Once upon a time, in a venue not far away, Theatre Harrisburg is regaling audiences with a musical fairy tale medley with more twists and turns than a huge beanstalk in your garden of greens: Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Broadway musical “Into the Woods,” directed by Theatre Harrisburg’s Brian Massey with pit musical direction by Mitchell Sensenig-Wilshire.
The 28-song score for “Into the Woods” showcases amazing talents of an ensemble cast that feels as cohesive as the correct foot sliding into a gold lamé slipper. (An insider shared with me that over 100 hopefuls auditioned for this musical.) Debuting vocal director Kristen Gaus brought forth the collective talents of the cast—many fellow newbies—in a beautifully blended way. With players both new and seasoned, each has their own style while still finding complementary harmonies with other cast members.
The main theme of deep and longing wishes skips along the wooded path of this two-act play like handfuls of breadcrumbs tossed over cobblestones. While singing through their separate and combined sylvan journeys, they encounter characters from other storybooks, also singing about their wishes with things around them going bump in the night.
The Baker (Eric Mansilla) and the Baker’s Wife’s (Sarah Pugh) wish for a child, sending them into the woods on a scavenger hunt for potion ingredients the Witch (Maria Petrilak) wishes for. Mansilla and Pugh harmonize nicely for duets “Maybe They’re Magic” and “It Takes Two,” the latter of which is a pleasant song about blending. Mansilla and Pugh’s onstage chemistry appropriately reflects a husband and wife living together for probably too long. This impatient detachment allows them both to easily slide into stride with other characters, especially Pugh’s duet with Cinderella (Kayla Capone Kasper) in “A Very Nice Prince,” the tawdry “Any Moment” with Cinderella’s Prince (Travis Pierce), followed by Pugh’s solo “Moments in the Woods.” Read into that chronology what you will about the scandalous story arc, but their singing lilted like mockingbirds in the nighttime.
Pierce, along with Rapunzel’s Prince (Ethan Goss), croon the hilarious “Agony,” with their comical use of stage space and bittersweet harmonies. Also bittersweet are the strains of Jack (Jay Falgo) singing “I Guess This is Goodbye” when he sells his pet. His “Giants in the Sky” is relatively peppier.
With her cackling prowess and witchy warble, Petrilak delivers a performance equal parts spooky and sexy, allowing her character simultaneous power and vulnerability. She emotes competing feelings during “Witch’s Lament” and the anguished “Last Midnight.” As a recent empty nester, myself, I understand the Witch’s fear of letting Rapunzel (Olivia Kane) go, along with protected pieces of her witchy self.
The Witch uttered the most profound moral of this bedtime story: “Children … grow from something you love to something you lose.” Kane’s bright vocals contrast nicely with Petrilak’s in their duets “Our Little World” and “Stay with Me,” a weighty ballad about a mother trying to prevent her child from leaving.
Who could blame the Witch for locking Rapunzel in a tower, with the big, bad Wolf (Pierce) skulking through the woods? If someone could sing an obscene phone call, it would be Pierce in the sinister “Hello, Little Girl,” which is well juxtaposed with the sweet vocals of Little Red Ridinghood (Zoey Bright). Bright receives extra credit points for singing while eating pastries, yet still being understandable. She especially shines in her solo “I Know Things Now” and heartfelt duet with Kasper, “No One is Alone.”
Fending for herself, Kasper shows growth throughout Cinderella’s hero’s journey. Although reserved at first in her duet with Nina Cline (Cinderella’s Mother) in “Cinderella at the Grave,” her confidence feels more obvious throughout her aforementioned duets, as well as her solo “On the Steps of the Palace.” Throughout the play, she becomes more comfortable in her own skin, although maybe less enthusiastic about her Prince Charming. Cline’s gnarled tree costume (John White) was my favorite of the production, adding to the overall ambience.
The setting itself for “Into the Woods” becomes a character all its own, hiding fugitives and an occasional fallen body, like so many secrets. This same setting allows the dreaded Giant to spring forth, its singular focus to exact revenge on Jack. The beast feels more gigantic than giant, requiring five people to move each puppeteer element together in synchronized fashion. Impressive in stature, each facet of the Giant is well designed. The constantly morphing facial expressions remain my favorite part. (Giant Puppet Designers: Kalina and Cole Barrett, husband and wife team.)
Over 20 years ago, the first time I saw Theatre Harrisburg perform “Into the Woods” at Whitaker Center, I brought one of my stepsons as my plus-one. At this point in our hero-plus-sidekick journey, Brandon was in single-digit ages, back before he started using my head as his armrest and giving me grandchildren. Back then, this Gen-Xer fan of dark humor didn’t think “Into the Woods” needed parental advisory. Admittedly, we probably left after Act I, which feels like a tame and complete story. But watching the musical through today’s more sensitive filters, some parents may feel vexed by the dark nature of Act II. Other parents may use characters’ bad decisions and resulting consequences as cautionary tales – the true origin of many Hans Christian Anderson and Brothers Grimm yarns. The Witch warns through song, “Careful what you say and do. Children will listen.”
All those years ago, my warning to Brandon began like this: “You’re likely going to see a few stepmothers onstage, and I might seem less evil in comparison…”
And we all lived happily ever after.
Theatre Harrisburg’s “Into the Woods” runs through Nov. 24 at Whitaker Center, 222 Market St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit https://theatreharrisburg.com/shows/into-the-woods/.
