Sondheim classic musical Into the Woods on stage April 28-30

One of Sondheim's most popular works, Into the Woods is a musically sophisticated show with the opportunity to feature actors adept at dark comedy, highlighting the fantastical elements of a magical world. This Tony award-winning musical will be performed in the Nazareth Arts Center’s Callahan Theater on Thursday, April 28; Friday, April 29; and Saturday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m.; the Saturday evening performance includes American Sign Language interpretation. There is also a matinee on Saturday, April 30, at 2 p.m. The timing of the show is a celebration of composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s legacy. Sondheim passed away in November 2021.

THE PERFORMANCE

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. Originally directed on Broadway by James Lapine. Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick.

This Nazareth production is directed by an all-star team, including Director Hunter Foster (Tony nominated for his role as Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors) and his wife, Choreographer Jen Cody (voice of Charlotte La Bouff in the Disney animated film The Princess and the Frog (2009), for which she won an Annie Award.)

The Brothers Grimm hit the stage with an epic fairytale about wishes, family and the choices we make. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone's favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece... and a rare modern classic. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching. The story follows a baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King's Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.

Director’s note from Hunter Foster:

“I was a college senior when I first got to peform in Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, playing the role of Jack and singing the iconic song, “Giants In the Sky”; it instantly became one of my favorite musicals. This mash up of classic fairy tales with its dark and complicated themes of parenting, adolescence and what happens after “Happily Ever After” has always been a rich piece of theatre. I’ve directed it three times, and I’m always finding something new in its complex web of storylines and its relevance to the times we live in. Even when I saw the original cast on Broadway in 1989, one couldn’t help see the parallels of a Giant ravaging the world and the AIDS crisis. Into The Woods’ greatest theme has always been how we as a community need each other in times of great strife. One of show’s most famous songs, “No One Is Alone”, as sung by Cinderella in Act 2, tells us this with its beautiful and haunting melody — its relevance ever more evident as we emerge from a time of isolation and quarantine. And once the scourge is defeated, how do we pick up the pieces and move forward? How do we teach our children to make the world better; to learn from our mistakes so the flood, the virus and the giant never returns? Into The Woods is about mothers and princesses; witches and wolves; fathers and sons; but in the end, it’s about how we tell our stories in that hope that tomorrow will be a better day.

TICKETS

• Nazareth students: Submit this form to request your complimentary ticket.

• Nazareth faculty & staff: Follow the ticket link above, and use your Nazareth email to log in to the box office to receive your 50% discount. Email artscenter@naz.edu with questions.

• Family members & the public: Tickets $15, $13 for seniors.

Masks are recommended indoors on campus for everyone, based on the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Monroe County and on campus.Review the visitor policy.

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM

The Into the Woods cast features: Weston Pytel (Baker), Alex Davis (Baker's Wife), Max Ruscio (Jack), Sarah Brundage (Jack's Mother), Katy Hawthorne (Milky White), Ava Massaro (Cinderella), Olivia Moffa (Cinderella's Mother/Mechanical), Amara Briony (Stepmother), Kate Heffernan (Florinda), Maggie Dzina (Lucinda), Tessa Rivenburg (Narrator), Harrison Sakai (Mysterious Man), Madalyn Montgomery (Little Red Riding Hood), Renee Haley (Granny/Mechanical), Reese Stojanovski (Witch), Cassie Murphy (Rapunzel), Noah Detar (Cinderella's Prince), Dereck Atwater (Rapunzel's Prince), Andrew Wicklum (Wolf/Mechanical), J. Jake Thomas (Steward), Connor Pofahl (Cinderella's Father), Jade Mcglynn (Snow White/Mechanical), Daniyah Prosser (Sleeping Beauty/Mechanical), Twan Baker (Baby), Ainsley Bertone (Mechanical), Austin Sykes (Mechanical), Cassie Lloyd (Giant/Swing), Shelby Ennis (Swing), Sophia Matteucci (Swing), Connor Barton (Swing).

The Into the Woods design team consists of Hunter Foster (Director), Sarah Pool Wilhelm (Music Director), Jen Cody (Choreographer), Vince Salpietro (Scenic Designer), Maddi Pike (Assistant Scenic Designer), Yuanting Zhao (Costume Designer), Ilianna Cohen (Assistant Costume Designer), Catherine Gregory (Assistant to Director), Molly Stout (Assistant to Music Director), Alexandra Cooke (Assistant to Music Director), Michael King (Assistant to Choreographer), Paul Miller (Lighting Designer with Broadway’s Legally Blonde to his credit), Ted Shawe (Sound Designer), Grace DiMatteo (Production Stage Manager), Camryn Davis (Assistant Stage Manager), Adam Shank (Assistant Stage Manager), Gordon Rice (Technical Director), Sam Burkovich (Head Electrician).

Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.

Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.

• published: 2022 April
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