Into the Woods
at The Madeira School

Reviewed on February 25, 2017

A.Charis Conwell
West Potomac High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Once upon a time, a poor baker and his wife had only one wish: to have a child. A witch, malevolent and hideous, revealed to them that the root of their troubles was a curse, which must be stopped in four midnights. What follows is a perilous and thought-provoking journey into a land of utter fantasy, where princes, princesses, wolves, spirits, and every fairy-tale somebody roams on a quest of their own--in the woods.

The Madeira School ambitiously tackled Stephen Sondheim's iconic Into the Woods and pulled off a production that was simultaneously classic and refreshingly re-imagined.

From the beginning, audiences found themselves whisked away into the storybooks of their childhood by stunningly cohesive tech. This was notably demonstrated in the expansive woods themselves, where massive trees made of storybooks set the scene. Exploding and flowing at their tops into a sea of pages, these trees played on both scenery and narrative themes, contributing to an atmosphere normally found at the professional level. Consistently, the set captured attention. Its many details seemed purposeful, not only providing an interesting backdrop for the characters to live out their lives, but adding depth to the story itself.

Another interesting aspect of the production, born of necessity rather than invention, was an all-female cast. Into the Woods, already a challenging show for a high-school company to take on, becomes considerably more difficult when half the cast has to portray a different gender. Madeira's cast handled it beautifully. Notably, Zoe Crawley, in the role of Jack, lit up the stage with beautiful vocals and an easy and engaging presence--all without compromising the masculinity of her character.

To keep audiences involved in the fate of these characters, whose stories we have heard so many times, Into the Woods calls for natural chemistry between its actors--and the production delivered. From the Baker and the Baker's Wife (Melissa Handel and Claire Pitzer, respectively) to Milky White (Alex Raposo) and Jack, the relationship between characters, be it a marriage falling apart or a boy and his cow, was always clearly defined and engaging. Keenan Parker, enchanting as Cinderella, played especially well against the down-to-earth honesty of Pitzer's character.

Finally, every fairytale needs a good villain. Magana Ngaiza, as the Witch, created a character of contrasts. Evil while relatable, maternal while violent, humorous and tragic, Ngaiza's Witch was strikingly chaotic, whipping the story into a frenzy and astonishing audiences with feats of vocal acrobatics. From the Witch's entrance in Opening, until her arcane demise following Last Midnight, Ngaiza's presence on stage fascinated and entertained the audience.

The story of Into the Woods and the secret to its success are wound together. A group of people, meeting with a common goal, can cooperate to create something that is worth striving for. We are each a character in each other's stories, and our actions have consequences. Without any one member of the cast, or aspect of the set, or any one of the people who worked to create this production, the show could not have brought Sondheim's world so convincingly to life. As it stands, The Madeira School effectively transported its audience "into the woods."

Maya Hossain
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

A gentle but ominous fog laps at the feet of the wishful yet battered fairytale characters. "You're blossoming in the woods," croons the wistful baker's wife. Effervescent and impassioned, The Madeira School's production of "Into the Woods" showed its power to leave audiences feeling as if they too had emotionally blossomed.

Debuting in 1986 in San Diego, Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods garnered three Tony Awards. Productions have run intermittently since its opening, and it was made into a Disney movie. The plot intertwines Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales in an unexpected setting and flips classic themes on their heads. The complex script brims with subtext. The core permeating the many storylines is that wishes come true, but not without a price.

Inherently an ensemble piece, "Into the Woods" demands cohesion and crisp timing from every cast member. Additionally, the score features intricate harmonies, difficult melodic progressions, and complicated rhythms. The Madeira cast took on the challenging score and the task of singing low parts with grace and dedication, despite being an all-girls school performing a show in which half of the roles are male.

The Baker's Wife (Claire Pitzer) brought constant and necessary realism, balancing normality and fantasy as she slipped into the supernatural world. This descent, as well as Pitzer's strong vocal range, were demonstrated in songs like "Any Moment," where she created a believable but mystical relationship with Cinderella's Prince. Vei Vei Thomas as the Prince channeled masculine charm and sleaze while tackling a song written for a baritone. She oozed confidence while seducing the Baker's Wife and dazzled and amused the audience every time she flashed her royal smile.

