Review: INTO THE WOODS at Fargo North High School

Directors Tom and Rachel Gillen help bring this modern twist on the Grimm Fairy Tales to life on the stage at Fargo North High School. This Tony Award winning musical made it Broadway debut in 1987. Into The Woods has seen numerous revivals as well as a 2014 Hollywood movie starring Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, James Corden and more.

One of the first things I noticed was the Orchestra. I always love shows where you can see the orchestra on stage. They were behind the set, but still could be seen enough to appreciate the music that much more. Congrats to the orchestra and pit director Kesley Dragosavich.

Costume director Liv Helm did a wonderful job in helping to transport the cast back in time.

Of course I have to mention the amazing work of vocal director Katie Damico and Choreographer David Triptow.

This was such a big ensemble show, there are so many great young actors and actresses that help make this show a success.

The first cast member I want to mention was a surprise standout start for me. Sophomore Tyler Hoverson as Jack was superb. He played the character very well. I loved his interactions with every actor or actress he shared a scene with and he also got to sing my favorite song of the show Giants In The Sky. He also did a great job on Your Fault. I look forward to seeing much more of Tyler in the future.

Natalie Syverson shines as Cinderellla. She has amazing stage presence and we are treated to her beautiful vocals on many songs. Some of my favorites are Cinderella At The Grave, Your Fault and No One Is Alone.

Gavin Nordeng as The Baker was another favorite. I always enjoy seeing Gavin in shows, he has such range as an actor. I still fondly remember his performance in Putnam. A few of my favorite songs from Gavin were on I Guess This Is Goodbye, Baker's Reprise, Your Faulty and No More.

Elizabeth Gillen as The Baker's Wife was a great choice for this role. Her and Gavin worked so well together. She played the strong female character perfectly. Some of her vocal standouts were on I Guess This Is Goodbye, Maybe They're Magic and Any Moment.

Eliza McIntyre as Little Red Ridinghood was so much fun. Her portrayal of this character was simple delightful. Eliza was great in every scene and I really enjoyed her vocals on Hello Little Girl and Your Fault.

Andrew Christenson and Beckett Schultze as Cinderella's Prince and Rapunzel's Prince were such a joy. Their stage entrances were hilarious and their princely attitudes were hilarious. They were so good on Agony and Agony Reprise.

Vivian Behm played The Witch wonderfully. She had just the right touch of evil in her character, but still managed to keep it fun. I really enjoyed her vocals on Stay With Me and Witch's Lament.

Ian Christenson, Evan Andersen and Brooke Jennison as Mysterious Man, Wolf and Rapunzel were three more great characters. All of these young actors for to shine at different moments throughout the show. Ian was hilarious with his rhymes that kept confusing the Baker and we even got to hear some vocals from him on The Potion and No More. Evan as The Wolf had some great scenes with Eliza especially on his performance on Hello Little Girl. Brooke got to show off her voice on Rapunzel.

Finally I want to mention Jack Buckingham as The Narrator. His character holds the majority of the story together and I really enjoyed his vocals on the Act I Finale!

This was a fun show. My only complaint is that I wish it was on more than one weekend. Congrats again to all of the cast and crew.

***Photo Credit: deMarcel Photography

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