Written by Alina Mae Wilson 

Because fairy tales take place in delightful lands of magic and whimsy, I can only imagine that people producing such fiction think to themselves, “This isn’t historical. It’s flexible. Now is my chance to do something innovative and new”. Hence the strange new introduction the Curtis Theatre added to their production of Into the Woods. Sometimes attempts such as these are refreshingly innovative. Sometimes they fall flat. In the case of the Curtis Theater’s introduction to the show, it is the latter, but everything between the show’s beginning and end qualifies as redemption.

For those who don’t know, Into the Woods is a Stephen Sondheim musical featuring a variety of classic fairy tales, how they intermingle with each other, and what happens after, happily ever after. There is a DVD release of the original Broadway cast and a movie that just came out in the theaters last year. The point being a lot of people are familiar with the story and music at this point. So by attempting this play both musically and emotionally, they have a pretty high standard of living up to, and for this, the Curtis Theater is to be commended. 

The introduction to the piece falls flat. Points for creativity, but they’ve decided to take this “Princess Bride” angle where they start in a more modern world with the narrator as an old man telling the story to his granddaughter. The older man’s granddaughter turns into Little Red (ok, that’s cute), and a good portion of the first number is done in a library with modern clothes on while the actors and stage transition. The thing is, this might work if the show were little-known or an original piece. But it isn’t, and it’s not, so all I can think of while watching for the first ten minutes is, “Are they going to do the entire show like this?”  Fortunately, the answer is no, and a sigh of relief is breathed. We don’t hear from these people again until the end. With this distraction gone, the show can get underway. 

Performances fall into the “fine” category–some minor line fumbles, and some of the more passionate moments fail to convince. Most people onstage have acting skills that are neither here nor there, but they are strong singers. This is not true in the case of Brandon Sanchez (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf) and Chanel Morehead (Little Red). These two have the standout performances of the night, and they are to be praised for their solid and convincing yet different portrayals of the roles. I have never seen such a goofy version of the Wolf, but it works. Likewise, I have never seen Little Red Riding Hood quite coquettish during her interactions with the Wolf, but when one considers the sexual overtones of not only the original cast’s Wolf but the historical Wolf from the original tale, Morehead’s approach to the Wolf makes sense. The originality in their approaches does not end with the song they share. Sanchez delivers his lines in a different way without throwing them away.

With the general production not being as strong as die-hard fans are accustomed to, this show is probably best suited to be viewed by people unfamiliar with the show or children.

 7.4/10

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Friday, Feb 6, 2015 – Saturday, Feb 21, 2015