Juxtaposed with the down-to-earth Baker's Wife, Keenan Parker as the naive Cinderella carried some of the show's most emotional moments. She captured the earnest, somewhat bemused but hopeful princess by forging a strong connection with the audience. The inflection in her speaking voice demonstrated empathy and the skill of a seasoned actress. The sincerity in her starry-eyed gaze drove the theme of hope. Her passionate voice recalled the birds she often sang to; impeccable technical skill imbued songs like "On the Steps of the Palace," where Parker exhibited her powerful upper register and vibrato.

The fantasy of the set evoked tangible emotion, constructed with a motif of storybooks. Trees, rocks, and the roofs of houses were created with stacked books and floating papers. Pages danced delicately in the "wind" from the giant's footsteps, and the scrim was skillfully used to separate forest from village. Transitions were demanding and called for timing as crisp as the cast's, and the student crew delivered the fluidity the show requires.

After weaving among elusive greenery, one may find a glimmer of light. Likewise, newfound wisdom ensconced the villagers who traipsed across the Madeira stage. As grim as prospects might be, the lyrics resounded: "Someone is on your side, no one is alone." The Madeira School's production of "Into the Woods" bled genuine emotion and etched hope into the hearts of all who watched.

Sierra Hoffman
Fairfax High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

Imagine a far-off kingdom where all your favorite storybook characters interact. Sound like a childhood dream? The cast and crew at The Madeira School brought these fantasies to life, then took them down a darker path in their production of Into the Woods.

This dark comedy is one of Stephen Sondheim's most well known shows. Opening on Broadway in 1987, the story ties together several familiar fairy tales such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Rapunzel. The connection comes from a witch who sends a baker and his wife on a journey to lift a curse. Into the Woods was released as a movie in 2014, and professional productions of this show are still running, proving it a popular and successful play.

The obvious challenge of producing a full scale musical at an all girls' school was handled gracefully by the young women at Madeira, many of whom took on male roles. Melissa Handel as the Baker committed to her character completely and used her lower range to tackle the demanding vocals. Vei Vei Thomas did an excellent job reaching resonant notes as Cinderella's Prince. Zoe Crawley as Jack took on he role of a young boy and handled the vocals seemingly with ease. The ladies in these roles did a commendable job of making audiences forget they were watching an entirely female cast.

A standout performance was given by Magana Ngaiza as The Witch. So often is it easy for performers to simply play the expected, but Ngaiza did the opposite. Her portrayal of The Witch was comedic, heartfelt, and completely original. She showed off vocal strength and emotional depth in songs such as "The Last Midnight." Claire Pitzer as the Baker's Wife offered another memorable performance. Pitzer's beautiful vocals and down-to-earth nature created a character the audience couldn't help but love. Keenan Parker as Cinderella delivered vocal and emotional power, taking on the challenge of playing an iconic fairytale character yet keeping her characterization unique.

Another vital performance came from Kerstin Shimkin as the Narrator. Shimkin remained onstage almost the entire time but never faded in interest. She brought comedy and likability to a normally plain character, while holding a strong presence and commanding the stage with ease. Alex Raposo played Milky White, Jack's cow. Although having no speaking lines, Raposo conveyed comedy in her facial expressions and physicality without being a distraction.

Perhaps one of the most breathtaking elements of the show was the set, designed by Millenah Nascimento, Briana Harrington, Sasha Alexander, and Grace Ye. Trees constructed out of book spines sprouted floating pages as leaves, so cleverly crafted that they trembled when danger was near. The production benefited from creative use of onstage levels and space, as well as impeccable attention to detail in the set.

The Madeira School brought a new perspective to this popular musical and made for an enjoyable production from beginning to end.

