Acclaimed ‘Into the Woods’ Production Opens in Los Angeles, Final Tour Stop

The hugely acclaimed production of “Into the Woods,” Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Tony Award-winning musical, opened last week at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, the final stop for the limited U.S. tour featuring much of the cast from Broadway. Some may want to disregard a musical about fairy tale characters, but this production is stunning, and the cast is outstanding.

“Into the Woods” is widely considered to be one of the late Sondheim’s best musicals. Lapine’s plot rises above childhood fantasies into a nuanced moral reality. Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), Rapunzel, and fictional folk may be familiar, but their plots continue here intertwined. The characters learn that the wishing, the wanting of childhood may be short-sighted. “Happily ever after” rarely happens; princes aren’t always charming; and it is hard to anticipate what is waiting on a journey through the woods.

Cast Well Known on Broadway

“Into the Woods” premiered on Broadway in 1987 and took home three Tony Awards that year. While widely performed by regional theater groups and schools, it is often an abridged version. The movie version in 2014 included the full plot and a star-studded cast. The production of “Into the Woods” now in Los Angeles, the final stop of a brief national tour, was acclaimed when it opened on Broadway in 2022 with a cast of NY stage veterans to herald the post-pandemic return to live theater.

Broadway aficionados will recognize names in the cast. Reprising roles played in New York are Sebastian Arcelus as The Baker, Stephanie J. Block as The Baker’s Wife, Gavin Creel as Cinderella’s Prince and the wolf Red Riding Hood encounters, along with Montego Glover as The Witch. The production also includes former Broadway cast members Aymee Garcia as Jack’s Mother, Katy Geraghty as Little Red Riding Hood, Kennedy Kanagawa as Milky White, David Patrick Kelly as the Narrator, Nancy Opel as Cinderella’s Stepmother, Cole Thompson as Jack, Alysia Velez as Rapunzel, and others.

Credit for the cast and original elements this production offers goes to director Lear deBessonet. He knows he has wonderful material to work with, so he avoids the temptation to overproduce “Into the Woods.” With a minimal number of props and no dramatic effects, deBessonet lets the cast and material shine.

Actors Romping Through the Woods

The cast is the heart of the production’s success:

• The Baker and his Wife long for a child. While the characters alternately bicker and collaborate, the fact that Arcelus and Block are married in real life adds genuine tenderness and affection to their portrayal. In Act 2, the Baker’s Wife has a fling with Cinderella’s Prince (Creel). This leads to Block’s stellar, poignant rendition of “Moments in the Woods,” which conveys that her dalliance left her rethinking her journey.
• Creel is wonderful in both of his roles. He plays a preening playboy prince, who explains to Cinderella that he was raised to be charming, not sincere. Creel and Jason Forbach, who plays Rapunzel’s Prince, deliver “Agony,” their conceited, competitive tale of wooing the girls of their dreams, with buffoonish mannerisms that emphasize their pompousness. The crowd favorite is reprised later when the now married Princes start eyeing other maidens – Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. Creel is also a delight as the lecherous Wolf trying to tempt Red Riding Hood. He menacingly licks his chops as he sings “Hello Little Girl.”
• Geraghty’s Little Red Ridinghood is boldly bratty yet charming. She confidently heads on her path while gorging on the food she’s supposed to bring to her grandmother’s house. She defiantly resists the Wolf’s overtures and the Baker’s attempt to get her cape. As the story gets darker, she bravely hides her fears to tackle the dangerous elements in the woods.
• Glover has a tough act to follow for those who loved Meryl Streep’s Witch in the movie. But, Glover adds depth to the role. She is incandescent in conveying her indignation about losing her beans, a deep yearning to reclaim her looks, and a zealous desire to protect Rapunzel. Her renditions of “Stay With Me” and “Last Midnight” are amazing, in both the singing and the dramatic presentation.
• Giant-killing Jack is well portrayed by Thompson. However, his beloved cow, Milky White, steals every scene he’s in. The cow is a puppet in this production. However, in the hands of his puppeteer, Kennedy Kanagawa, the cow is expressive and entertaining.

Staging and Creative Choices

The creative team deserves kudos for their choices. The set by David Rockwell is simple. The woods are represented by birch trunks hanging down. The lighting by Tyler Micoleau is spot on, pun intended. Special mention to James Ortiz for his puppet design, which included Milky White and a clever pair of humungous shoes stomping and crossing the stage representing the giantess and all her menace.

Another unusual choice in this production is keeping the orchestra on the Ahmanson stage. It could have been a distraction, but it effectively adds dramatic elements to some songs from Sondheim’s marvelous score.

Mood Changing Act Two

While Act One playfully tells the familiar fairy tales, Act Two of “Into the Woods” highlights the darkness in tales by the Brothers Grimm. The lighting becomes more menacing as life and the giantess descending from the beanstalk unsettle the characters.

This Act of “Into the Woods” shows that happily-ever-after endings may not be the best option. It also conveys that people need to join together to get through difficult times. The idea that “No One Is Alone” reminds everyone that life is unpredictable. As the song notes about loss, “Do not let it grieve you, no one leaves for good.”

Those in the Los Angeles area – take advantage of the opportunity to see this delightful, acclaimed production of “Into the Woods” on its final tour stop before it closes July 30.

Written by Dyanne Weiss

Sources:

Performance June 29, 2023

Centre Theatre Group

Los Angeles Times, “What It’s Like to Lead a National Broadway Tour with Your Spouse”

L.A. Downtown News, “Lifelong Dream: Katy Geraghty traipses onto the stage in ‘Into the Woods’”

Photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman, courtesy at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre: (top) Gavin Creel and Katy Geraghty, (center) puppeteer Kennedy Kanagawa and Cole Thompson, and (bottom) Montego Glover in the Broadway production of “Into the Woods.”