|
|
| ||
 |
The Observer, March 31, 2001 Fantasy meets reality in latest Footlighters productionBy Gina VentreSeth Jaffe and Ken Gasch’s directorial interpretation of Steven Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into the Woods takes the stage at Harkness chapel this weekend to present a moralistic tale about the consequences of happily ever after. Presented by The Footlighters, a CWRU performance group dedicated to furthering musical theater on campus, this emotional and intelligent show will hold your interest and admiration as the cast contends with parts that are musically and theatrically challenging. Into the Woods is a show that, from the beginning, challenged all involved. Addressing the complexity of the script and music was a time consuming task according to Carrie Shanafelt. “I’ve spent just about every day in rehearsal and the days when I didn’t have rehearsal, I still spent all day thinking about the show.” Tackling the difficult staging was also the work of Jaffe and Gasch who wanted the actors to stretch their talents as they worked on a show that moved beyond the light comedies of previous years. According to Jaffe and Gasch, they had their own ideas when coming up with their conception of the show. “Seth and I deliberately wanted to make our production unique and original. Many productions replicate James Lapine’s staging taken from the movie version, but we added more choreography and no preconceived directions,” Gasch said. Sondheim and Lapine’s Into the Woods is the stories of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and A Baker and His Wife all rolled into one. Each of the characters represents a moral idea as they interact throughout the two acts. Part of the appeal of this show is that it takes these fairy tale characters and gives them fallible qualities. Megan Tyler, who plays the character of Cinderella, agrees. “This show is interesting in that it takes stories that were a part of everyone’s childhood and makes them real.” The characters of A Baker and His Wife, played by Anders Berliner and Christine Herr, serve to center the story as they represent the average people in the midst of all this fantasy. “Many fairy tales are about witches, princes and giants, but the story of the Baker’s quest represents the struggles that everyday people have to deal with,” said Berliner. Into the Woods begins in the homes of three of the principle fairy tale characters, Cinderella, Jack, and the Baker. As the tales are introduced one by one, the audience is drawn into their personal quests, guided by the straightforward narration of Derek Lebzelter. Act I progresses to bring the fairy tales together, resolve the conflicts and end happily ever after, for now. The Jack of Joshua Senick and Berliner’s Baker stood out as especially solid performances in “Giants in the Sky” and “Maybe They’re Magic.” I also enjoyed the encounter between Kristina Montelauro’s mischievous Little Red Riding Hood and the suave, gigolo-like wolf of Mike Snider. The choreography and acting in “Hello Little Girl” highlighted both Montelauro and Snider’s comedic timing and singing abilities. Another outstanding performance from Act I was Carrie Shanafelt’s dramatic introduction as the witch. She demanded the audience’s attention in every scene with her acting ability. She continued that reputation vocally in “Stay With Me,” her duet with Rapunzel, played by Beth Jenko. Although some vocal parts proved a little challenging for members of the cast, the ensemble work was very articulate and well directed. As Act II opens, the characters begin to find out what is on the other side of happily ever after. There are Prince not-so Charmings, a streetwise Little Red Riding Hood, a witch without her power, and a squishy encounter with a giant. The music from this act continued to be challenging for the principles as they began to tire from their performances in Act I. Snider and Jason Koebler, as the philandering princes, negotiated the reprise of their Act I “Agony” with ease and Shanafelt’s witch continued to be the center of attention, especially in her solo “Last Midnight.” Herr’s performance as the Baker’s wife got stronger as she became less hesitant, as in her solo with Snider, “Any Moment.” Some of the music and dramatic situations still presented problems for members of the cast and pit orchestra, but others were able to balance the performance with their enthusiasm and intensity. The ensemble work continued to be strong, with the hilarious addition of Cinderella’s, now blind, stepsisters played by Sujata DeChoudhury and Sarah Lohman. The biggest constraint placed upon this cast was the lack of a performance space. Concerns about their venue were evident among the actors. “The fact of the matter is that Case does not have a facility to perform musical theater,” said Senick. According to Shanafelt, the cast worked around the limitations, “I think this is a challenge that we’ve met extraordinarily well and without much grumbling.” Gasch’s rotating set was an ingenious idea for adapting to the Harkness space. The cast of Into the Woods would like the audience to come away with the memory of the morals presented throughout the show. “The audience should note the difference in the message of the Act I finale to the Act II finale. All the characters have learned what is truly important in life,” Anders Berliner said. |