Last weekend witnessed the finale of Saint Joe’s winter musical, Into The Woods. The show was an immense success and a true collaborative effort. Aside from the extremely talented cast and stage crew, the production team was composed of highly skilled professionals, who helped to make the show such a success, including the show’s director, Marc David Wright.. There were nine performances in all, and the final show included a salute to the seniors in the cast, including Morgan Battaglia, Fiona Coyle, Sydney Hogue, Ella Marron, Oliver Morrison and SJR’s own Jeffrey Guneratne and Thomas Snyder.
Into The Woods made its Broadway debut in 1987, running for 764 performances. It also recently closed its revival, which ran from July 10, 2022 until January 8, 2023. The show was written by Stephen Sondheim, who passed away in late November 2021. Into The Woods intertwines stories from various Brothers Grimm fairy tales, including Cinderella and Prince Charming, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf and Jack and the Beanstalk. It focuses on the story of a childless baker and his wife, who were cursed by a witch. In order for the baker and his wife to lift the curse and have a child, they have to travel “into the woods,” colliding with the Brothers Grimm characters. The witch tells them that they need to obtain a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold in three days' time. Throughout different adventures across the first act of the play, the baker and his wife manage to obtain all of the objects and are able to have a child. Additionally, the witch, who was also cursed with age and ugliness, transforms back into her former state of youth and beauty.
In the second act, things take a twist. With everyone happy after getting their wishes, a giant descends upon their kingdom. This giant terrorizes the kingdom, trampling over villages, palaces and everything in between, leaving the characters lost in the woods. Many of the characters don’t make it back out of the woods, either crushed by the giant, hit over the head, or just vanishing into thin air. Despite all of the pain and loss, the surviving characters reassure one another that although they have suffered immeasurably, there is always someone on their side. In recognition that they are never truly alone, the characters unite to slay the giant.
The show was a great collaborative effort and a great experience for everyone involved.
The SJR Performing Arts program will present the mystery drama Clue, directed by Broadway star John Treacy Egan on May 12, 13 and 14.