Brandon Brooks and Milky White

Theater Latté Da has chosen to apply its musical theater genius to yet another Into the Woods. The question that came to my mind was "do we need another Into the Woods?" Mind you, I adore this show, ever since watching the PBS broadcast of the original Broadway cast. Still, it cannot be said that the show lacks for opportunities to be seen, so I had to wonder. While I am not sure I can answer the question as to why the show was selected from the vast catalog of musical theater, when a production is this good, that is reason enough. If you love Into the Woods, as I do, you will want to see this jewel box of a production. If you have never really subscribed to its charms, this production just might open your eyes to how special it is. And if you don't know the show, don't waste a moment, get your ticket now.

Into the Woods interweaves several well-known fairy tales—"Cinderella," "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Little Red Riding Hood," and "Rapunzel"—along with an original story about a Baker and his Wife, struggling to reverse a witch's curse that has kept them from being able to conceive a much-wanted child. The characters each set out with notions of what they wish for, their paths intersect so that they reflect on one another's quest, and by the end of act one, it appears that dreams have come true and lives will be lived happily ever after. Act two goes beyond the happy ending to illuminate the old adage, "be careful what you wish for," and reveals a dark side to the fulfillment of dreams. In the process, characters struggle and deal with loss before reaching an end where the granting of wishes must be followed by taking responsibility for their own lives, and for their community.

Theater Latté Da focuses with great precision on each element of the story, bringing forth the abundant humor and whimsy in the first act, and in the second act dramatizing the terror that can seize a community when dreams go haywire. Kate Sutton-Johnson's set design is brilliantly realized, a forest of trees constructed of snow fencing spiraled into coniferous forms rising up into the theater's fly space. The simplest of furnishings are moved in and out as needed to establish particular settings, but the overall effect is of a story being told in the shadowy darkness of the woods. That most of the actors are cast in multiple roles increases this sense of storytelling in a forest glen.

Britta Ollmann as Cinderella conveys the troubling uncertainty of a young woman pursuing a dream, all the while not really sure if the outcome is really what she wants. Yet, it is expected that every maiden's dream is to marry a prince—how can she not wish for this? As the Baker, David Darrow creates a believable character arc, from someone who accepts what fate has offered him, to a man who knows he must take responsibility for creating his own ending. Kate Beahen captures the Baker's Wife in her level-headed mode, along with her awaking when life throws the unexpected in her path. Greta Oglesby brings a sharp sense of irony and her deeply emotive singing to the Witch, the character with the keenest insight as to what needs to happen, not concerned with what is nice, but with what is right. Brandon Brooks is delightful as the dim-witted Jack, whose encounters first with "Giants in the Sky," and then with unbearable loss stir an awakening within. Shinah Brashears is a delightfully snot-nosed Little Red, who finally realizes she must be a part of her community if she is to go on in the world.

The action in Into the Woods is continuous, a function both of Lapine's brilliant book and the seamless direction of Peter Rothstein, moving from scene to scene, from character to character, without taking a breath. Samantha Haddow has created striking costumes, simple enough to allow the quick changes for actors playing multiple parts, fanciful enough to maintain the fairy-tale aesthetic. Barry Browning's lighting guides us through the coming and going of days and nights in the woods. The properties, designed by Benjamin Olsen, are especially wonderful—such as Jack's cow (the one he trades for magic beans) formed out of an antique baby carriage with a milk bucket attached as its head; a hen (laying golden eggs, of course) made of a catcher's mitt intersected by a feather duster. What genius!

Stephen Sondheim's score is a marvel all by itself. The opening sequence that introduces the main characters and their dilemmas is a master work of exposition. "Agony," sung by the two preening princes—Cinderella's pursuer and Rapunzel's hair-climbing suitor—is a masterpiece of wit. "No More" and "No One is Alone" bear heart-wrenching truth, and the lovely "Children Will Listen" a hard-learned lesson on the struggle to live a righteous life, whether raising children or casting wishes.

So, yes, one more Into the Woods is not, at least in this case, too many. Perhaps there can never be too many journeys through these woods.

Into the Woods continues through April 5, 2015 at the Ritz Theater, 345 13th Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN. Tickets: $35.00 - $45.00. For tickets call 612-339-3303 or visit theaterlatteda.com.

Music and Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim; Book: James Lapine; Director: Peter Rothstein; Musical Director: Jason Hansen; Set Designer and Associate Director: Kate Sutton-Johnson; Lighting Designer: Barry Browning; Costume Designer: Samantha Haddow; Sound Designer: Geoff Blanton; Properties Designer: Benjamin Olsen; Stage Manager: Lisa M. Smith; Production Manager: Dylan Wright

Cast: Kate Beahen (The Baker's Wife/Cinderella's Mother), Shinah Brashears (Little Red/Lucinda), Brandon Brooks (Jack/Steward), David Darrow(The Baker/Rapunzel's Prince), Dan Hopman (Narrator, Mysterious Man), Peter Middlecamp (The Wolf/Cinderella's Prince/The Stepmother), Greta Oglesby (The Witch), Britta Ollmann (Cinderella), Elisa Pluhar (Jack's Mother/Granny), Kendall Anne Thompson (Rapunzel/Florinda).

Photo: Heidi Bohnenkamp

- Arthur Dorman

Also see the season schedule for the Minneapolis - St. Paul region