2008 Renaissance Summer Musical: Into the Woods

Little Red Riding Hood

• Alias: Little Red, Hoodie the Red Menace
• Wanted for: Possession of a goody basket, wolficide and path loitering
  
  Don't be fooled by her innocence. She wreaks havoc whenever she goes Into the Woods

The Witch

• Description: Pointy hat, pointy chin, pointy nose, green complexion, warts (some with hair), winning smile.
• Weapon of choice: Spells, incantations, some curses, occasional wand waving and frequent cackling
  
  Last seen dragging a cauldron Into the Woods

Jack...of Beanstalk fame

• Preferred mode of conveyance: beanstalk
• Has been seen in the company of: hen that lays golden eggs, singing harp, angry giants
  
  May try to trade useless cow for magic beans
  Often goes Into the Woods to fence stolen goods

The Wolf

• Police want to question him about the disappearance of: Granny, Little Red Riding Hood, countless little pigs
• Description: Oh, what big teeth he has
  
  Last seen skulking menacingly Into the Woods

Missing person, Cinderella

• Frequently seen wearing only one slipper
• May or may not be traveling in a large pumpkin pulled by mice
• Last seen fleeing Into the Woods

 
 

The Evil Stepmother

• Prior convictions: Cruelty to Step-Daughter, trying to squeeze her big feet into tiny glass slippers
• Wanted for: Shameless promotion of her own two daughters and kissing up to royalty
  
  Last seen heading Into the Woods to attend the Ball

The Giant

• Identifying characteristics: 40 foot feet, doesn't play well with others, once dated the Statue of Liberty
• Wanted for: General mayhem, disturbing the peace and grinding bones to make his bread
  
  Can't wait to forge a new path Into the Woods

For coiffure-related crimes, Rapunzel

• Characteristics: Delicate beauty, quiet charm, using her hair as a public thoroughfare
  
  Often goes Into the Woods to steal ever-increasing amounts of shampoo and conditioner

Prince Charming

• Charges: Breach of promise, polygamy, making grandiose claims of living "happily ever after'.
• Victims: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel, various other maidens and damsels
  
  Often goes Into the Woods to stalk his prey

Into the Woods blends various familiar fairy tales with an original story of a childless Baker and his Wife, who catalyze the action of the story by attempting to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child.

Show Synopsis

In the first act, the characters set out to achieve their goal of living "Happily Ever After" through familiar routes - Cinderella goes to the Ball and captures the heart of Prince Charming, Jack climbs the Beanstalk and finds a land of Giants and Gold, Little Red Riding Hood survives her clash with the wolf at Grandma's house, and Rapunzel manages to escape her tower with the aid of a handsome prince who climbs her long hair. The Baker and his Wife move through their stories while pursuing their own goal - the witch who keeps Rapunzel (revealed to be the Baker's sister) has put the curse on his house, and agrees to lift it if the Baker and his Wife can find the ingredients to help her reverse a spell which her mother has laid on her, keeping her old and ugly. Those ingredients are: A Slipper As Pure As Gold, which the Baker's wife gets from Cinderella, A Cow As White As Milk, which the Baker buys from Jack in exchange for the fateful magic beans, A Cape As Red As Blood, which the Baker gets from Little Red Riding Hood in exchange for freeing her and Granny from the Wolf, and Hair As Yellow As Corn, which they get from Rapunzel. The ingredients are gathered, and the spell works, stripping the Witch of her power, but restoring her beauty. At the end of Act I, all characters seem poised to live "Happily Ever After".

Act Two, however, deals with the consequences that traditional fairy tales conveniently ignore. What does one do with a dead Giant in the back yard? Does marrying a Prince really lead to a happy and fulfilling life? Is carving up the wolf the solution? Is the Giant always wrong? In Act Two, all the characters must deal with what happens AFTER "Happily Ever After". As they face a genuine threat to their community, they realize that all actions have consequences, and their lives are inescapably interdependent, but also that that interdependence is their greatest strength.

The Renaissance Performing Arts Association is proud to produce and present a local production of the Tony Award winning musical INTO THE WOODS, an intricate tale of multiple fairy-tale characters crossing paths in the woods, not merely resolving the characters' dilemmas but also exploring what happens after happily ever after. Music Director Robert Franz and Mansfield Symphony members will perform Stephen Sondheim's beautiful music including the songs "No More," "No One Is Alone," and "Children Will Listen." INTO THE WOODS really goes "into the woods" this season for three special outdoor performances at The Johnny Appleseed Amphitheatre!

Video From Broadway

Presented By

Sponsored By

K.E. McCartney & Associates
Duane Getz, Inc.

Into the Woods Newsletter

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