Musical Theatre West’s “Into the Woods”: Smart art, well-delivered

Speculations about who’s “the GOAT” — greatest of all time — are a bit silly even when it comes to sports, never mind in the far more subjective realm of arts. But no remotely rational debate about the GOAT of musical theatre could fail to include Stephen Sondheim, so layered are his creations, so smartly does he mine the work of the greats that came before him, so clever are his conceits, so witty and wry are both his lyrics and music. 

Into the Woods is top-shelf Sondheim, so by simply choosing it to be part of their season, Musical Theatre West were halfway home. Now all they had to do was not screw it up — easier said than done, as Sondheim’s work can be some of the technically densest in the entire musical theatre canon. 

But Musical Theatre West aren’t in the habit of screwing things up, and with Into the Woods they do far better than just get by.

Once upon a time there was a baker and his wife, and they were willing to do most anything to get a child of their own.. There was an impoverished mother and son who wished for better fortune. There was a downtrodden beauty who wished to go to the royal festival. And there was a girl who simply wished to safely navigate the woods to deliver food to her ailing grandma, woods where a long-haired maiden locked away in a tower wished to see more of the world.

If Into the Woods were nothing but Act One, which resourcefully brings the plots and dramatis personae of several classic fairy tales together in the deep, dark woods (à la Dante, a metaphor for life as a journey on which you can lose your way) before delivering an ostensible happily-ever-after, it would be an impressive achievement. But all that is just the set-up for what Into the Woods is really about, with 70% of its brilliance, not to mention the better part of its great music, saved for Act Two. This is musical theatre for thinking people — and no less entertaining for that.

No part of Act One is more entertaining than Antwone Barnes and Richard Bermudez as two princes in the “Agony” of their infatuations. Yes, it’s a funny number on paper, but perhaps more than any other in the entire show these yuks come down to the delivery, which is delightful here not only because of the singers’ efforts but also Christine Negherbon’s understated choreography.

Overall, the show’s brightest star is Daebreon Poiema as Rapunzel’s witching mother. Although she gets some big laughs in Act One, it’s after intermission that she truly shines, injecting an arresting intensity into the proceedings when things take a darker turn; and delivering the show’s most powerful solo with “Last Midnight”.

But Into the Woods is a true ensemble piece, where characters, songs, and themes are intercalated into a structure that ultimately reaches far greater heights than the sum of its building blocks. The construction touches the sky in “Your Fault”, where Poiema is joined by Derek Manson (as the Baker), Davide Costa (Jack), Amanda Angeles (Little Red Riding Hood), and Madison Claire Parks (Cinderella) in a scintillating rondo of recrimination. And the finale, “Children Will Listen”, has all the oomph it needs to serve as the capstone of such a magnificent edifice.

The cast’s only weakness shows itself in songs where soloists have to handle Sondheim’s quicker melodic passages. Into the Woods is crammed with vocal lines that rise and fall in such short, quick steps that even the smallest lack of tonal precision can cause things to sound a bit washed-out. But across the board the cast sings well enough together that such passages are generally great when delivered by two or more voices; and because the entire cast is so good with Sondheim’s staccato rhythms (generally more important in these numbers than their melodies), the overall effect is satisfying.

Although Kari Hayter’s direction is generally fine, she punted on how to show the tar-covered staircase that grabs Cinderella’s shoe by simply never showing the staircase, which makes the later reference to what happened there confusing for anyone who hasn’t already seen Into the Woods. And the Act Two death of a major character is, quite simply, weak. Then there are pesky details. For example, if the dialog is, “The silky hair of the corn, pull it from the ear and feed it to the cow quickly” — and much to-do is made about following these instructions exactly — why put the entire ear in the cow’s mouth? And why have a prop for a bag of gold pieces but only mime the magic beans? 

Both Tom Buderwitz’s set and Brandon Baruch’s lighting do more with less, coupling functionality with atmospherics you might not even notice were it not for some nifty scrim work you might mistake for a video monitor and a striking moon against new colors in the sky in the darker second act.

*

No matter how attentively the little girl next to me sat through the 2.5+ hours in her glittery shoes and fabulous little red cape, she had zero chance of truly comprehending the intellectual side of Into the Woods, including its moral, a warning that filling kids’ heads with euphemisms and blanket optimism can be detrimental to their navigating the anfractuous journey of life. Even a teenager exiting the theater could be overheard complaining that “Act Two is so completely unnecessary!” But I hope these kids — and kids of all ages, from 1 to 92 — keep being exposed to smart entertainment, even when it’s too smart of them to understand just then. That’s part of how they/we get smarter. Filling our heads with pablum makes for a dumber world — and isn’t ours dumb enough already?

Careful the spell you cast
Not just on children
Sometimes the spell may last
Past what you can see
And turn against you…

Careful the tale you tell
That is the spell
Children will listen…

Into the Woods at Musical Theatre West
Times: Fri 8 pm, Sat 2 pm & 8 pm, Sun 1 pm; plus Thurs Apr 3, 8 pm and Sun Apr 6, 6 pm
The show runs through April 13.
Cost: starting at $20 ($15 for student rush tix)
Details: (562) 856-1999, musical.org
Venue: Carpenter Performing Arts Center (6200 W. Atherton, Long Beach)