Andrews – The Community Youth Players opening night of the much-beloved Stephen Sondheim musical classic Into The Woods debuted in strong performances from the entirety of the ensemble for the youth theater adaptation Into the Woods Jr. at the Valleytown Cultural Arts Center downtown.
In the tale of a childless baker and his wife their yearning for a family spurs a scavenger hunt of sorts to reverse generational curses, while woven into fables of favorite fairytale characters. Particularly strong were Micah Goins in his debut as The Baker, Kisa Shook as The Witch and Bianca Curtis as Little Red Riding Hood.
Goins is an accomplished musician looking to make his way into the theater, while Shook played Belle in last year’s production of Beauty and The Beast and explored her singing talents. Curtis, a veteran of many a CYP production added her solos with a side of sass after escaping a certain wolf who made her aware that “nice isn’t always good” in her solo.
Too, the chemistry between Goins and his “wife,” Alexis Jones, was choreographed to perfection in their duet It Takes Two, with their subtle use of a scarf a wife brought to help her husband on a cold night in the forest.
Narrator and longtime performance veteran Kyia Lovingood played her role aptly and served as the voice of reason and expectation throughout the characters’ various journeys.
Other performances of note were Jaxson Hughes as The Wolf, whose howl set the audience on edge with both a touch of whimsy and foreboding for that girl in the red cape. Also, Jacob Spatola of Jack and the Beanstalk fame performed beyond his years as a youngster charged with both animal husbandry and gardening of magic beans.
As two princes, both Ki’mauri Colbert and Caleb Spatola thrilled the audience with their duet and coordinated knee-slides to profess their devotion to Shayla Dyer’s Cinderella and Woodard’s Rapunzel, respectively.
Newcomer Bailee Woodard’s siren’s wail as Rapunzel lent an ethereal quality to the tale of a child trapped in a tower and Kellen West’s Mysterious Man made sure the woods were both fraught with menacing and magic. West, serving as an archetype of both Greek chorus and the Deus ex Machina brought his signature style of tempered menacing that served him well in last year’s turn as The Beast in Beauty and the Beast.
Director Sawyer Bradley along with an extensive stage production team, including assistant director Emily Spatola, choreographer Brandon Entry and stage manager Vic Curtis brought to life the mystical journey into those woods with sets which were deftly prepared with greenery and an eerie fog machine’s presence by set designers Julia Carson, Alison Hicks and Eve Stinson.
While Bradley had nothing but praise for his cast the work put in by all, even the youngest calf Milky White, played by Bradley’s brother Samuel were well-attuned to the pacing and timing of the musical.
The play also centers on a sense of hope and “wishfulness” with everyone finding their prince or their family in the end. A happily ever after, after all for even those who thought the world had left them trapped or gnarled by circumstances sometimes out of their control.
There are still chances to see this mystical rendition and be whisked away by childish delight. Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday as well as 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 for adults ages 18 and older, $10 for seniors and ages 17 and under, with ages 5 and under admitted free.
Doors open 30 minutes prior to show times. The Valleytown Cultural Arts Center is at 125 Chestnut St.
Details: Visit facebook.com/ACT2Players. See video here.