Into the Woods
at West Springfield High School

Reviewed on May 5, 2018

Jennifer Stoughton
Poolesville High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Though the story starts with the words "once upon a time" and a few simple wishes, West Springfield High School's production of Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods" is anything but your typical fairy tale. With stunning costumes, a wonderful set, beautiful harmonies, and captivating storytelling, West Springfield's students drew the audience into the woods, then out of the woods, and home before dark.

As many in the musical theater community are aware, Sondheim is renowned for his difficult music and complex characters, such that even professional actors and musicians struggle with it. West Springfield's Into the Woods Orchestra more than handled the tricky score; they navigated it with an ease and confidence that is even more impressive for the fact that it came from a student orchestra. Stand-out vocalists in the cast also include the Baker (Stephen Perkins) and the Baker's Wife (Eila Nash), who navigated the difficult music impressively.

Though the story of "Into the Woods" takes a sharp turn for the tragic in the second act, West Springfield was able to bring a consistent sense of humor that brought light to even the darkest times. The cow Milky White, though usually simply a prop, was played with great comedic timing by Madeline Howard. Brandon LaBarge brought a perfect balance of childishness and gravity to the role of Jack, and the two Princes (Brooks Todd as Rapunzel's Prince and Brenden Blackwell as Cinderella's Prince) never failed to get a laugh from the audience.

The technical aspects of the show also shined throughout. An ingenious set design that made story books the landscape of the play was cleverly modified into according sets, bringing the characters out of their respective stories and onto the stage. And from the earth-shaking steps of a giant to the light twittering of birds, the sound design was remarkably well-implemented.

Though not every character gets to live happily ever after in this story, every actor, tech, and member of the West Springfield High School Theatre and Chorus Departments got to live out a musical theater fairy tale: an amazing show. Impressive range and technical capability was exhibited throughout the production, and it was a pleasure to watch.

Julia Tucker
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

Classic fairytale stories collide in a world where a simple wish can transform into a full-scale catastrophe. From wolves devouring people whole to angered giants stomping down houses, the beloved characters learn "the woods can be a dangerous place". Last weekend, West Springfield High School challenged the classic fairytale ending in their marvelous production of Into the Woods.

Into the Woods is a musical featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine. The musical originally debuted in 1986 in San Diego before being moved to Broadway in 1987, winning multiple Tony Awards. Since then it has gone on multiple tours and revivals and was adapted into a Disney film in 2014.

Into the Woods follows the plots of multiple Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales, intertwining their stories by adding a baker and his wife who have had a curse placed upon them that prevents them from having a child. They are given instructions from a witch to retrieve four items from the woods, and if they get them to her in three days' time, she will lift the curse. Eager to gather the items, the baker and his wife go to the woods, not knowing how the impact of their seemingly innocent actions affect the world around them.

Stephen Perkins as Baker amazed not only with his acting but with his wonderful voice. He flaunted strong vocals for the entire show, evident in the songs "It Takes Two," and "No One is Alone". The Baker's wife, played by Eila Nash, also had outstanding vocals. She hit every note with ease and used facial expressions with her singing to add depth to her character. She and the Baker had outstanding chemistry that made the end of the show even more painful.

Lovably adorable Jack was played by Brandon LaBarge. LaBarge perfected the airheaded young boy character, making the audience cackle with laughter when he would make a silly comment. His remarkable voice shined in the songs "I Guess This is Goodbye," and "Giants in the Sky". His friendship with Milky White the cow, played by Madeline Howard, was endlessly cute and endearing. The catalyst for the story, the Witch, was played by Jane Schwartz. Schwartz had such a clear difference between being old and young that it would have been evident even if she hadn't changed costumes. Like the rest of the cast, she displayed strong vocals, shown in the songs "Witch's Lament," and "Last Midnight".

West Springfield High School's theatre department has remarkable talent not only on stage but behind the scenes as well. The set was made of fairy tale books when, turned to the side, revealed the set for a certain story. This design choice created the whimsical mood that added to the fairytale plot. To fully make the fictional world come alive, the crew members were wearing costumes (Sonya Leon as Peter Pan and Colin Jones as Pinocchio). The story had no breaks in it because no blackouts were required, which was exciting and interesting to see.

Among the wreckage of all they have ever known, the people of "Once Upon a Time" find a glimmer of hope for a fresh start. West Springfield's production of Into the Woods reminds people that even in the worst of times, "No One Is Alone".

