Into the Woods
at Falls Church High School

Reviewed on December 2, 2017

Marlaina Horewitz
W. T. Woodson High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

The tale of the sylvan world of the story books. Into the Woods, performed by Falls Church High School, is littered with humanistic personality flaws, plagued with manipulation, and roamed by fantastical beasts like giants. It's a hilarious twist on classic tales.

Opening on Broadway in 1987, Into the Woods is a notable difficult show. Clocking in at two hours and twenty-six minutes, the first acts seems like a stand-alone show. To add to the difficultly is the score, requiring six strong female soloists, containing various styles of music which is even operatic at times. Yet, Falls Church High School successfully took on the challenges.

The actors were able to show off their talent, especially in the second act where each character got a moment to shine. Songs like "Your Fault" were handled quite well keeping the audience engaged and laughing. There were technical gems to compliment the actors as well. The well done technical elements really helped to immerse the audience in the extremely fictional story.

Lead actress, Danielle Phan, played the Baker's Wife with grace. Playing a giggly and quirky woman, she handled both the comedy and the manipulation of the character. Overall, she was really enjoyable and fun to watch. Her onstage husband, Patrick Kearney (Baker) was also a skilled actor with notable vocals. Together they carried the story well.

Equally as important was the comedic supporting cast. Sarah Mack, an incredibly cute yet scary Little Red Riding Hood, was able to really play with the humor of her mercurial attitude. She was able to find her role in the final surviving four ensemble consisting of herself, the Baker, Jack, and Cinderella. Cinderella, played by Samaria Dellorso, had fantastic vocals. She landed high notes with grace and ease. Her prince, Carson Hopkins, was extremely comical with every hair flip and florid exit. To contrast, the featured Mysterious Man, Colin Page, was really stolid and serious adding to the dark side of the play. A notable twist of the featured characters was to have a human play Milky White, the cow. Cecilia Nguyen handled that challenge well and used her live-advantage to add to the comedy of some of the more serious scenes. She was also extremely consistent while portraying an animal.

To compliment a comedic cast there was some amazing technical elements. While startling both the actors and audience, the special effects team was able to make the set break when a giant stepped on it. The effects helped the audience get involved in the story. The set included trees which fell from the celling illustrating time passage and location changes. The trees not only added to the story telling immersion of the audience, but they were gorgeous. The lighting choices also helped set different tones throughout the show. Overall the technical team helped the audience feel like a part of the narrative.

From immersion, to comedy, to great acting, to amazing vocals, Falls Church High School conquered the challenges of Into the Woods like a giant.

Gabriella Mancusi
South County High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

What happens when a familiar group of fairytale characters journey "Into the Woods" to get what they wish? Find out in Falls Church High School's production of the whimsical tale.

Written in 1986 by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, Into the Woods tells the story of a childless baker and his wife. Cursed with infertility by the witch next door, the baker journeys into the woods to retrieve objects for the witch to reverse the spell. He encounters many classic fairytale characters during his travels, but the stories we all know and love take an unexpected turn when the kingdom is threatened by an angry giant. As one of Sondheim's most iconic shows, "Into the Woods" has been reproduced many times, including a 2014 film starring Meryl Streep. The show is notable for its witty lyrics and grown up take on the childhood tales which deal with themes of parenting, the loss of loved ones, and coming of age.

At the center of the musical, Patrick Kearney and Danielle Phan, as the Baker and the Baker's wife respectively, played off each other well as a strong comedic duo. Despite their consistent arguments, their love and affection for each other was abundantly clear. Phan's smile lit up the stage, and Kearney dealt with the emotionally difficult material with a poise and maturity that is uncharacteristic of a high school student. Jia Syed, as the Witch, stood out with her powerful voice in the song "Last Midnight".

Sarah Mack, as Little Red Riding Hood, was a clear standout performer as she brought the character to life with the spunk and energy of a young child. Mack handled the difficult music effectively and livened up the stage whenever she set foot on it. Jack Child's performance as the Wolf also stood out. In his one song, he was perfectly creepy and predatory as he preyed upon the young and naive Little Red.

