REVIEW: Stray Dog Theatre's Season Continues with Sondheim and Lapine's INTO THE WOODS

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's whimsical musical, Into the Woods, is an amusing combination of fractured fairy tales from the likes of The Brothers Grimm and others. It's an intriguing idea that brings these disparate characters together to interact in ways that are decidedly different from their original source material. Stray Dog Theatre is mounting a successful production at the Tower Grove Abbey that features a plethora of local talent.

Lapine's clever script re-imagines the stories of "Little Red Riding Hood", "Rapunzel", "Cinderella", and "Jack and the Beanstalk", tying them all together with a plot element involving a Baker and his wife's futile attempts to produce a child. Lapine stretches the characters in various ways so that they're familiar, but deconstructed to a degree. The only mistake he and composer Sondheim make is providing a satisfactory climax at the end of the first act that's undone by the darkness and slower pace of the second act.

Christina Rios is very good as Cinderella, and though her character gets what she wishes for, things don't turn out the way she expects. Rios shows off a fine voice, and also impresses with her slapstick physicality. Justin Ivan Brown nearly steals the show as her Prince Charming, and as the Wolf who stalks Little Red Riding Hood. He's given some of the best lines and makes the most of the opportunity. Alex Miller is a bundle of energy as the sassy Little Red, constantly skipping in place.

JT Ricroft and Laura Kyro are also compelling as the Baker and his wife. Their story threads through the whole of the play, bringing all the various elements together. Both display strong voices and characterizations. Ricroft also handles the musical staging in fine fashion. Deborah Sharn brings an edge to her portrayal of the Witch who gives the Baker and his wife a chance to break the curse that keeps them childless.

Young Zach Huels continues to grow as an actor, and his take on Jack (of Beanstalk fame) is very solid. Donna Weinsting contributes nicely as his nagging mother. Leslie Sikes makes the most of a small part with her wordless vocalizing as Rapunzel, and she also tackles the role of vocal director with aplomb. Jeffrey Wright does fine work as her Prince.

Additional support is provided by: Steve Callahan who narrates the story and plays the Baker's father; Kim Furlow, Natasha Toro and Laura Coppinger as Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters; Kay Love as Red's Grandmother (along with a couple of other roles); Ken Haller as Cinderella's useless father; and Vincent Wieck as a steward.

Gary Bell's direction is well done, and he uses his imagination to good effect in his expressionistic conception of the scenic design by Tyler Duenow. The Tower Grove stage is taller than it is wide, and the space is smartly utilized by having the set grow vertically instead of horizontally. Duenow's lighting design also aids immensely by keeping the action clearly in focus. Sheila Lenkman's costumes add the final touch to this production.

Sound issues, which can be quite tricky in this vast space, are virtually non-existent, with the cast eschewing the use of microphones to take full advantage of the Abbey's natural acoustics. The use of pre-recorded backing tracks also helps since this allows the volume to be set at a reasonable level for the actors voices.

Any issues I have with this show are more a product of the script itself, which meanders far too much during the second act, causing the production to lose momentum. And, of course there's the fact that it's nearly impossible to get the eponymous musical theme out of your head.

Stray Dog Theatre's delightful production of Into the Woods continues through October 10, 2009 at the Tower Grove Abbey.

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