OGDEN — Math and I do not get along, but if I did my calculations correctly attending Broadway on the Side’s Into the Woods marks UTBA’s 21st time reviewing a production of the show and my sixth personal endeavor. What makes this show with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine such a classic and how did Ogden’s new kid on the block of musical theatre add to the roster of interpretations?
Directed and choreographed by Megan Worthen Nelson, the daunting task of taking on Into the Woods was one that I confess I had some trepidation about for the small company. Housed in what I think was once a Blockbuster video shop (honestly, no shade here, I love that we are making performing arts spaces wherever we can) how could BOTS turn their makeshift stage area into a fairytale magical forest? Nelson is also credited with set design, and I was impressed with how she had leaves hanging from the industrial rafters, arches of branches, and string lighting to give the feeling of transformation even before the show began. The costumes, by Abby Payne-Peterson, were overall delightful, with special shoutouts to Cinderella’s ball dress, the stepmother, and the stepsisters for their elegance. I also really liked the Witch’s initial costume, though felt that her transformation dress felt a little off theme.
One of my favorite things about attending community productions is discovering massive talent in unexpected places. We have had recent conversations behind the scenes about if it is even beneficial to do criticism for community theatre. The person playing the Baker, Andrew Stone, who was charming with a sweet and calming voice that one would expect of someone who is baking bread all day, may not be a professional actor and some may feel he does not deserve such scrutiny. It is precisely this that keeps me coming to the doors of our community shows, to be surprised and blown away by people like him and like Lauralye Anderson playing Cinderella. During one of the most complicated ballads of the evening, “Steps of the Palace”, her ability to do the famous Sondheim patter, stay on pitch, and reach those beautiful notes required of the song was fantastic. Right along side her was Kalan Stromberg as the Baker’s Wife, who gets to sing one of my personal favorites, “Moments in the Woods”. Stromberg takes a moment in the show that is full of intrigue, anger, fear, frustration, and curiosity and plays it to such strength that not only does her beautiful voice shine through, but her ability to show a character that has been developing throughout the production is so impressive that it is hard to believe that the cost of this ticket is roughly the same as what I would be paying to see a movie at the local cinema.
Why people wonder about if we should be reviewing community theatre is that along with the stars like Stromberg and Anderson, there are some mishaps. When a person is paying $17.00 to watch a show in a renovated Blockbuster in a strip mall, it is true that we are not going to get professional Broadway level, and so it is not surprising that the Wolf, played by Oscar Gonzalez-Mejia (doing double duty as Rapunzel’s Prince) forgot his lyrics and Cinderella’s Prince, played by Evan Wiggins, was off pitch in a few places. The sound system was off in a few places, and while the Witch, played by Stacey Dixon, had a fantastic voice, I found myself wishing she had been able to develop her character to be more than just a loud evil persona, moving into some quiet evils like I found for just a moment during the song “Stay With Me” but then disappearing for the rest of the show. However, besides the strength of the standout talents, the mere presence of improvement within the show, like watching Wiggins show his skills at haughtiness and playing the superficial prince, so that when he says to Cinderella “I was raised to be charming, not sincere” is exactly why we want to be in the imperfection that is community theatre. When I attend the “perfection” that is a polished professional production, I miss out on the interaction that I got at BOTS between Jack, played in a magical way by Emily Barney, and Milky White, played by Alexandria Sakach-Enochs. Not only did I believe these two were the best of friends, I was so sad when *spoilers for anyone in Utah who has not seen a show we have reviewed 21 times* Milky White dies that I wanted to go and hug Jack personally. Such a connection was so genuine that I feel like it is one that only comes from the community that is built in the local volunteer theatre level.
The part I value the most in Into the Woods is the last 20 minutes, from the beautiful quartet of “No One is Alone”, where Anderson, Stone, and Barney were joined by Daphne Dixon as a precocious and endearing Little Red for the moving theme of realizing that all of us have people for us and against us, even when we are facing challenges alone. These four powerhouses took on this moment with great force and brought me to tears even though I knew the moment well enough that I could have performed it with them. And then when Stromberg returns to the stage to deliver the follow up reprise of the same number, her golden melodies filled that refurbished strip mall with the echos of why this show is consistently redone, and why it is important to me as a theatre goer to make a record of theatrical experiences, from community to professional, from mediocre to fabulous. So thank you, BOTS, for letting me return Into the Woods one more time.
