) of the Beanstalk fame, Cinderella (Lara Fern) and her Prince (Rhett Wheeler), Little Red Riding Hood (Maddie Jewell), her Grandmother (Arlene Boyd) and Rapunzel (Corbyjane Troya).
The set took a minimalist approach. At first I was confused why a musical about the woods had a stage that consisted of no trees but instead pseudo-trees, rubber bands made large columns that reached the ceiling. When there was wind or a stomp from a giant’s foot, the rubber bands would shake like trees would. Also in the set was a silhouette of Little Red Riding Hood’s house that was creative and clever, along with an effective approximation of Rapunzel's tower.
The live band was excellent. Despite a few missed cues like one character handing beans to another, conductor Don Dally led the band well and overall produced a clean sound, a wonderful addition.
Although most of the songs were well sung and coordinated. Like the Witch’s “Stay with Me” to her daughter Rapunzel, which gave me goosebumps. The two princes, Dale Thompson and Rhett Wheeler, performed two fantastic duos together that sounded great and were humorous.
Some of the others sounded off. Jack’s Ethan McDaniel provided an excellent performance on the acting side but didn’t quite impress during his debut song “I Guess This Is Goodbye” to his faithful cow friend. Like Little Red Riding Hood said, “Nice is different than good.”
The play had its comic relief throughout to sweeten its lessons about our deepest desires, the troubles we endure to chase them, and the prices we pay to achieve them.
Hearing the expression “don’t live in fairytale land” or the idea that fairytales don’t come true doesn’t apply to this work. The whole importance of the play is that even though it is a fairytale, it resonates with the human emotions and struggles that we deal with. In our own journey of walking through the woods, we all experience getting lost and running into our own Princes and Giants.
Into the Woods runs 7:30pm Fri-Sat, 2pm Sun, through Aug. 1 (Sat), at Western Stage Main Stage, Hartnell College, 411 Central Ave., Salinas (note: construction has blocked the front entrance, enter through the side doors.) $25. 755-6810, www.WesternStage.com.