"Into the Woods" doesn't have a designated ensemble. Instead, the main characters make up the ensemble in certain full cast numbers. The choreography was handled effectively, but lacked energy in parts. The standout ensemble was the Final Four which consisted of the Baker, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack Kearney as Jack, and Samaria Dellorso as Cinderella. The four actors had excellent chemistry as a small family unit thrown together by tragic circumstance. Although they quarrel in "Your Fault" as they scramble to place blame, they eventually accept their losses and support each other through difficult times. This ensemble created heartfelt and poignant moments, especially in the song "No One is Alone".

The tech elements were generally effective. While some of the sound and lighting cues were inconsistent, the actors could be seen and heard throughout most of the show. The set design was the strongest tech element. Dealing with multiple settings, they effortlessly created a fairytale land with houses that could be moved on and offstage easily and a multileveled woods setting that provided a space for the actors to play around.

Ultimately, Falls Church High School's production effectively portrayed the nostalgia of the classic fairytales and presented a heartfelt story of hope and accepting responsibility for one's own fate.

Caroline Alpi
H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

Into the Woods, with music composed by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, is a beloved musical in which four classic fairy tales converge. But these are not the fairy tales as we grew up with them. The plots of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel are tied together by an original story of "a childless baker and his wife," who journey into the woods to find a giant wreaking havoc on the kingdom, which the characters must unite to battle. Into the Woods is a take on the darker side of our familiar childhood stories, using the woods as a symbol of the greed that consumes each wishful character, and the result of death and destruction. Falls Church High School presents these twisted thematic elements of growing up, morality, and consequences in its spirited production of Into the Woods.

When the show first premiered on Broadway in 1987, it took home Tony Awards for Best Book, Best Score, and Best Actress in a Musical. The musical is notoriously revered as strenuous for performers due to the show's length and the complexity of the musical score, and the cast from Falls Church High School rose to this challenge with extraordinary poise and maturity.

Leading the show in a consistent and genuine partnership were Patrick Kearney (Baker) and Danielle Phan (Baker's Wife). Kearney's seemingly-effortless acting set the pace for the show and demonstrated an impressive climb in energy aligned with the rise in action. Phan engaged the audience with her glowing smile and entertaining comedic take on her character. She portrayed her acting range excellently as she went from swooning over princes to an emotional solo in the show's Finale.

Sarah Mack (Little Red Riding Hood) hit every mark with her expressive mannerisms, clear and on-pitch vocal talent, and hilarious character development. She presented herself as an instantly likeable character through both her solos, and by taking advantage of moments when she was not directly in the spotlight by never deviating from her character.

Mack's on-stage relationship with Samaria Dellorso (Cinderella) was a shining moment of the show, as Dellorso grew into a motherly role for the children she was tasked with protecting, and used her lovely soprano tone to comfort them in the number "No One is Alone."

Carson Hopkins (Cinderella's Prince) had the audience in a consistent state of laughter through his amusing physicalization of the role, from pushing down and stepping on his prince brother when singing of compassion, to smoothing back his hair at every entrance and exit.

However, one of the most impressive parts of the show was how the individual performers worked together in dynamic interactions through the complicated full cast moments in the show. Falls Church High School showcased their abundance of talented performers, both in singing and acting, through a charming and striking production of Into the Woods.

Karlee Skaggs
W. T. Woodson High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

For years, Stephen Sondheim's fantastical classic Into the Woods has reminded us that "it takes two." In Falls Church High School's production, however, this notion was put to the test. It took "witches and slippers and hoods"; in other words, a whole lot more than two. Into the Woods features Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (as in the beanstalk), a couple princes, an evil step-family, and more all under the same Sondheim-induced sun, as well as two original characters, the Baker and his wife, who tie everything together with charisma and flair. A show that highlights such a multitude of beloved characters and storylines takes much more than two; it takes capable techies with vision, and an entire cast of dynamic performers.

