Written by orange• September 25, 2026• 3:05 pm• Costa Mesa, Musical, South Coast Repertory, Uncategorized

Into the Woods @ South Coast Repertory – Review

Photo Credit: Scott Smeltzer

Written by Daniella Litvak

Once upon a time, a Theater Critic had a Broadway musical bucket list. And on that bucket was Into The Woods. Fairy tales, Stephen Sondheim, referenced on Gilmore Girls – how could she not be intrigued by this wondrous show? Determined to keep herself spoiler-free until she saw it live on stage, the Theater Critic avoided listening to the songs – as much as she could – or seeing the movie adaptation. Yet years passed, and opportunities to see Into the Woods always seemed to slip through her fingers at the last minute. Then one day, a mighty wizard asked the Theater Critic, “Will you review Into the Woods at South Coast Repertory?” And so, under the cloak of darkness, the Theater Critic took up her pen and ventured to see Into the Woods at South Coast Repertory.

Story:

So what is this long-awaited tale about? Set in a fairy-tale realm where your real estate choices are castles, cottages, and towers, The Baker (Dylan Saunders) and the Baker’s wife (Danielle Hope) long for a child. However, their neighbor, the Witch (Valerie Perri), cursed them to be without a child. The only way for these wannabe parents to break the curse is to bring the Witch a bunch of seemingly obscure and random items she needs for a potion. So the Baker and the Baker’s Wife journey into the woods. Along the way, they run into several familiar characters who are having wild adventures of their own. It all leads to a happy ending, though, right? Right?

Acting/Costume/Set:

Since Into the Woods features a plethora of plotlines, a compelling ensemble is crucial to its success. Fortunately, SCR’s cast was up to the challenge – excellent performances across the board. Danielle Hope and Valerie Perri, who played The Baker’s Wife and Jack’s Mother, respectively. Both roles have one thing in common: they are the more grounded characters relative to most of the cast. Consequently, when they make questionable choices, they don’t have the charm, humor, or magic of other characters that would make the audience appreciate them regardless of how far they go. Nonetheless, both Hope and Tang delivered performances that made you really feel for The Baker’s Wife and Jack’s Mother.

Fashion is a statement. Into the Woods does a great job of using costuming to express characters’ state of mind and development. Some costume transformations are fun and dramatic. Other costume changes are more understated but are heart wrenching.

The set design mostly relies upon projections. The projections themselves provided atmosphere. It was cool that the projection wasn’t just one screen. Instead, it was cut into smaller pieces, like blinds, which added flexibility and movement to the design. Still, I wish it hadn’t been quite so projection-heavy. The show utilized moving platforms well. The animal props also provided some of the show’s biggest laughs.

And so after the theater critic returned home from her long, long journey, there was really only one question left to answer. Would she go back Into The Woods again? The answer is yes.