Theatre review: Strong performances and a fairy-tale forest at Studio 58's Sondheim musical Into the Woods
Cast makes stories of Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and friends relevant for those who live outside of storybooks
Olivia Manojlovic as Little Red Riding Hood and Brynna Drummond as the Wolf, in Studio 58’s Into the Woods. Photo by Emily Cooper
Studio 58 presents Into the Woods to February 18
WHAT DO YOU WISH for? In Studio 58’s production of the beloved Broadway musical Into the Woods, we see iconic fairy-tale characters co-existing in the same kingdom, each fighting to make their wishes come true, and experiencing the happy and not-so-happy results from each action.
Studio 58 has a tremendous theatre arts program, and it’s a treat to see the talented students perform this challenging show so well, offering fresh interpretations, led by professional director Barbara Tomasic—all with effective design elements.
With a score by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, the show features well-known fairy-tale characters such as Cinderella, Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), Little Red Riding Hood, and more, diving deeper into their storylines than what’s usually told in popular culture. Tying it all together is a plotline of a Baker and his wife, tasked by a witch to collect several items to reverse a curse that has caused the couple to be childless. The characters’ journeys intersect, and throughout the show, they face personal demons, tackle new life situations, and learn that there is no such thing as “happily ever after”.
While the acting here is strong, the singing from some of the cast is still a work in progress. However, Danica Kobayashi, who plays the Baker’s Wife, has a phenomenal voice. The highlight of the terrific triple-threat artist’s performance is her brilliant rendition of “Moments in the Woods”, which is richly introspective and delivered with gorgeous, well-trained vocals. Her portrayal of the Baker’s Wife is likable, comical, and wise, and she delivers Sondheim’s work the way it’s meant to be interpreted.
Vuk Prodanović, a Studio 58 graduate, is another standout as the Baker, expressing the maturity essential for the role. Prodanović captures the Baker’s internal struggles and growth, and his work in the final moments of the show is wonderfully touching. Prodanović is also a strong singer with a beautiful voice, and he would not sound out of place in a professional recording of a Sondheim show.
As Cinderella, Emma Abbott’s portrayal is genuine and endearing. She’s naïve and a bit quirky in her duet with the Baker’s Wife, “A Very Nice Prince”, and demonstrates great character growth in “On the Steps of the Palace”. In the second act, her Cinderella is wise and mature, highlighted by “No One Is Alone”. The role of the Witch is very demanding, having been originated by the legendary Bernadette Peters on Broadway. Marielle Ortinez has the right amount of seething wickedness, sarcasm, and moody attitude to make the role work. Her rap solo in “Prologue: Into the Woods” is fun to watch, and she performs “Last Midnight” with a strong belt and bravado.
Brynna Drummond steals the show every time she’s on stage as both the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince. As the Wolf, Drummond’s portrayal is overly predatory and appears to get so aroused by the thought of eating Little Red Riding Hood that at times it seemed doubtful whether the Wolf could make it through all of “Hello, Little Girl”. Since Drummond’s Wolf costume does not resemble a wolf whatsoever, it’s great that she amps up her performance here to compensate.
And as Cinderella’s Prince, Drummond deliciously leans into clichés, but rather than perform them, she pokes fun at them, as if she’s sharing inside jokes with the audience. She milks every second she’s onstage, filling silences with comical facial expressions, and delivering lines with purposeful insincerity and over-the-top sentiment. As Rapunzel’s Prince, Filip Fufezan brings an equal amount of comedy and enjoyable clichés to his performance and is an excellent scene partner for Drummond in “Agony” and its reprise, both of which are show highlights.
Lucy Jeffery is a breath of fresh air as Jack. She’s energetic, innocent, impulsive, and sweet, and displays vivid storytelling in her solo, “Giants in the Sky”. Olivia Manojlovic gives Little Red Riding Hood the toughness and spunk she needs. Yorlene Bernido has an appropriately warm maternal presence as Jack’s Mother and offers some nice emotional moments.
Michelle Avila Navarro plays the Mysterious Man and Cinderella’s Father. As the Mysterious Man, she brings the right sentiment to the character, who provides deep insight to one of the characters. However, in an odd musical direction choice, Navarro speaks the lyrics in “No More” instead of singing them and it’s a shame because the song is one of the most beautiful pieces in the show.
One of the great things about seeing a Studio 58 show is that audience members get to walk through the set when they enter the theatre—in this case, Naju Ururahy’s mysterious, fairy-tale-like woods, featuring a giant tree that the actors make great use of throughout the show, including as Rapunzel’s home.
Logistically, this show is a real beast, with special effects, an onstage character transformation, voiceovers and more. Overall, the creative team has done a great job.
While there’s no actual dancing in this show, choreographer Nicol Spinola has added some nice effects with her staging of the numbers; take for example the way that Cinderella’s Stepmother and Stepsisters wickedly circle her. And kudos to puppetry coach Wendy Gorling and the cast for bringing Jack’s cow, Milky White, so charmingly and inventively to life—even taking her own bow during the curtain call.
There’s a poignant moment near the end between Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, and the Baker and Jack, that sums up several themes introduced throughout the show, including our approaches to forgiveness, judgment, and self-limitations. While the musical is set in a fairy-tale world, the messaging here is thought-provoking and relevant for those who live outside storybooks.
The production is so engaging that when it ends, you may realize that you have been completely whisked away to a far-off land—a land that, while it’s magical, has people very similar to this one, with real-world problems. Isn’t it also possible then, for us to live our own versions of fairy tales here in this world? As Cinderella says, “I wish…”.
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