Set designers Julian Hockenberry, Grace Ollivant, Samuel Whitman and Maddy Ivey waste no time with castles and otherwise. The centerpiece of their set is none other than Sondheim's brilliant metaphor for our twisted world; the woods. Including raised platforms for variety in levels and substantial canvas tree trunks that can brilliantly be retracted upward, Falls Church's set was the wonderfully simplistic backdrop such a rich production needs. The set also made way for stunning special effects by Sam Whitman, including the frighteningly realistic collapse of the Baker's house and the smoky disappearance of the Witch.

At the crux of the show was darling couple Patrick Kearney, the Baker, and Danielle Phan, the Baker's wife. The two sported a soft, trusting on-stage relationship, and retained the warmth of an oven even when separated. Phan, whose angelic lower register and genuine smile stole every heart and sticky bun in the audience, was more than sophisticated when showcasing the wide range of personas encapsulated by her character. From goofy fraudster to loving mother and wife to conflicted damsel, Phan epitomized each charade at no expense of the others. Her on-stage beau, Kearney, was a treat intended for Granny, squeezing a laugh out of every possible joke with masterful comedic timing.

Sophomore Sarah Mack (Little Red Riding Hood) was simply a joy to watch. Beautifully costumed, donning boots to match the "cape red as blood", Mack couldn't have sported anything more captivating than her quirky take on Little Red. Mack was largely so captivating due to crisp facial expressions that transcended a rainbow of emotion, vocal precision, and booming physicality. Sophomore Colin Page (Mysterious Man) was yet another memorable performer in Falls Church's production, even though half of his face was hidden by a beard, there was no shortage of expression in his body and no lack of articulation, even when his lines were laden with accent.

So many of the wonderful performances featured in this production wove together with grace near the end of Act Two, in numbers such as "Your Fault" and "No One is Alone", during which the young actors did not allow audience members to leave without digesting the the true message of the production. Into the Woods is as difficult a production as it deems life to be, and certainly no small feat for a high school group. Needless to say, the dazzling performances in Falls Church's production will "stay with me" long enough to fuel eighty-five replays of the opening number on Spotify.

Mavis Manaloto
W. T. Woodson High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Student Voice

Anything can happen in the woods… watch the magic unfold as all of your favorite childhood storybook characters intertwine in Falls Church High School's enchanting production of Into the Woods.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, this musical made its Broadway debut in 1987, winning three Tony Awards including Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical. After a successful first run of 765 performances, the musical has had multiple Broadway and West End revivals and a star-studded film adaptation in 2014, featuring Meryl Streep, James Corden, and Emily Blunt. The story centers around a baker and his wife who wish to have a family, but must first help a witch in order to have their curse reversed. Along the way, they encounter characters from Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Cinderella.

This 24-person cast featured an ensemble of comedic storytellers, who each had shining moments fostered by their commitment to their iconic storybook characters, ranging from figures of royalty to mere animals. In numbers such as "Your Fault" and "Act I Finale," the cast handled Sondheim's tricky score and choreography by sophomore Annie Stamp with energy and dedication.

The lovely leading couple of the Baker and the Baker's Wife, portrayed by the dynamic duo of Patrick Kearney and Danielle Phan, respectively, brought a believable marriage to life onstage. Kearney and Phan had lighthearted moments of banter, especially in their adorable duet "It Takes Two," juxtaposed by serious arguments during the second act. Other standout performances were given by Sarah Mack as Little Red Riding Hood and Carson Hopkins as Cinderella's Prince. Mack's sweet yet spunky interpretation of Little Red had the audience rolling with laughter, especially in "Opening, Part II" and "I Know Things Now." Hopkins brought all the charm in his portrayal of Cinderella's Prince, and also made the audience holler with laughter at his "Agony," alongside Rapunzel's Prince (CJ Rosario).

Vocal standouts from the cast included Samaria Dellorso as Cinderella and Jia Syed as the Witch. Dellorso's melodic soprano vocals had not just the Prince, but the audience falling in love with her, in numbers such as "On the Steps of the Palace" and "No One is Alone," while Syed's powerful belt matched the Witch's strong personality, especially in "Witch's Lament" and "Last Midnight." Featured performances by Colin Page as the Mysterious Man and Cecilia Nguyen as the Cow are also to be applauded, as they physically embodied their characters with commitment and consistency throughout the show.

