Greenwood Little Theatre will kick off its 2014-15 season with Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Into the Woods.”
“It’s quite entertaining,” said Cameron Abel, director of the musical. “It runs a span of music genres, so we knew we were going to have to get a head start on rehearsals.”
The cast was selected in June, and rehearsals began in mid-June, Abel said. The cast got a jump start on their lines and song lyrics, but creating the fairy tale-like setting was delayed.
“The stage was renovated during the summer, which gave us five weeks to get the stage together,” said Abel.
Some of the renovations include curtain and pulley restoration. The stage is also more spacious.
“Into the Woods” debuted in 1986 in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre and premiered on Broadway on 1987. The show won numerous Tony Awards and has since been in revival several times.
The musical weaves together plots from several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, such as “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Rapunzel” and “Cinderella.”
Currently, Walt Disney Pictures is producing a film adaptation of “Into the Woods,” which stars Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp. The film will be released on Dec. 25.
“Ultimately, when you take those adult stories being told, those lessons are timeless,” said Abel. “They apply to everyone, even in adulthood. We wanted to interpret those in a very comedic and entertaining way.”
The Greenwood Little Theatre has added its own flavor to the mix with wardrobe and music.
“We didn’t want to set everyone’s costumes in period or Victorian costumes,” Abel said. “We wanted to update it and give kind of a modern version of who these people would be in our time.”
The characters will be dressed in an array of outfits, from Victorian to 1960s to modern-day “hipster” attire.
“We collectively chose to do that,” Abel said. “We had that vision from the very beginning that we didn’t just want to do a standard version of any of these fairy tales.”
The music, directed by Paul Brown, will be live and consist of two keyboard players and a percussionist. The audience will be able to see the musicians perform during songs and sound effects.
“There are multiple elements like that, when they come together, it almost makes it a cabaret version of the show,” said Abel. “I’m quite pleased with how it has turned out.”
High schools and junior highs have performed “Into the Woods,” but the general audience version is usually ended at with the final scene of Act I. The Little Theater will perform the both Acts I and II. Parental guidance is suggested.
“It’s a comedy, and it’s very fast-paced,” said Abel. “When you think about the stories being told, these are stories from childhood, but they are not children’s stories. They are adult versions of the stories.”
Although the musical is considered a comedy, there are several portions of the show that are sad, including several deaths and other dramatic elements.
“A lot of the characters, whether it’s through song or through story, at some point recognize the lesson they should have learned,” said Abel.
Reserved seating, tickets and GLT memberships are available at www.greenwoodlittletheatre.com.
“It’s fun, and it’s very clever — the way it’s written, and I think the way that we have put it together,” Abel said.
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
