KC Rep Will Present INTO THE WOODS During 2009-2010 Season

Kansas City Repertory Theatre is adding Stephen Sondheim's acclaimed musical Into the Woods to its upcoming season. Broadway director Moisés Kaufman will direct the Tony Award-winning musical, which will be presented at the Rep for the first time.

"Into the Woods is a musical masterpiece and one of my favorites and I can't wait to bring this exciting new production to Kansas City audiences. The opportunity to feature two of our greatest theatre artists - legendary composer Stephen Sondheim and the brilliant director Moisés Kaufman - will be a highlight of our season," said Eric Rosen, artistic director of the Rep. "Sondheim's contribution to American musical theatre is unsurpassed. He revolutionized the musical art form and is now considered one of the finest composers of our time."

"Like Sondheim, Moisés Kaufman brings vitality, energy and life to his work," continued Rosen. "He is one of America's most innovative thinkers about the theatre and I've been privileged to work with him on numerous projects over the years. This partnership will result in an inspired staging of one of my favorite musicals."

Kaufman's recent Broadway production of 33 Variations, starring Jane Fonda, received five Tony Award nominations, including for best play and best performance by an actress. He is artistic director of Tectonic Theater Project in New York City and is also well-known as the Tony Award-nominated director of I Am My Own Wife (originally produced by Rosen in Chicago), The Laramie Project and Gross Indecencies: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, which was produced at Kansas City Rep in 2000.

Into the Woods premiered on Broadway in 1987 and received ten Tony Award nominations and won for best score, best book and best actress in a musical. Since that time, the show has had numerous productions including a 1988 national tour, a 1990 London staging and a 2002 Broadway revival which won Tony Awards for best revival of a musical and best lighting design.

Sondheim's compelling narrative revolves around a story of a childless baker and his wife who attempt to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child. They are forced to face their fears when they find themselves in the woods with a young Cinderella, a boy named Jack, his mother and the giant he upsets, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf, and other fabled characters.

Sondheim is the recipient of an Academy Award, numerous Tony Awards (including a Special Lifetime Achievement Award), multiple Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. His musical theatre work also includes A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Assassins, West Side Story and Gypsy.

Into the Woods replaces the Rep's production of Grand Hotel, which was scheduled to kickoff the theatre's 2009-10 season, and Rep subscribers will receive tickets to Into the Woods instead of Grand Hotel. "For numerous reasons, Moisés and I decided that Into the Woods was a more appropriate choice for our upcoming season, and look forward to continuing our collaboration on Grand Hotel and other projects for a future season," Rosen said.

Now in its 44th year, Kansas City Repertory Theatre is one of the nation's leading professional theatres and a member of the national League of Resident Theatres. The Rep produces plays and events each season at Spencer Theatre on the UMKC campus and at Copaken Stage downtown. Its diverse repertoire includes new works, musicals and classics of literature. The theatre serves approximately 100,000 patrons annually and employs more than 250 professional artists, technicians and administrators. This year, more than 8,500 students from 150 schools in the two-state region will attend 21 special matinee performances, and more than 1,200 students will experience our classroom programming and workshops.

For more information visit www.kcrep.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.