With a film adaptation of the original “Into the Woods” slated for release on Dec. 25, directors Brittany Jenkins and Joe McLaughlin and the very talented cast and crew of the Boston University Stage Troupe had to find a way to make their version of the classic musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine faithful to the spirit of the original, and yet unique and memorable at the same time. This showed in their BU Parent’s Weekend performance at the Tsai Performance Center on Saturday night.
“Into the Woods,” which debuted on Broadway in 1987 and has returned to the stage in numerous revivals, intermixes stories and characters from several Brothers Grimm fairytales. The main characters are drawn from the stories of “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Rapunzel” and “Cinderella,” and are brought together through an original tale of a baker and his wife looking to start a family after a witch places a curse on their family making it impossible for them to do so.
The design choices — although justifiably limited seeing as Jenkins and McLaughlin had to put the play together in a matter of weeks — were in no way hindered by said limitations. The choice of costumes, based on clothing from the 1940s and 1950s, showed how timeless the fairy tale characters and stories truly are. The concept behind Little Red Riding Hood’s (Cameron Barney) changes in hair and wardrobe symbolizing her growth and development as a character was a particularly interesting touch.
The makeup for characters such as The Witch (Abi Oshins), Jack’s Mother (Brittany Martin) and the Narrator/Mysterious Man (Victor Kholod), with their pronounced aged features, or the Wolf (Elliott Hanson), with his fake fur and slicked greaser hair, matched the aesthetic choices made by the costume department, further establishing this production’s originality.
The set was equally creative, albeit simple due to the aforementioned time constraints. The leaves on the trees were made of various pieces of cloth tied to the branches, giving the woods a new set of colors, and the main tree served as both stage and backdrop.
In terms of casting, the actors were perfect for their roles. Special mention goes to Nathan Wilgeroth’s Jack, who transitioned beautifully from an innocent child to an increasingly more mature — yet confused — adult as the plot progressed.
Oshins’ Witch, whose role in the story was a tad unclear during the first half of Act One, was impeccably represented as the tragic character she becomes in Act Two. Hanson mastered his double role as the shallow and fickle Cinderella’s Prince and the eccentric and alluring Wolf. Both Andy Moeller’s Baker and Kelly Duffy’s Baker’s Wife, fully embodied characters that were not as innocent as they initially seemed. And Barney’s Red Riding Hood expertly transitioned from sweet and childish to scarred and somewhat unstable after her run-in with the wolf.
All of the actors and actresses mentioned, as well as the supporting cast, were impressive in the way they handled their characters, presenting them as unique and fresh, rather than rehashed versions of characters we’ve been used to since our childhood.
The musical numbers were amazing, not only due to the vocal talents of the actors, but also because of the strength of the pit orchestra. Although Act One had few standout numbers — with the exception of “I Wish” from the “Act One Prologue,” “First Midnight,” “Hello Little Girl” and “Giants in the Sky” — all the musical numbers in Act Two were remarkable and memorable, especially from “Your Fault” to the end of the production. The actors’ delivery was the perfect blend of singing and acting that the musical required, truly cementing each performer as the perfect fit for his or her role.
All in all, Stage Troupe’s “Into the Woods” was a wonderful experience to watch. It was an indicator of just how amazing the fruits of their labor are. Future performances of BU Stage Troupe include “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” on Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 and “Marat/Sade” on Nov. 13 to 15 at the Student Theater at Agganis Arena. Tickets are $6 and can be purchased on Eventbrite the week prior to performances or at the door.