Anna Johnson
Bishop Ireton High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

Every fairy tale begins with "Once upon a time" and ends with a perfect "Happily ever after." Every fairy tale, that is, except Into the Woods. A whirlwind of a musical that puts a new spin on classic stories, Into the Woods at West Springfield High School is sure to enchant and intrigue.

With the lyrical genius of Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods tells the story of many characters whose lives intertwine in one great fairytale. A baker and his wife go on a quest to break a spell that has prevented them from having children, and in doing so meet Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Jack (the beanstalk sort), and tangle with a couple of Prince Charmings.

This production's talented cast was lead by Stephen Perkins and Eila Nash as the Baker and the Baker's Wife. The duo brought laughs and tugged on heartstrings as they journeyed through the woods and their relationship was tested. Perkins and Nash delivered stunning vocals throughout the musical that demonstrated singing ability beyond their years, and their performance of the duet "It Takes Two" made their characters especially endearing.

West Springfield's cast included many dynamic and colorful characters brought to life onstage. Jack (Brandon LaBarge) stood out especially for his quality vocals and sunny, youthful characterization that brightened every scene. The Witch (Jane Schwartz) kept audiences on the edge of their seats with her enigmatic character. Rapunzel's and Cinderella's Princes (Brooks Todd and Brenden Blackwell), brothers who relentlessly pursue maidens as a pastime, brought much of the laughter and plenty of charisma to the show, with their comedy number "Agony" displaying their suave, strong voices. All of the actors showed their characters changing throughout the story in unexpected ways.

An unexpected gem from the show was its magical set. With huge painted "storybooks" in soft antique colors that turned to reveal a scene, a large opened book acting as a set piece, and several moving pieces, the set added fantasy and whimsy to the world of Into the Woods that complemented the show and set the tone for the story to unfold. It was aided by excellently-timed color-changing lighting that set the mood for a given moment and further deepened the emotion in each scene.

West Springfield High School's Into the Woods is a fantastical story that blends classic fairy tales with the unexpected. Its talented cast and crew make for a truly epic and wonderful production.

Howard Malc
Thomas Jefferson High School for Sci/Tech
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

Anything can happen in the woods. This is the message of West Springfield High School's "Into The Woods", a modern twist on classic fairy tales. Written by James Lapine and with music from Stephen Sondheim, the show follows the intertwining tales of a baker and his wife, Cinderella, Jack (of beanstalk fame), and many other characters as they all work to make their wishes come true. What's special about this show is that sometimes things don't always stay happy ever after.

The musical begins with an entertaining introduction to the characters: Cinderella (Jena Richardson), who wishes to go to the king's festival, the Baker and his Wife (Stephen Perkins and Eila Nash), who wished for a child, although they were cursed not to, Jack (Brandon Labarge), who wished he could keep his cow that produced no milk, and Little Red Riding Hood (Kayla Hay), who was off to visit her granny. Perkins and Nash had excellent chemistry together, it was incredibly believable that they were a married couple ready for kids. They were particularly enjoyable during their song "It Takes Two", where they realized they'd have to work together to break their curse.

Another great couple was Jack and his Cow, Milky White (Madeline Howard). Howard was able to turn an otherwise boring role into a hilarious and memorable character, Jack's best friend. Whenever they were onstage together the audience was guaranteed to give them a chuckle.

Lebarge was a very strong vocalist, which was spotlighted in his song "Giants in the Sky", which he sings after coming down from the giant beanstalk. Labarge's portrayal of Jack was phenomenal, at first appearing as a young foolish boy and really maturing by the end of the show.

When is came to comedy, nobody was funnier than the two Princes (Brooks Todd, and Brenden Blackwell). Attention was always on them whenever they were on stage, and they played off each other so well in their song "Agony", as well as the reprise.

The set was also amazing. Most of the set was made of fairytale books, which I thought was super creative, and the stagehands were dressed as Pinocchio and Peter Pan, which was a fun and smart way of keeping the immersion in this fairytale world.

"Into the Woods" is a very ambitious show to undertake, and often high schools have trouble living up to standards, but West Springfield went above and beyond with their great cast, professional orchestra, and beautiful set.

