Stephen Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods is a combination of several well-known, and not so well-known, fairytale stories involving characters such as: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and the beanstalk), a witch, and several others. The audience follows the intertwined stories of each character and witnesses their pursuit for the things they wish for most. However, the audience also discovers the price the characters must pay for their wish, and that happy endings are not always guaranteed.
Directed by Covenant Professor Deborah Kirby, Into the Woods is one of the larger productions the school has put on in recent seasons. When asked about the choice of show, Ms. Kirby commented, “music director, David Tahere, and I worked very hard to find a musical that we were both passionate about producing, something that we felt would challenge the students both from the music side and the story line. We believe Into the Woods fit [our] criteria perfectly. Every major character in this musical goes through a journey of discovery about themselves and about the consequences that can happen trying to find happiness. We both adore this Sondheim musical and can't wait for audiences to see what our students will accomplish with this material.”
From a musical standpoint, Sondheim’s melodies and syncopations are challenging and require a great deal of skill and attention to detail. The actors spent four weeks working on music alone, in order to master the intricacies of the score while bringing life to their characters.
For senior Paul Smallman, who plays Cinderella’s Prince, this musical gives: “a better representation of what Covenant is capable of, highlighting Covenant’s strengths…singing and acting. [W]e have good performers at Covenant, and other musicals have focused on other elements rather than the performers.” Mr. Smallman believes it will be a great show with a cast comprised of some of the best performers at Covenant.
Into the Woods opens April 5. Show dates run April 5, 6, 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m., and then April 13, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 Adults, $10 seniors and college employees, and $5 students and will go on sale March 11. Reservations can be made by either calling 706 419-1051 or by email at: boxoffice@covenant.edu. The show will be held in the Dora Maclellan Brown Memorial Chapel Auditorium at Covenant College.