Special effects by Sam Whitman were professionally executed and featured the surprising collapse of the Baker's house and a hole in the stage for the Witch's disappearance. Julian Hockenberry's lighting design featured various cyc colors, such as red for instances of death and blues for the mysterious woods, and top lights that cast a sinister mood for the Witch.

Falls Church High School faced the challenges in this production with gre
at effort, making wishes come true in their production of Into the Woods.

Ryan Worthman
Clarksburg High School
Submitted for publication to Falls Church News Press

Once upon a time in a far-off kingdom, there lay a small village at the edge of the woods. Into the Woods is a musical that brings together classic fairytales such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk, but not as you may remember them. Falls Church High School's production of this timeless and beloved musical brought these fairy tales new meaning with comical and outrageous scenes that had the audience chuckling with non-stop laughter, as well as heartfelt moments that gave goosebumps throughout the theatre.

The musical's journey began when lyricist Stephen Sondheim and playwright James Lapine decided to intertwine famous tales of several Brother Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales. The musical soon took the stage in San Diego where it made its debut at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986 and later premiered on Broadway on November 5, 1987 where it won 3 Tony Award. In 2014, the award-winning musical was then adapted for the big screen and starred big name actors such as Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, James Corden and Emily Blunt. The musical follows a childless Baker and his wife as they go into the woods to find a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn and a slipper as pure as gold. With these items, the Witch, who cursed their family tree to be a barren one, will reverse the curse so that the Baker and his wife may finally have a baby.

As the adventurous yet cautious Baker, actor Patrick Kearney presented his character in way that was witty and moving when needed. Patrick's character development from a weak and cautious everyday baker into an adventurous and brave friend and husband was spot-on. Playing the whimsical and charming Baker's Wife was Danielle Phan whose impeccable comedic timing and strong vocals set the mood for a fun and and heartfelt show. The connection between both actors was beautifully shown through loving facial expressions, funny couple arguments, and an admirable performance between them in the romantic song "It Takes Two."

Obvious audience favorite Little Red Riding Hood, played by sophomore Sarah Mack, stole the show with her captivating vocals, charming facial expressions, and fetching acting. The way she commanded the stage in songs such as "Hello, Little Girl" and "I Know Things Now" took the show to a whole new level of greatness and led to a memorable experience for everyone watching. Another noteworthy performance was that of actress Cecilia Nguyen who played the Cow. Her commitment to the performance was both respectable and crowd pleasing. Despite limited stage time, she consistently brought her A-game through her hilarious movements and praiseworthy "Moo."

In addition, the technical aspects of the show were fantastic. The colors of light blue with a hint of white during scenes in the forest and the dark red representing death presented by the lighting designer (Julian Hockenberry, Evan Foster) added a pleasant vibe to the show and was both flawless and visually appealing. The sets also proved to be a great addition the show with great designs such as the sides of the houses being painted as the pages of a story book which kept the theme of the show alive.

This show proved that life is not as simple as a fairy tale and that achieving a happy ending is not as easy as it seems. Falls Church High School's production of Into the Woods was a pleasurable experience for the audience and was even more so because of the dedication of the talented actors and tech crew.

Armin Mahmutovic
South County High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

Lets venture off into the depths of an enchanted forest to see what happens when fairy tales clash. Falls Church's rendition of Into the Woods encompasses many ideas in a beautiful set with wonderful singers and actors.

Into the Woods created by James Lapine and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim was a brilliant and very popular piece when hitting the stage on Broadway on December 4th 1986. So popular in fact that it was then turned into a movie for all of the general public to see on December 25th 2014.

Patrick Kearney playing the Baker did a magnificent job of keeping up the energy and the expression of the production. As such an important presence, his ability to show his drastic change throughout the musical by his physical actions and his speech was very noteable. His strongest points however, were when he was with his wife, played by Danielle Phan. Their chemistry was very beautiful and drew the attention to them during almost every scene in which they were together. Their progression and change as a duo was beautiful to see. This did so well because of Ms Phan's beautiful way of expressing her emotions and thoughts through her speech. With incredible diction she made every one of her songs memorable.