Kelly Farmar
Paul VI Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to Insidenova - Sun Gazette

A wish is something so simple, so innocent--yet something that can have grave consequences. The Madeira School's production of Into the Woods explores both the happy and the not-so-happy endings of everyone's favorite fairy tales. It all starts with one wish.

Opening on Broadway in 1987, Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods has become one of the most renowned musicals of the past 30 years. Set apart from others in the genre with its interwoven storylines surrounding prominent fairy tale protagonists--Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel--Into the Woods sheds a darker light on the lives of these heroes.

A humble Baker, played by Melissa Handel, and his Wife, played by Claire Pitzer, simply wish to have a child. Little do they know that when the Witch (Magana Ngaiza) who lives next door proposes a quest that will enable their success, the couple's journey will set in motion a series of events that will change their lives forever.

Claire Pitzer, the Baker's Wife, was impressive to watch throughout the show. She sang impeccably and handled minor microphone problems with the air of a professional. Another standout performance came from Magana Ngaiza. Her powerful vocals and comedic, yet moving, physicality were always enjoyed.

As the Baker and the Baker's Wife venture out to find the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the slipper as pure as gold, and the hair as yellow as corn, Cinderella (Keenan Parker) and Jack (Zoe Crawley) are also trying to make their wishes come true. As the story lines of several fairy tale characters became interwoven, both Parker and Crawley impressed with their acting and vocal abilities.

The highlight number of the show came in the second, and much darker, act. "No One is Alone" stood out among many excellent songs with its haunting harmonies from Keenan Parker, Zoe Crawley, Katie King (Little Red Riding Hood), and Melissa Handel. The raw emotion portrayed on stage was mesmerizing.

One of the most commendable elements of the show was the fact that the cast was entirely made up of female performers, as Madeira is an all-girls school. Those playing male parts had the extraordinarily hard job of portraying the male qualities of a character and singing in the challenging lower vocal register. The talented actresses stepped up to the plate and delivered. Crawley and Thomas especially wowed the audience with their ability to sing the male vocals.

While the majority of the tech elements of Madeira's production were above average, the set truly was phenomenal. With trees made out of books and leaves created from pages, the forest represented the idea of a storybook falling apart--a main theme of Into the Woods. Transitions were perfect, and the ethereal quality of the forest was presented to audiences in a way that made everyone feel like they were venturing "into the woods."

From the technical aspects to the vocals, Into the Woods at The Madeira School was well-done and enjoyable for all. The leading and supporting cast worked together to bring these fairy tales to life with credibility and reflected the tone as the story morphed from lighthearted to dark. Madeira's production of Into the Woods was enough to make audiences "wish" to see it again.

Aubrey Winger
Loudoun Valley High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

You never know what to expect when journeying into the woods. Perhaps you will cross paths with a wily wolf, or an innocent boy with his cow. However, you would never expect to find the sublime vocals and enticing performances of The Madeira School's cast of Into the Woods.

A classic musical by Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods epitomizes the fractured fairy tale. Treasured characters from children's stories are brought together in one giant spectacle. As the show progresses, their happy endings are forever altered by a maniacal witch and a few old beans.

In a show known for its subplots and distinctive characters, the Madeira cast made sure every story was heard. Cinderella (Keenan Parker) won hearts with her spectacular range and melancholy expressions. She was juxtaposed with her stepfamily, all deliciously evil and remarkably fun to despise. Jack (Zoe Crawley) and Little Red Riding Hood (Katie King) captured youth and playfulness in their characters. They also showed growth as Little Red learned "many valuable things" and Jack found his confidence at the top of the beanstalk. Jack's faithful companion, Milky White (Alex Raposo), was effortlessly funny without "uddering" a sound.

The Baker's Wife (Claire Pitzer) was a breath of reality. As Cinderella spoke of her glamorous nights at the ball, Pitzer was stunned by the idea of even encountering royalty. Later, when she had her very own royal fling, Pitzer grounded herself with stern reasoning, reassuring herself that it was only a "moment in the woods." Vei Vei Thomas, playing Cinderella's Prince, brought her fantasies to life. Thomas and Prabha Girish (Rapunzel's Prince) embraced their roles with outlandish masculinity and flirting.

