So, Into the Woods.

I’d never seen or heard Into the Woods before the weekend. I was vaguely aware of the basic story, and I think the melodies of a couple of the songs had worked their way into my consciousness at some point, as they sounded somewhat familiar.

As I mentioned, my cousin Scott (a sophomore!) got one of the leads in the musical this year. He played The Baker (which you might say is the lead, given that he was the last one out for curtain call), and he did an absolutely outstanding job. His voice, his acting, his comic timing…all great. I was very, very impressed.

That blur of fuzzy yellow hair behind us is Rapunzel, who was also fantastic. Really, I don’t have anything bad to say about any of the kids who were in the show. They did a terrific job.

I loved the first act of this show…the way the stories are tied together is pretty clever, the music is good, and it’s generally fun. Act 1 ends on a nice, upbeat note…and then comes Act 2.

Man, is Act 2 dark. Princes are cheating on their wives, bakers wives are cheating on their husbands, characters are dying all over the place, being squashed by the giant and whatnot.  Eep.

But that said, the finale song “Children Will Listen” is lovely, and brought a tear or two to my eye. (and really, it’s not a musical unless I’ve shed some tears…)

Anyway, I say “bravo!” to the cast and crew of Into the Woods, St. Marys Area High School, March 2007. And I make a mental note to see more musicals. 🙂