Spotlights illuminate figures on stage, frozen in time. Little Red Riding Hood, the Baker and his wife, and Cinderella stand there. They all take turns reanimating to sing, and each one describes goals motivating them throughout the first act. All the while, the narrator sits in his cozy chair, filling in the audience on the world and characters they’re about to experience.
The curtains behind them open, and they’re surrounded by fairy tale books as tall as trees. Behind them stands a clock tower with the hands stopped, almost hitting 12 o’clock.
VOX Musical Theatre is Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s (WPI) student musical theater company. They perform shows such as “Les Misérables”, “Sweeney Todd”, and “Next to Normal”. Over the weekend of September 12, they performed three showings of “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim.
Put succinctly, the musical was an immersive showcase of vocal and acting talent.
The lighting and set designers created a whimsical atmosphere that was perfectly fit for a fairytale show. The pit band stayed on key and on beat, even though Sondheim is notorious for writing hard compositions. He fills them with dissonance, complex timing, and layered melodies.
For actors, Sondheim’s composition is no easy feat either. His lyrics are quick and filled with sharp consonants that the singers need to fully enunciate; otherwise, the audience won’t be able to understand the words. Each harmony carries different complexities or dissonances, making “Into the Woods” anything but easy to sing.
However, the actors accomplished traversing the score, and they sounded amazing. The performance featured many different powerhouses; one actor who stood out to me was Arrianna Russo as the Witch. Her voice was so strong and expressive, and it fit her role perfectly, especially when she sang the more emotional ballads like “Witch’s Lament”. Cinderella, played by Alana Moretti, also had a beautiful voice, which complemented her elegant character.
Of course, it wasn’t just their singing that impressed audiences; their acting was fantastic as well. They all made strong choices which fit the characters and the tone of the show. Prior Waskan, as The Baker, had a daunting task, with his character going through intense emotional arcs, but he did the character justice through his acting.
The Baker’s Wife, portrayed by Annabelle Mullins, also had a hard assignment. Although her character went through fewer overt emotional arcs than the Baker, the Baker’s Wife has more layered emotions. Even though The Baker’s Wife loved her husband, she had to grapple with him having no trust in her, and she had to navigate mixed feelings about a confusing meeting with Cinderella’s Prince.
Jack, Gareth Mergen, was just a joy to watch. He embodied the character and made the audience endeared to the boy, even when he didn’t always make the smartest of decisions. His relationship with his cow, Milky White, played by Addie Aldridge, was so adorable, too. Even without speaking, Aldridge portrayed Milky White’s love for Jack as real and important.
There were a few times the actors couldn’t clearly articulate the tricky wordplay Sondheim incorporates into his shows. However, the moments mostly showed up in large ensemble moments, where many people on stage were trying to speak the intricate wording at the same time. Many times, even with songs using simpler language, large ensembles communicating words can be a large challenge.
All in all, each actor and production team member clearly exhibited so much creativity, effort, and talent, making for a thoroughly enjoyable and enriching experience.
And don’t tell anyone, but I did in fact shed a few tears.