Emma Rood
Herndon High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

Come have your "Moments in the Woods" with West Springfield High School's sparkling cast of Sondheim's classic musical "Into the Woods"! Lapine and Sondheim's "Into the Woods" has been enchanting audiences since the 1987 Broadway premiere, which won 3 Tony awards, and has continued its legacy through revivals, tours, and high school performances such as this around the country. The stories seen in the show are based off of the Grimms Brothers' fairy tales, such as Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, etc. Though Disney may have took the road to the happy ending with their adaptations of some of these stories, Lapine and Sondheim put their own twist on the character's fates as their seeming separate stories become intertwined. "Into the Woods" teaches audiences the tough lesson that they should be careful what they wish for, and understand the consequences that arise when they get that wish. Even though they give the audience a lot to swallow with that recurring theme, the iconic Broadway duo breathe a playful air into the characters and makes it a delightful experience for theatregoers.

Stephen Perkins and Eila Nash were playful and realistic as the Baker and Baker's Wife; two difficult roles, as they move the story along while handling Sondheim's infamously difficult lyrics and entrancing the audience. Both Perkins and Nash were consistently engaging (Nash in her number "Moments in the Woods" is a great example) and had such a natural dynamic with each other. Another dynamic duo were the two princes, played by Brooks Todd and Brenden Blackwell, who were engaged in a hilarious rivalry but also were able to show the brotherly love underneath it all. Brandon LaBarge stole the audience's hearts as the sweet ("and occasionally vague") Jack, along with his equally as loveable cow Milky White (Madeline Howard). The pair's charisma lit up the stage and touched all of those in the audience.

One of the factors that helped the production be as whimsical as it was, was the set design. Giant books with the fairy tales on them turned into set pieces with a simple 90 degree turn, leaves dropped from the ceiling as the setting changed, and pages of storybooks became ramps for the characters to travel across. The set was an incredible use of the stage; it was simple enough not to cause distraction from the actors, but big enough to provide a sense of fantasy. With the help of gorgeous lighting and a pit orchestra that successfully tackled the behemoth that is the "Into the Woods" score, the tech crew and musicians transported the audience directly into the land of witches and giants.

Phoebe Wiseman
Robinson Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

They all lived happily ever after, or did they? Journey "into the woods" and you'll quickly find the answer. West Springfield High School provides an example of how excellent high school theatre can be in their production of Into the Woods.

This musical has cemented itself as a classic piece of musical theatre. First appearing on Broadway in the late 80s, the musical had a revival in the early 2000s, as well as a Disney movie adaptation (starring Meryl Streep among other big names) in 2012. Part of what makes this musical so enduring is the music by Stephen Sondheim, who writes notoriously difficult music both to play and to sing. West Springfield handled this spectacularly in its student orchestra as well as in its cast.

Into the Woods brings together classic characters and binds them together in a new story. The central players, opening the show, include the Baker and his wife, the Witch, Cinderella, and Jack. For Act 1, everything is straight out of a storybook, simple people wishing for simple things (to have a child, to go to the festival, to have a cow that would give milk, etcetera). As it turns out, happily ever after is a tad out of reach.

West Springfield featured the incredibly talented vocalists that are Stephen Perkins (Baker) and Brandon LaBarge (Jack). Both of these actors performed solos that were truly astonishing. Clearly, Perkins and LaBarge have a mastery over their voices. Eila Nash (Baker's Wife) was also an absolute joy to watch.

It negligent to not mention the true hidden gem of this show, the cow. Milky White does not necessarily need to be played by a actor, but it would be a shame to not watch Madeline Howard work her utters off to make this character a comic one. There is not a second of the show that Howard does not show the audience how our intrepid "cow as white as milk" is fairing throughout her turbulent journey. Milky White is, no doubt, moo-velous. Jane Schwartz (Witch) and Yoself Etana (Wolf) both had to work with a mask and both, again, did a fantastic job of working with physicality.

A highlight of the production was the storybook aesthetic of the costumes as well as the set. The element of pulling out books and utilizing them as the establishing locations in the beginning of both acts as well as Rapunzel's tower was especially clever. The simple costumes also added to the storybook aesthetic of the production. The orchestra was particularly interesting. The balanced sound between the orchestra and the cast as well as the perfect pitch, rhythm, and tempo, often was so flawless that it was reminiscent of a recording!

Overall, West Springfield sets a high bar for high school theatre that is definitely worth the trip "into the woods".