Theater Review: Academy’s ‘Into The Woods’ A Winning Fairy Tale Journey

All of us wish for things. Some people wish they had a different job. Some people wish they had someone to love. Some people just wish to go to a festival. What I wish is that you get the opportunity to see “Into the Woods” at The Academy of Performing Arts.

On Nov. 28 the Orleans-based company premiered the classic show, produced by director Judy Hamer, contributing director Jo Brisbane, music director Chris Morris, and contributing assistant director Ashley LaCroix. The production was immersive. From the set design to the blocking and the group numbers to the individual performances, stepping into the theater was just like stepping into the woods with the entirety of the cast. After the lights dim and the music begins, it’s truly easy to get swept along in the journey.

To those unfamiliar with the plot, the primary focus is on the Baker, played by Michael McCartney, and the Baker’s Wife, played by Katie Beatty. They desperately want a child and have no clue why they can’t have one. Insert the Witch, played by Hilarie Tamar. She rushes into their house, explains some backstory, and assigns them a quest: If they recover four objects necessary to make her beautiful once more (a cow as white as milk, hair as yellow as corn, a cape as red as blood, and a slipper as pure as gold), she will remove the curse, and the driving action of Act One is established.

They aren’t the only characters with personal stakes, however. The show opens with our Baker and his wife joined by Cinderella, played by Erica Morris, and Jack, played by Sam Sewell, each of whom have their own wishes that they will venture into the woods for. Later, Little Red Riding Hood, played by Wyn Barrows, enters on the way to her grandmother’s house, and Rapunzel, played by Missy Potash, is locked away in a tower by the witch. Like any good fairytale, everyone has a story that yearns for a happily ever after. What makes “Into the Woods” a bit different is that not everyone will get it.

The set design is the first thing you notice when stepping into the arena at the Academy of Performing Arts. Nothing is behind a drape. A somber white moon is centered, bracketed by a tuft of spindly trees that appear as if they came straight from the dreams of Hans Christian Andersen. Further stage right is a large stone tower with a wooden window. Beyond that, atop a flight of stairs, is a nook for the narrator. Stage left, high atop a platform, is the land of the giants, awash with vines and trees and seemingly insignificant until Jack literally climbs down from it during “Giants in the Sky” in the middle of Act One. The arena, the circular round in the middle of the theater seating, is coated with leaves and stone, providing a link between the audience and the players. From Cinderella’s birds that would venture down from the ceiling to characters observing the action from behind a tree, the design of the set pairs perfectly with the room and the narrative, crafting that type of storybook woods anyone would imagine in a story like this one.

McCartney and Beatty are strong as the Baker and his Wife. They have natural chemistry that is heightened by the adventure they set out on. Compared to the rest of the ensemble, they are regular people with a regular desire/wish to have a kid. That need ushers them away from their hamlet and into the unknown woods where their lives will be turned upside down. 

I enjoyed the seeming desperateness of McCartney as the Baker. From the way he attempted to grab the cloak from Little Red Riding Hood to the throwaway lines when confronted by any of the characters in the ensemble, he had a way of delivering a joke that tonally fit well. Beatty was exceptional, from her vocals (particularly in “Moments in the Wood” and “Any Moment”) to the insistence of her presence.

Morris played Cinderella with purity. She took the torture from her Stepmother, played by Jennifer Ameida, and her stepsisters Florinda and Lucinda, played by Suzanne Fecteau and Amy Kraskouskas, but she has the concealed desire to do more that radiates from her in every moment of Act One. There’s a sad hopefulness that she’ll see and be all the things she’s thought and dreamed, even if she fears being them. The performance was quite strong.

Barrows as Little Red Riding Hood was a bit of a scene-stealer. From the way she casually took so much of the Baker’s bread to her skipping into the arena with nearly every line she had, there was a playful acerbic quality to her delivery that matched the character well. Her reaction to having her cloak stolen is a highlight. When that’s paired with the empathy she must carry as a child who just wants to see their granny, it’s hard not to pay homage.

The earnestness in Sewell’s performance as Jack is also something of note. A runner throughout the musical is Jack’s lack of intelligence, yet what comes across is his desire to see more, be more, and provide more for his mother, played by Martha Paquin. There’s a strength in his presence that is highlighted in his “Giants in the Sky” in Act One. It couldn’t be done without someone willing to go full tilt. 

Much like the Baker and the Baker’s Wife, the roles of the Witch and Rapunzel are somewhat paired. Early on the audience finds out the Witch stole Rapunzel from her family and locked her away in a tower, and much of the conflict between the two stems from Rapunzel wanting to venture forth and the Witch unwilling to allow her to. Tamar is phenomenal as the Witch. She is the looming threat to many of the characters and would be perceived as the traditional antagonist if not for this side plot with Rapunzel. Because we see her through multiple perspectives, the traditional “witch does something evil” narrative has a degree of complexity to it. She’s an outcast trying to keep and craft a family, similar to the bakers.

The rest of the ensemble features Loren Lee as Cinderella’s Prince, Dan Rabold as Rapunzel’s Prince, Fred Carpenter as the Wolf, Randy Doyle as the Narrator, Julia Randall as the Grandmother, Nicholas Dorr as the Mysterious Man, Mark Roderick as Steward Number One, and Cora Goers and Naomi Betts as Fake Milky White.

A huge reason for attending, in addition to everything already noted, is the full company performances. There are six throughout the two acts, and the blocking, amidst the perfect vocals and acting, is something to be experienced. The arena at the Academy allows for the full company to be among the audience with ease and, when a character is singing with earnest so close, you could give them a high five, it’s virtually impossible not to be committed to what’s happening in front of you. For me the highlight was the end of Act One, when everyone seemingly has what they want, but each song is a premier example of why live theater on Cape Cod should be valued and why “Into the Woods” should be seen.