Into the Woods, Signature Theatre, Arlington, VA

 

The cast of Into the Woods. Photo credit: Daniel Rader.

“Once upon a time,” or words to that effect, may be the most commonly used first phrase in the world of storytelling, whether written or oral. We use these shared stories, sometimes called fairytales, to teach, to inspire, and to share cultural values. A fascinating note in the program for Into the Woods notes that there are over 500 versions of the Cinderella story alone, all the way back to 5^th century BCE Greece and 9^th century China. I had no idea.

Into the Woods, the current offering (continuing through January 29, 2023) at Arlington’s Signature Theatre, interweaves aspects of four familiar fairy tales (Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel) with a “new” fairytale about a Baker and his Wife, concocted by librettist James Lapine and composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim. There are even a couple of passing references to Snow White.

But these are definitely not the Disney-fied versions of these iconic characters, and though these are fairytale stories, this version may be too dark for children. In Act I, we see the stories’ events pretty much as they have always unfolded. Act II gives us twists and turns of what happens after those fairytales end, reminding us that, in the real world, there are few fairytale endings. Actions have consequences. As the characters sing, “Dreams come true / Not free.”

Into the Woods premiered on Broadway 35 years ago this month. While it had a respectable almost-two-years run, it was never the “smash” hit that its same-season competitor The Phantom of the Opera has been. It has retained its appeal and popularity: a second revival is currently playing on Broadway.

And small wonder, because the play’s message transcends time and still resonates, perhaps even more so in the era of a global pandemic. Its reflections on our collective need for each other and the primacy of the relationship between parents and children bring all of the loose ends together in the final two songs, “No One Is Alone” and “Children Will Listen.”

Signature’s production (with scene design by Lee Savage) is set in the nursery of a Victorian home that has been abandoned by its former occupants. It is a space in which stories such as these have been repeated over and over again, perhaps for generations. Now in a state of disrepair, there is still an aura that this is a place in which many stories can be told again. An actor identified in the program as “Narrator/ Mysterious Man” appears, blows the dust off an old book, and begins to share the tales.

As always at Signature, the production values are high. The direction and choreography by Matthew Gardiner are clean, often surprising, and performed with precision. Musical director/conductor Jon Kalbfleisch and his 15 musicians deliver the challenging Sondheim score flawlessly. The cast sings it pitch-perfectly and with outstanding diction.  Costumes designed by David Israel Reynoso and lighting by Amanda Zieve help bring the fairytales to life. Since the scene is set in Victorian times, a minor detail that seems inappropriate is the very contemporary hairstyle used for Cinderella.

The cast is large, diverse, and expert, featuring some Signature favorites as well as newcomers.

An especially enjoyable aspect of theatre-going in the DC area is the opportunity to see actors demonstrate their ranges in different roles and different venues. How fortunate we are to have the opportunity to see them. For Nova Y. Payton to have the opportunity to play Celie in the musical The Color Purple and then appear as the Witch just two months later is extraordinary. The characters could scarcely be more different, but Payton’s soaring voice suits them both. In the past year I have seen Jake Loewenthal in four distinctly different roles (Roger in Rent, Kodaly in She Loves Me, George Gibbs in Our Town, and now the Baker), infusing each with charm and a clear baritone. Erin Weaver has been absent from the Signature stage for a while, but I remember her frayed-nerved Amy in Company from several years ago and her turn as the Baker’s Wife proves equally memorable. Signature favorites like Christopher Bloch (Narrator/Mysterious Man), Alex De Bard (Little Red Riding Hood), Sherri L. Edelen (Jack’s Mother), Vincent Kempinski (Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince), Katie Mariko Murray (Cinderella), Maria Rizzo (Cinderella’s Stepmother), and Paul Scanlan (Rapunzel’s prince) deliver strong performances, as do the newcomers, especially Simone Brown (Rapunzel). The one cast member whose performance strikes a discordant note is David Merino (who was an excellent Angel in Rent) as Jack. He brought a great deal of energy to the role, but it appears unfocused. Consequently, Merino’s Jack comes off as childish rather than child-like.

I should also note a special guest “appearance” by two-time Tony-winner Phylicia Rashad, delivering a taped voice performance as the unseen Giant’s Wife.

This is a production that should draw large and appreciative audiences during the holiday season.