As the characters were good as individuals, they definitely shined brighter and did amazing as ensembles. All the ensembles did a good job of creating their "clique", which was nice to witness. The narrator and the two girls did a magnificent job in popping up from place to place and hiding on the stage for quite a while. The final four (being the Baker, Little Red, Jack, and Cinderella) truly encompassed the ideas of a good ensemble. With nice chemistry and harmonization they dominated the stage.

The lighting created very beautiful depth in the woods with both the cyc and overtop lights. This went really well with the set and the idea of the moving trees. These trees were really innovative and brilliantly created. This prompted some beautiful stage pictures as well as an environment for the actors. The difficult and surreal aspect of the set of the houses moving and one of them having a roof collapse was very beautiful and gave for a real and surprised reaction. A really innovative thing implemented in the production is the subtle yet noticeable echo for the mics. Once realized it created a very good sound depth in the area which was very appreciated. There were a lot of very detailed and nice props needed to create a real environment along with beautiful costumes to complement the actors.

The stage was beautiful with a variety of stage pieces and perfect lighting, the environment was created for the actors to go up, bring the energy, and put on an good show. Even with the subtle drops of energy at times, the cast was able to bring it up and succeed with the help of its amazing leads and beautiful ensemble. Falls Church High School succeeded at putting on a difficult show that surely made the audience like fairytales a little bit more.

Maanav Goyal
Clarksburg High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

"Once upon a time in a far-off kingdom, there lay a small village at the edge of the woods." These are the opening words to Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, a theatrical masterpiece that takes the audience on a life-changing adventure unlike any other. Falls Church High School does a brilliant job of taking the audience on this storybook adventure.

Into the Woods is famously known for it's intertwining of fairytale characters. Characters and plots from timeless tales such as "Cinderella", "Little Red Riding Hood", "Jack and the Beanstalk", and "Rapunzel" are all brought together. Told from the lens of a nameless Baker and his Wife who are on their own quest to collect magical goods for a manipulative Witch, who promises to bear them with a child upon the quests completion. This however only culminates the first act. The second act of the show takes a much darker turn, as a Giant is let loose onto the kingdom, and our heroes must leave their "Happily Forever After" lives to fight it. The second act goes on to cover themes such as the grim truth of death, insincerity and lust, and the morality of murder.

The Baker (Patrick Kearney), the Baker's Wife (Danielle Phan), and Little Red (Sarah Mack) all bring the required amount of energy, character, emotion, and understanding of their characters that this show requires. The Baker and Baker's Wife provide fantastic performances in each one of their scenes. In the first act, Kearney and Phan are the awkward yet particularly relatable couple that over the course of the adventure learn more about each other and find a new spark of love as they make their way through the woods. In the second act they bring on the necessary dramatic turn for their characters, the Baker, now much more serious and slightly panicked as he copes with the issues surrounding him, while the Baker's Wife is learning how to put a "moment in the woods" behind her and get back to her life with the baker. Little Red is consistently engaged in the show, Mack never seeming out of character, starts off as the lovable and snappy little girl trying to get to her grandma's house, and ends as the now much more mature and truly independent girl who must understand how to handle life on her own.

This show's tech genius is most present in its sets and lighting. Subtle, as well as not so subtle lighting cues create brilliant effects that resonate with the audience even long after it has passed. Changes of colors and usage of top lights give the woods a magical feel that truly separates it as being uncontrollable and mysterious. The sets are simplistic yet effective. The three vignettes which each act opens with are beautifully adorned with storybook pages, truly making it feel like the turning of the pages as they are turned and moved off stage. The woods feature extremely tall tree trunks hanging from the ceiling down to the floor which are moved to create more space or to show that the characters are reaching deeper into the woods.

Overall, Falls Church High School did a wonderful job bringing to life the wonderful characters the Grimm Brother's created 200 years ago, as well as bringing to life the all powerful and mysterious woods Sondheim created 30 years ago.