Bucks County Playhouse has a revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s fairy tale musical.
By: Stuart Duncan
Into the Woods was controversial almost from the moment composer Stephen Sondheim and writer James Lapine began to talk about the show. Lapine, who had loved fairy tales when growing up, at first conceived of a musical based on an entirely new fairy tale, but the notion of combining several already-cherished tales in one work was rife with possibilities for slapstick humor and witty lyrics.
The first act was easy Lapine came up with the idea of the Baker and his wife, desperate to have a child, but fighting a curse put on them by a wicked witch. And the first act describes in jolly fashion how the curse might be removed. The baker and his wife need to find a slipper as pure as gold (which the wife gets from Cinderella), a cow as white as milk (which the baker buys from Jack in exchange for the fateful magic beans), a cape as red as blood (which the baker gets from Little Red Riding Hood in exchange for freeing her and her granny from the wolf), and hair as yellow as corn (which they get from Rapunzel).
And the current revival of the show, at Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pa., has a delicious time of it with a super-talented cast of veterans and newcomers singing and dancing with abandon. Among the veterans are Tressa McCallister as Cinderella, Peter Martino as Jack and Penny Larsen as his mother, Gerry Martin as Cinderella’s stepmother and newcomers Lauren Brader and Kaitlin Manca at the two stepsisters. Louis Palena plays the baker and Kendra Heverlo plays his wife. Louis’ sister, Jill Palena, plays Little Red Riding Hood.
Happy McPartlin, just returned from a world tour of The Full Monty, returns to Bucks to play the witch. Michele Zuckman, a graduate of Westminster Choir College, plays Cinderella’s granny. And newcomer Brad Ross plays Cinderella’s prince (and then jumps into another costume and plays the wolf). Johanna Lloyd, another newcomer, plays Rapunzel.
But there is a second act, and many of the Broadway critics felt it was too dark. It examines what might be expected as consequence if the fairy tales had actually occurred. For example: what would you do with a dead giant in the backyard? Would marrying a prince really guarantee a happy, fulfilling life? Was carving up a wolf really the right solution?
And indeed many in the audience will question whether the extra hour and a half (the show runs just a bit less than three hours) is really worth it. Sondheim has said that the dark theme followed from 18th century German writers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, whose endings were often far from "happily ever after."
Incidentally, a Broadway revival in 2002 was far gentler, and even included a three little pigs segment, cut from Broadway’s original script. Perverse as ever, the critics were kind to this version, but audiences put it down, complaining that the new version was "too flippant."
Into the Woods continues at Bucks County Playhouse, 70 S. Main St., New Hope, Pa., through June 4. Performances: Wed-Thurs. 2, 8 p.m.; Fri. 8 p.m.; Sat. 4, 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Tickets cost $17-$24. For information, call (215) 862-2041. On the Web: www.buckscountyplayhouse.com