"BOOM! CRASH! A lightning flash!" Every moment of Magana Ngaiza as the witch was electrifying. Ngaiza's disfigured form and chilling, wild-eyed takes to the audience accentuated her stunning vocal performance. This diabolical persona contrasted perfectly with the elegant post-transformation witch. Although Ngaiza maintained her insidious personality and questionable motives in the second act, she developed an entirely new physique as she relished her newfound beauty.

Every member of this cast was female, yet the personas of male characters and the chemistry between couples were consistently believable. Ensemble numbers were full of haunting harmonies, maintaining the integrity of Sondheim's intricate score.

One of the most impressive technical elements was the set. Naturally, a show built from storybooks should have a set built from them too. The trees in the woods rose upon trunks formed from book spines and extended into branches made of pages suspended from the ceiling. The curved trunks made the forest perfect for hiding, providing a vehicle for a certain mysterious man to disappear. The use of a cyclorama was also commendable. At the beginning of each act, before the characters journeyed into the woods, this piece was used with three fireplaces to represent the homes of characters. Each fireplace was beautifully designed to show the characters' personality and status. The narrator sat in a library nook off to the side, separating himself from the story at hand.

The breathtaking sets and stellar performances in The Madeira School's production of Into The Woods were a fairy tale come true.

Maggie Klein
Oakton High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

"Anything can happen in the woods." Boys climb beanstalks, princesses find true love, curses are reversed, and everyone lives happily-ever-after-in-the-end, right? Not quite. In The Madeira School's production of Into the Woods, familiar fairy tales intertwine like branches to create an enchanting show with twists lurking behind every tree.

With book by James Lapine and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, this beloved musical has been an audience favorite since it premiered on Broadway in 1987. It went on to win several Tonys even when up against The Phantom of the Opera and has been produced countless times since, including the popular 2014 Disney film adaptation. The story follows a baker and his wife as they venture into the woods in hopes of lifting a witch's curse preventing them from having children, interacting along the way with fairy tale characters from Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and more.

As the central couple, the Baker (Melissa Handel) and the Baker's Wife (Claire Pitzer) were grounded and genuine in their search for the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold. Pitzer's consistently strong vocals and authentic, funny reactions showed a wide emotional range and made her character memorable and relatable.

As the infamous Witch, Magana Ngaiza brought star power and originality to the illustrious role. Whether hunched over, eyes bugging as she hilariously rapped her vegetable-centric verse of the prologue, angrily nagging the Baker and his wife, or mourning the loss of her daughter, Ngaiza captivated the audience at every moment. Especially notable were her dramatic, smoke-filled transformation and her powerful vocals in the haunting "Last Midnight."

Cinderella (Keenan Parker) was another standout vocalist, her ethereal vocals and animated facial expressions adding emotional depth to the lovely "No One is Alone" and "On the Steps of the Palace." An all-female cast meant that the male characters were extra challenging to portray, but the actors tackled these roles admirably, especially Jack (Zoe Crawley) and Cinderella's Prince (Vei Vei Thomas). Crawley realistically captured the boyish Jack with gorgeous vocals in "Giants in the Sky" and a playful, funny friendship with his beloved cow Milky White (Alex Raposo). Thomas demonstrated strong lower vocals and hilarious chemistry with Rapunzel's Prince (Prabha Girish) in "Agony."

The ensemble tackled a difficult score with strong vocals, clear diction, and tight harmonies as well as impeccable comedic timing and commitment to character. Incredibly detailed sets (Millenah Nascimento, et al.) included a library nook packed with books for the narrator and artful trees made from decomposing storybook pages that shook in time with the giant's "footsteps."

"The way is dark, the light is dim," but Madeira will take you "into the woods and out of the woods and home before dark" in this magical production. While not the conventional happily ever after, Madeira's Into The Woods proves that sometimes you have to get lost to find who you really are.