Starting next weekend, Scotts Valley Performing Arts is showing one of the most popular musicals in the Broadway repertoire, “Into the Woods.”
The musical intertwines the plots of different Brothers Grimm fairy tales to explore the consequences of the characters’ desires and quests.
The local company will stage the production later this month at the Bethany University Community Theater in Scotts Valley for a Sept. 24-through-Oct. 10 run.
Director Andrew Ceglio, a 28-year-old Moss Landing resident, said the story, which debuted in 1986, rings true to each generation that grew up reading and hearing classic Grimms fairy tales.
“It’s really about the gain of wisdom and the loss of innocence,” Ceglio said. “Ultimately, it’s about taking responsibility of our own destinies.”
The main characters are pulled from the tales of “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Rapunzel,” and “Cinderella.” The musical is tied together by the story of a baker and his wife who are unable to conceive a child.
When the couple learn that their plight springs from a curse by the witch next door, they set out to break the spell, which turns out to mean swindling, lying to and stealing from classical fairy-tale heroes along the way.
“Into the Woods” won several Tony Awards upon its debut, including Best Score, Best Book and Best Actress. Since then, the play has been produced professionally several times, recently with a 2002 Los Angeles production and Broadway revival, and it has become a favorite of student and community theater groups. It was also loosely adapted into a hip-hop dance musical, “Into the Hoods.”
Ceglio said his cast of 31 is one of the most talented groups he’s encountered.
“The production usually calls for a 20-to-21-person cast, but I added some ensemble characters,” Ceglio said. “It’s a huge cast on a very small stage, but we’ve made it work so it’s not overbearing.”
Eight cast members hail from Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley.
Featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Ceglio said the show’s soundtrack is both complex and haunting.
“My favorite part of the show is the end, when we get to see the entire cast perform ‘Children Will Listen,’ a beautiful ballad that sums up the play,” Ceglio said.
The director said the show is one of his all-time favorites.
“I performed in a production of it before and absolutely fell in love with it,” Ceglio said. “It’s the perfect vehicle for a show about fairy tales because of its theme about children and being responsible for them.”
At a glance
WHAT: “Into the Woods” by Scotts Valley Performing Arts
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays from Sept. 24 to Oct. 10
WHERE: Bethany University Community Theater, 800 Bethany Drive, in Scotts Valley
COST: $10 to $25, depending on age and seat preference
INFO: 818-1516 or www.svpaa.org
