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Follow the path to Wilde Lake High School this weekend to see their spring musical, the classic fairytale with a twist, Into the Woods. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and story by James Lapine, putting on a production like this is no easy feat. Nevertheless, the students at Wilde Lake were up to the task.
Opening night was Thursday, March 6 in the Jim Rouse Theatre at Wilde Lake High School. The performances given by the students were remarkable. Every song was done incredibly well, especially difficult as this musical has over 20 songs. The live pit orchestra, all wearing headbands with cow ears and referred to as “Cow Death,” were instrumental to the performance, playing music or providing sound effects in nearly every scene to truly bring the fictional world to life.
The stage was set to create the illusion of a forest, with four large trees that stretched to the top of the stage, vines hanging from above, scattered plants and rocks, and platforms covered with fake greenery. Scenes were also set by simple moving platforms with paintings depicting different locations, such as homes and towers. The lighting crew also did an excellent job of immersing the audience into the world, including projections lighting up the back wall to further enhance the current scene, and spotlights that would shake with the footsteps of a giant.
The costumes felt right out of a Grimm storybook, whether it was the outfit of a humble baker, the dress of a princess, or Cinderella’s cleaning dress that transforms into a silver and golden ball gown in just a few spins right before the audience’s eyes.
“We were really enjoying Cinderella’s dress,” said one audience member, Ruth Chacon. Chacon was especially appreciative of the dress since her granddaughter, Delilah Hersh, who was on the costume crew, helped make it.
Hersh’s mother, also attending opening night, was also thrilled with the dress transformation. “We heard a lot about the quick changes,” she said. “When the dress unfurled, I was like, ‘yes!’”
Even the costumes for students playing animals were stellar, from the furry costume of the Wolf, to the sleek costumes of Cinderella’s birds. One stand-out costume was that of the cow, Milky White, played by Justice Brianna Randall. It was half costume half puppet, with Randall in a fully white outfit and a cow’s puppet head on one hand. Randall’s comedic reactions to the scenes she was in gave the audience the biggest laughs without her character ever saying a word.
A student from Wilde Lake Middle School who attended opening night, Ryn Raney, said the show was “incredibly hilarious.”
The musical’s two acts are very different in tone, with the first half being bright and magical with fairytale endings, and the second half being dark and dour, exploring themes of love and loss, but the actors were able to execute both tones brilliantly. The darker tone of the second act is reflected in the design of the stage, covered in bits of debris from the woods, the more haunting music, and even some less brightly lit scenes. The sincerity with which the actors play their roles in the second act inspires true emotion during songs like “Witch’s Lament”, “No More”, or “No One is Alone”.
The charm brought to this production can not be denied. Sam Brady and Kay Timmons as the Baker and Baker’s Wife were an electric duo, from their fiery arguments to their sweet romantic ballad “It Takes Two”. Brady said his favorite part of the performance was, “seeing the full product come together, having everyone enjoy it, and getting to see how happy it makes people.”
Sophie Crossland, who played Cinderella, brought a lot of heart to her performance as the kind princess, especially in her song “On the Steps of the Palace”. Crossland said, “I’ve always wanted to be a Disney princess, so it was very exciting to get to do that for my senior show.”
Asha Kuchadkar, who played Little Red Riding Hood, gave a youthful and energetic performance, especially in her song “I Know Things Now”. “I had so much fun,” Kuchadkar said.
Nate Atkinson as Jack also captured a different type of child-like energy, one more aloof but full of heart, especially in his performance of “Giants in the Sky”.
Addison Parrish, who played the Witch, played a very different character, one that is cruel to others yet still has a heart, which shines through in songs like “Our Little World” and “Stay With Me”. Parrish said of opening night, “It went really well, I’m super proud of everyone.”
Tickets for the show are available on the HCPSS Booktix website.
This article was written by freelance reporter Megan Duffy.
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