On March 19th to the 22nd, with four out of five shows being sold out, Trinity Musical Theater (TMT) took to the Smock Alley Theater to present a wonderful rendition of Sondheim’s musical Into The Woods. Faced with the complicated melodies and intricate rhythms tradition in a Sondheim score, the players navigated the woods with comedy, precision, and heart
Directed by Erica O’Reilly, Into The Woods presents a darker retelling of traditional fairy tales that blurs the lines between good and evil exercising comedic relief and charming characters along the way. TMT’s rendition began with a storybook sitting center stage that the omnipotent narrator uses as a guide throughout the first act, introducing us to The Baker, Baker’s Wife, Cinderella, The Witch, Little Red, Jack, and the other characters that run throughout the show.
As the audience is introduced to the main characters and begins to watch the interconnectedness of their stories unfold, Grace Skowronski’s choreography shines through. In songs such as “Hello, Little Girl”, “Giants in the Sky”, and “I Know Things Now” cast members dawn shimmery green cloaks to take on the task of personifying the surrounding scenery. The movement not only wonderfully compliments the number and offers an alternative to a stationary actor but also amplifies the ominous nature of the woods, consuming the character figuratively and literally. Most interestingly, are the green umbrellas, topped with fake greenery that help to create the illusion of the beanstalk in “Giants in the Sky” that surround Jack, played by Patrick Nyhan.
Storylines begin to wrap up by the end of the first act, but don’t make the mistake of missing the second half where the characters begin to face the challenges of the “woulds”. Laura Cole’s The Witch, tragically navigates the challenges of parenting during her beautiful performance of “Witch’s Lament” but the true star is Aoife McCormack as The Baker’s Wife. McCormack presents a touching and multifaceted performance throughout the show and her voice shines through during “Moments in the Woods”.
Act two is a beautiful complement of moments of grief and comedy that wouldn’t be complete without the hilarious stepsisters and stepmother that brought out laughs even when they weren’t speaking, or seeing. The stepfamily was clearly having a lot of fun on stage and that was translated to the audience.
It would be neglectful not to mention the hilarious performance of Cinderella’s Prince and Rapunzel’s Prince played by Luke Micallef and Anthony Daly respectively. In the hysterical display of masculinity, the princes poke fun and demonstrate their constant pursuit of princesses in “Agony” and “Agony Reprise”.
Throughout both acts, actors made excellent use of the unique stage and space. Using walkways behind the audience, walking and running up and down staircases, and entering and exiting through the audience the fairytale characters created an immersive version of the “woods”. The stage itself was minimally decorated and centered a nine person band upstage. The band expertly navigated the complicated music of Into The Woods and was able to keep up with the changing tempos and surprises from the actors.
Amy Marie Munson and Cliodhna Ryan worked well together to create masterful costumes for the cast. Actors were outfitted in a blend of traditional and modern looks that were able to give a uniqueness to each character but also worked well to create a cohesive world. The star of the costumes had to be the royal family, specifically Cinderella’s skirt. As she moves from her world of rags to that of riches, her new pink skirt moves beautifully across the stage, showing off her gold slippers and creating an air of beauty and wealth around her. Munson and Ryan also had the difficult task of creating costumes for non-human characters, including a tree, bird, and wolf. In all roles actors were able to give the illusion of each character without inhibiting their movement or performance.
TMT’s production of Into the Woods was a masterful blend of humor, emotion, and technical precision, bringing Sondheim’s intricate score and complex storytelling to life. With immersive staging, clever choreography, and standout performances, the cast and crew transformed Smock Alley Theater into a world where fairy tales took on new depth and meaning.
