Once upon a time ... there was a fairy-tale musical written for adults, called "Into the Woods." A narrator guides our journey into this faraway kingdom, cleverly conjured by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and James Levine (book). The original 1987 Broadway production drew mixed reviews but garnered Tonys for Sondheim and Levine. Fifteen years later, the show snagged the Tony for Best Musical Revival.
Based on tales by the Brothers Grimm with a touch of Jung and Freud, "Into the Woods" is a whimsical concoction. There's a witch, a giant, Cinderella and her step-crew, two handsome princes, a lovable cow, Jack and his beanstalk and Rapunzel, plus cameos by Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Sorry, no piggies or bears to be seen.
Directed and choreographed by Mark Waldrop, 5th Avenue Theatre's production marks a decent effort. Lynda Salsbury's costumes impart fairy-tale allure, and Tom Sturge's lighting sparks nifty surprises. But be warned: this isn't Disney. Act One introduces a gaggle of childhood favorites who go bump in these magical woods, while Act Two exposes the somber consequences of their actions. Murder, adultery, wrath, greed and gluttony.
Long before self-help tomes touted visualizations, people made wishes. Inside humble hovels and fancy castles, everyone harbors a wish. Sond-heim and Levine reveal just how far we're willing to go to fulfill them.
The Baker and his wife wish to have a child. Cinderella wishes to attend the Prince's festival. The witch wishes to regain her good looks. The handsome prince wishes for a fair maiden. A ravenous Little Red Ridinghood wishes to eat all the way to Grandmother's house. The big, bad wolf wishes to eat Red Ridinghood. The hairy Rapunzel wishes to escape her prison tower. Jack wishes to keep his cow. Jack's mother wishes he would sell the motley beast. And so on.
Milky White may be Jack's BFF (best friend forever), but the beloved bovine can't give milk. She's an empty vessel, just like the Baker's Wife, who can't get pregnant. All because of an evil spell cast by the next-door neighbor, a witch furious at the Baker's father for stealing magic beans from her garden. To exact revenge, she stole his baby girl and cursed his family tree with infertility.
But this spell can be lifted if the Baker and his wife do the witch's bidding. They have three days to bring her four things: a cow as white as milk, cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn and slipper as pure as gold - you know where this is going. Plus, the witch has a secret agenda: To release her own ravishing beauty now trapped inside an ugly crone.
So Mr. and Mrs. Baker journey into the woods, where they intersect and collide with their fairy-tale peers.
Who knew Red Ridinghood was such a greedy little brat? She piles her basket with treats, then devours most of them before she reaches Granny's house. Truthfully, it's a bit unsettling when pedophilia is played for laughs in Red's scene with the leering, sexually hungry wolf.
Gullible Jack sells his cow for five "magic" beans. Of course, his haggish mother berates his stupidity and tosses the beans on the ground. VoilĂ , up sprouts the beanstalk that unleashes Jack's love of gold and life of crime.
Cinderella, however, is a sweet-tempered lass who talks to birds - white pigeons in this tale. She pours out her heartaches when she goes into the woods to kneel at her mother's grave. With her lilting soprano and winsome ways, Billie Wildrick completely charms every heart as the klutzy ashes-to-adorable-to-avenging Cinderella. We gleefully clap when she marries her prince, but even more so when her pet pigeons peck out her stepsisters' eyes.
The vibrant Lisa Estridge captures the witch's cronish persona with a fabulous rap recitative. She possesses a powerhouse voice but occasionally goes flat on the higher notes. Still, Estridge's acting chutzpah guarantees a commanding stage presence, though she needs more tenderness on the finale, "Children Will Listen."
Michael Hunsaker delights with his campy turn as Cinderella's prancing and posturing prince. He joins forces with another handsome-but-shallow royal (Logan Benedict) to sing "Agony," a hilarious ditty about how desirable they are. After all, as Prince Charming quips, "I was born to be charming, not sincere."
Ireland Woods may be younger than most Red Ridinghoods cast in the role, but she packs plenty of smarty-pants sass. Too bad her mike has been over-amplified, sometimes making her voice sound shrill and strident.
Carol Swarbrick sharpens her nastiness as the knife-wielding stepmother, and Seattle favorite Leslie Law dominates both kitchen and Baker with flair as his determined wife. While Allen Fitzpatrick doubles up as eloquent narrator and mysterious man, Dannul Dailey snarls snootily as the royal steward - even in fables, the help can be uppity. And Eric Ankrim makes a loopy turn as Jack.
As Milky White, Eric Brotherson takes method acting to new heights. He not only dons a cow head, he's bent over on all fours. He doesn't sing, but Brotherson's theatrical bovine steals most of his onstage scenes with his baleful looks and bouncy antics. In fact, he exhibits more personality and comedic pizzazz than Bob De Dea does as the Baker. De Dea sings decently, but ultimately his buns are undercooked, lacking the flavor and humor needed for his role.
Act Two delves into human nature, so frivolity unravels into "Once upon a time, later." Sondheim and Levine's magical fairyland now faces death and destruction. Neighbors attack each other; some even die when the giant's avenging wife goes on a squashing rampage.
Unfortunately, Act Two bogs down with confusion and sleep-inducing moralizing. Partly due to the musical's heavy-handed book, an imbalance of whimsy and woe and the revolving set for the woods, an ugly mess of snakelike vines. Think mangrove trees without the swamp.
Not to worry. The genius of Sond-heim's gorgeous music and lyrics makes this musical worth seeing. No one rhymes like Sondheim - listen closely to his wily wit. His score delivers trademark dissonance along with lovely tunes. He believes adults should be reminded that getting what you wish for - marrying a prince, having a child, slaying a giant - doesn't guarantee happiness. Sometimes we must go into the woods to face our fears.
Or we could just stay home and DVR "Pushing Daisies." But that's another story.
'INTO THE WOODS'
5th Avenue Theatre
Tuesday-Sunday through Nov. 10
Tickets: $20-$77, 625-1900
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