Into the Woods' Complicated Ever After 

Modern renditions of fairytales are simplistic, bland stories that encourage learned helplessness and non-consensual kissing — a far cry from the dark folk tales collected by the Brothers Grimm. The musical Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, now being performed at the Van Duzer Theatre by the Cal Poly Humboldt Department of Dance, Music and Theatre, honors fairytale origins by exploring what might happen if the princes and damsels, witches, wish-makers and errant children had to face the consequences of their actions once their wishes came true. "Little Red Riding Hood," "Jack and the Bean Stalk," "Rapunzel" and "Cinderella" are familiar fairytales woven together on the weft of an original tale, "The Baker and His Wife." A young couple with fertility issues is visited by the scary old witch next door who explains the curse on their house that keeps them childless and a way to lift it. They start their quest by going — you guessed it — into the woods to obtain four seemingly unrelated items within "three midnights." When the desperate couple intersects with the other characters, the familiar stories go off the beaten path into much more interesting territory.

The musical has several story arcs with the consistent theme of trying to wish one's life better. The Baker (Willow Aguilar) and his wife (Lue Conely) interrupt Cinderella (Remy Fortney), Jack (Ash Quintana) and Little Red Riding Hood (Miah Carter) as they go through their respective journeys with surprising and funny effects. The first act is full of unexpected twists and turns. By the intermission, everyone has landed on the same "happily ever after" they traditionally end with. It's Act Two where the story gets truly subversive. The characters must face their fears and set aside their differences to work together and defeat a common enemy. Much of it is comedic, but there are sad and poignant elements mixed in that make the story rich and rewarding.

The musical numbers are fittingly complex and catchy with a driving beat throughout that keeps the juggernaut of a production consistently moving forward. The live accompaniment is flawless in execution and creates an immersive experience. The company rises to the challenge of overlaying and intertwining musical numbers that require precision and endurance.

The lead actors truly earn their demanding roles. The opening scene starts with the Narrator (Filip Amborski) dressed and speaking like your favorite English professor, lulling us with the quintessential phrase, "Once upon a time." Amborski leads the audience through the intertwining tales with gentle authority and fine comedic timing. Fortney keeps Cinderella wistful and infuses her with coy playfulness. Quintana's Jack and his mother (Savannah Rivers) work well together as an exasperated mother and foolish son. I am especially impressed with the third member of that family Milky-White the cow, played with great expression by puppeteer Benji Salisbury. He has his work cut out for him, but he makes the odd contraption that represents the cow come to life and win my heart. As the Baker and his wife, Aguilar and Conely anchor the story as a relatable opposites-attract couple. The pair has great chemistry, making the love and frustrations between their characters feel authentic. Little Red Riding Hood has a vibrant presence to match her red cloak and Carter keeps an innocence around her character, even when stealing sweets or wielding a knife. The Witch (Penny DellaPelle) is larger than life. DellaPelle eats the stage as the assumed antagonist: scary, funny and plain fed up with idiots. She does justice — both singing and acting-wise — to one of the most complex characters of the musical. The royal brothers, Cinderella's Prince (Jake Hylsop) and Rapunzel's Prince (Dominic Trezza) provide fabulous comic relief. Hylsop and Trezza do not shy away from over-the-top princely preening and prancing. I love the sibling rivalry as a motivator for their conquests. All the hair and make-up looks are well designed, but the pompadour on Cinderella's Prince deserves a chef's kiss. Hylsop pulls it off majestically. The musical is as full of characters as a fairytale anthology. The supporting cast made their characters unique and alive with untold stories of their own.

Director Rae Robison had a full plate keeping the huge cast crisp and true in this production. The blocking and action are crucial to setting time and place at each scene due to the limited set. It works quite well keeping the audience focused on the characters. She and musical director Elisabeth Harrington have clearly inspired the actors to put in the hard work necessary to make a quality musical.

The set is surprisingly simple for all the different locales in the story. A few large mobile pieces change from dark woods to massive book spines, making the characters look like they stepped out of their volumes onto the bookshelf to tell us their stories. Many of the costume pieces have cloth patterned with writing, reinforcing the storybook theme. While the costumes are clearly from different stories they still tie together well on stage. This is a well-done production of an award-winning musical worth seeing.

Performances of Into the Woods continue at the Van Duzer Theatre Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 31, at 2 p.m. Visit centerarts.humboldt.edu.

Doranna Benker Gilkey (she/her) is a longtime Humboldt County resident and can often be found at her store Dandar's Boardgames and Books in Arcata.

COMING SOON

Dell'Arte presents Michelle Matlock's original Solo Performance on March 30. Visit dellarte.com.

North Coast Repertory Theatre presents Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in all its rom-com drag glory at the 5th and D Street Theater. It opens March 31 and runs through April 21. Visit ncrt.net.