Review: Lipscomb University's INTO THE WOODS

If you need something to prod you toward making reservations to see Lipscomb University's staging of the near-legendary Into the Woods - although we find it hard to believe anyone could not want to hear that wondrous score once more - we are happy to give you that prompt: Sarah Zanotti's performance as The Baker's Wife is extraordinarily evocative and deeply moving, to be certain. But it is her lovely, expressive voice that sets her performance apart from others we've seen - and which proves that no matter how well you know a character or how impressive you have found other portrayals to be, there is still much drama and theatricality to be mined from The Baker's Wife.

Now, go make a reservation and see the show, which is brought to vivid life on the Collins Alumni Auditorium stage over the next two weekends in a colorful production from director Scott Baker and his cast of remarkable young actors and theater artisans on the campus of Nashville's Lipscomb University.

Truth be told, there are some uneven moments to be found in the production - Sondheim's score is challenging, there are some missed opportunities, June Kingsbury's costumes aren't as lovely as we had hoped for, there were the usual sound problems that continue to plague theater productions in a town known around the world as Music City USA (in which sound should be pristine) and the students in the cast represent a wide range of capabilities and promise - but overall it's a solid production that will only improve over the course of two weekends of performances. And with the exquisite performance of Zanotti as the Baker's Wife to lead the ensemble, which features some truly wonderful young actors, it is well worth the price of admission.

Noteworthy among Baker's cast is the always reliable Jonah Jackson as The Baker, delivering a subtle and nuanced performance that proves his mettle as an actor and which - especially when considered where it falls in his arc as an actor in LDoT performances - shows his talent off to perfection. Likewise, Emily Hughes plays Cinderella with a heartfelt and genuine sense of character, imbuing her with grace and a level of maturity that we've been honored to see her develop in her tenure on the Lipscomb stage.

Bekah Purifoy, playing the acerbic and in-your-face Little Red, is delightfully direct as she commands the stage, showing off her acting and singing chops with finesse. Brooke Ferguson is impressive as Jack's mother, playing beyond her years with an honesty that is breathtakingly fresh and refreshing. Hunter Martin is adoringly guileless as Jack, projecting an innocence that underscores his performance with good humor. And Scott Wilson and Elijah Wallace are great fun as the two Princes, showing off charm and confidence in the process - earning some of the biggest laughs of the almost-three-hour-long show. Ann Marie Bagge gives a winning performance as Rapunzel and Mackenzie Lewis is terrific as Cinderella's stepmother.

Scout Pittman, as the narrator, seems far too dour in her performance - although, admittedly, she sounds terrific delivering James Lapine's lines with forceful authority - and the manner in which she has been blocked by Baker keeps her rooted to one spot onstage, which is somehow distracting and uninspired when compared to the visual feast the rest of the show affords the audience. Dallas Pritt's delivery of his lines as the Mysterious Man was ill-served by the sound design and his performance suffers, as a result.

Faculty member Kari Smith, who also choreographs the production with her customary energy, plays The Witch well (she gives impressive voice to some of Sondheim's most beloved melodies in the score), but her reveal - during which she transforms from the hideous witch to her younger and more beautiful self - is bungled, cheating the audience out of one of the most effective moments in the play. Though the fault is not Smith's, rather it seemed to be an inept lighting cue on opening night, it nonetheless weighs her character down as the plot unfurls onstage. The fact that her "beautiful" costume is dowdy does nothing to help her.

However, nothing can detract from Smith's beautiful performance of "Children Will Listen." Only the most unfeeling audience member will be unmoved by that.

Speaking of costuming misfires, Cinderella's wedding dress is hideous but her scullery maid "rags" are far more fashionable, while Cinderella's mother's costume (remember, her spirit is trapped inside a tree) is fetchingly clever and her wig is absolutely gorgeous (filled with leaves and branches by designer Aria Durso), but we don't really see her until the finale and curtain call.

Baker's direction keeps the action moving along at a generally good pace - you're likely to be surprised that act one clocks in at a brisk 90 minutes, when you glance at your watch at the interval, although act two hits some plodding snags as the musical's more interesting and intriguing second stanza plays out before you - and his use of supernumeraries to move set pieces around and to provide support to the leading players is surprisingly engaging, adding a new and perhaps unexpected fillip of fun to the proceedings. Particularly noteworthy was Connor Weaver's puppetry that gave Milky White (designed by Paul Fly), Jack's pet cow, much personality while eliciting some of the warmest responses from the audience.

Music director Randy Craft's work with the cast is apparent throughout: "No One is Alone" is as stirring as we've ever heard it performed and the Act Two finale captures the spirit and sense of whimsy that Into the Woods always inspires. Furthermore, his 17-member orchestra perform with score with a graceful power that is certain to impress. Andy Bleiler's scenic design is visually stunning and again shows off his skills to perfection, while Anne Willlingham lights the expansive stage with a panoply of colors to highlight Bleiler's set, adding more "oomph" to the productiion with every watt that glows.

• Into the Woods. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by James Lapine. Directed by Scott Baker. Music direction by Randy Craft. Choreography by Kari Smith. Produced by Beki Baker. Presented by the Lipscomb University Department of Theatre, at Collins Alumni Auditorium, Nashville. Through November 7. For details, go to www.theatre.lipscomb.edu or call (615) 966-7075. Running time (3 hours, with one 15-minute intermission).

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