Lee High School Performs 'Into the Woods'

Written by Kat Owczarski of Oakcrest School

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With classic characters such as Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, it can almost be assumed that a "Happily Ever After" is soon to follow. This is not always the case, however, and especially not in Robert E. Lee High School’s production of "Into the Woods."

Many classic fairy tales collide in Stephen Sondheim’s musical, which first appeared on Broadway in 1987. The musical did exceptionally well, winning three out of ten Tony nominations. Since then, "Into the Woods"  has seen a number of different productions, including a 2002 Broadway revival.

The story begins with four characters, Cinderella, Jack of the beanstalk fameand The baker and his wife each lamenting over their individual wishes. Cinderella wants to go to the prince’s festival, Jack wants his cow to give milk and the Baker and his wife want to have a child.

The baker and his wife are visited by Little Red Riding Hood, who is on her way to her grandmother's house, and then by a horrid, ugly old witch, who claims she has put a curse of infertility on the Bakers. The only way to break the curse is to obtain four items, which can only be found deep within the woods.

Preston Taylor and Emily Kelly led the cast as the Baker and his wife, excellently portraying the somewhat strained relationship between husband and wife. Cleverly bantering, they had the feel of an old married couple, and later in the play, haggard parents. Both Taylor and Kelly were strong vocally — most notably during their duet “It Takes Two,” where their chemistry was taken to new levels as they seemed to realize that they do, in fact, need each other.

The supporting cast did a laudable job portraying well-known fairy tale characters, each with their own special twist. Courtney Cox was lovely as Cinderella, her clear soprano showcasing her tender and hopeful characteristics. Emiley Towbridge, as Red Riding Hood, hilariously threw tantrums and delivered her lines, both shrieking and deadpan, believably as a young girl.

The character Jack was played by Ellie Milewski, who handled the challenge of playing a male character with ease and commendably captured the spirit of a young boy. Vincent Zhao took on the dual role of the Mysterious Man and the Narrator, utilizing his voice and posture to distinguish between the two roles. Adding further hilarity to the show was the cow duo of Raina Payne and Katie Halverson. The pair took on their role of Jack’s cow, Milky White, seriously in their maneuvering and “cud” chewing.

The "Into the Woods" pit orchestra rose to the occasion and successfully tackled Sondheim’s challenging music. The percussion was especially notable, most of all when creating sound effects worthy of a giant. The orchestra proved to be a cohesive unit, although they occasionally overcame the actors' voices. Overall the set was well done and minutely detailed, including Rapunzel’s tower, which was entirely designed and built by students.

The cast and crew of Robert E. Lee High School overcame occasional microphone and technical difficulties, and blossomed with energy and enthusiasm, proving that it is well worth it to venture into the woods.