Into the Woods
Written by Eli Ilkay and Rosie Curwood
Into the Woods is a 1987 Broadway classic by Stephen Sondheim. It tells the story of fairytale characters who cross paths, including Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Cinderella. The musical starts with a baker and his wife longing for a child, Jack and his mother in poverty, and Cinderella wanting to go to the festival hosted by a prince.
Interlochen director Mr. Miller chose to set this storybook musical in Central Park in the 1980s. This take on Into The Woods was an original and creative way to portray the story and characters, making it feel more human. Georgia Turner, a senior musical theatre major, thought the show was “Bonkers and very fun to watch; the costume of the Witch was my favorite.”
Students at IAA found this 1980s storybook musical enlightening and educational. Starting the rehearsal process in early September, it was seen as challenging to transform the original musical into something that had never been done before. Eli Ilkay, a senior musical theater major, said, “Building a new character was a little hard, especially when they are someone in a new world that has never been done before. With no videos or little inspiration, I searched and looked for new ideas that blended my character living in NYC in the 1980s.” The Design and Production Team for Into The Woods helped to embody the world, executing it beautifully with fantastic costumes that brought audience members into the time. The cast for this production made it possible to live in this 1980s world and was willing to work for the vision. Eli continued: “The adrenaline rushing through the cast before the open dress rehearsal was thrilling, and when the applause started, everyone knew IAA had executed this idea perfectly.”
From an audience perspective, this was a truly captivating show! Stephen Sondheim’s work is very well known and appreciated, so to hear the orchestra play the fourteen-minute introduction to the show, the audience knew they would love every minute. Hearing about the process from the cast was intriguing, and it left the Interlochen community in suspense, wanting to see how it would be done, as the musical is so well known. Mr. Miller, the cast, and the crew had done some serious work, which paid off so beautifully. From the first act, where the audience sees the Wolf and Little Red, to meeting Cinderella and her prince, Jack, and his cow, who was on roller skates, it was a fun way to interpret this character. In Act Two, the audience sees how the characters face questions of doubt and anxiety about their future.
Overall, IAA’s production of Into the Woods was a must-see and will be a memorable show for years. In case you missed Into the Woods, the theatre department has many shows coming up this following semester, including student-directed One Acts, The Great MC, Volpone, The Dolly Parton Revue, Don Juan in Hell, The Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet, and Carousel.