PREVIEW
Into the Woods
Bellerose Musical Theatre
Feb 6 to 8 at 7 p.m.
Arden Theatre
Tickets: Tuesday Preview Night $10, Wednesday and Thursday $20. Call 780-460-8490
Children discover the world's magic through fairy tales. Adults become adept at using the imagination to create theatre, entertain audiences and ask big questions.
This year Bellerose Composite High School’s musical theatre program is mounting the spectacular Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical extravaganza Into the Woods. More than 70 students are involved.
Sondheim and Lapine borrowed everyone’s favourite characters from the Brothers Grimm fairy tales to create a timeless modern mashup that both enchants and provokes.
The duo took liberties with traditional tales and recreated a narrative where everyone wishes for something they do not have.
The tale surrounds a Baker and his wife who wish to have a child; Cinderella desires to escape from slavery to attend the King’s Festival; and Jack from the beanstalk narrative wishes his cow would give milk.
When the Baker and his wife learn they cannot have a child because of a witch’s curse, they go on a journey to break the curse. Along the way they encounter Little Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, Rapunzel and assorted storybook characters.
Like most fairy tales, everyone is granted a wish. But the consequences of their actions as they travel into the woods, into the unknown, return to haunt them with disastrous results.
Although darker than traditional fairy tales, director Mark Samuel believes the musical's message, “be careful what you wish for” is a profound, but easily digestible statement.
“There’s darkness, but there is sadness too. People have wishes and things don’t turn out the way they want. No matter how hard they try, they can’t always control things. There’s a certain logic in the world that supersedes the way we approach our lives.”
Sondheim’s sophisticated score is lush and adaptable for young performers, but it was nevertheless a challenge for the 20-musician orchestra.
“Learning to play complicated orchestral arrangements in a short amount of time has been a real learning curve for the kids. But they’ve stepped up so valiantly.”
As for the cast, Jacob Brooks takes on the role of the comedic Baker.
“Jacob’s Baker can only see part of what’s going on and he’s always in the dark. But as much as he tries hard, he’s always frustrated.”
The Wife, played by student Sarah Johnson, instead is more driven.
“She wants a baby and will do what she has to do. She’s very deceptive, very manipulative and will even challenge her husband.”
Megan Durand’s Cinderella is a character that goes through the biggest change.
“She wants to go to the King’s Festival to relieve her tortuous life. She comes to realize that transitioning into the world of a princess doesn’t give her any meaning. She’s traded being a slave to not-nice people to being an equal to not-nice people. Ultimately Cinderella realizes she wants a connection with people that are genuine.”
Andrew Part plays Jack as a dimwit who shoulders a running gag with Milky White, his cow.
“He doesn’t make plans. He just wanders around, but somehow it always works out.”
Grade 11 student Emma Dowie’s Little Red instead steals cookies and likes the bad boys. Bratty at first, she reveals a love of danger when she encounters Bryden King’s salacious Wolf, the ultimate predator.
Zeliha Yigit’s Witch dovetails with a physically demanding role as an angry woman with a crafty streak. And Jaymie-Lin Chin’s Rapunzel reveals an “angelic voice” as the young girl locked up in an enchanted tower.
Of special note is art teacher Judy Smallwood’s organic set made from real trees, cut and replanted so they better reflect light.
