By Stephany Bravo
Staff Writer
Nearing its final days of production, the cast of Into the Woods showcased their talent on Friday, May 23 on the Empty Space stage, located on Oak Street in the Pizzaville plaza.
Into the Woods began as a workshop at Playwrights Horizon in the summer of 1986; the performers wore baseball caps with signs on them indicating their character.
The next step in the development of Into the Woods was a full staged production in December 1986, at the old Globe Theatre. Since then the Broadway production opened on November 5, 1987 and ran for 764 performances.
It was fairly easy appealing yourself to the musical from beginning to end. The stage was set for the audience to fully engage with the cast during the performances. With dancing skits and musical appearances near the front and back row, the audience was very excited.
Each cast member fit his or her character perfectly and I could not have asked for a better way to spend my Friday night! Most of the cast members have a few years of experience in musicals and plays, but the cast varies with age and experience. The cast members also have jobs they attend to during the day and plays they attend to at night.
The storyline was easy to follow; it started off with about four original Disney plays which were inverted into one another. Stories from Rapunzel, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack in the Bean Stock were all to chase their dreams or endeavor on a task by going into the woods and finding what they most truly wanted and needed.
Not only was Into the Woods a humorous with charming princes chasing beautiful princesses and silly boys such as Jack selling his best friend Milky White (a sock puppet) for beans but the musical taught me that life is about taking risks.
If most of the characters were to endeavor into the woods and lose their fright of the woods to obtain a certain want of theirs, then they would remain to live hopelessly.
I imagined the fear of the woods to be fright of reality for most people. And although the woods brought many outrages and skeptical scenarios, each character attained what they deserved.
The good we are rewarded with is a lifetime supply of happiness, by starting off with only a dream of having more friends or a handsome prince to amend to, with ending with the most heartwarming friends and most gorgeous charming princess to dance the night away with.
