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03/10/2020 03:32 PMA madcap mash-up of magic, mystery, curses, evil stepsisters, and talking animals are coming to town, as the Guilford High School (GHS) theater program presents Into the Woods, the fairy tale musical that blends a variety of iconic stories to create a strange, often humorous new take on those classics.
Since premiering on Broadway in 1987, the play has seen dozens of revivals and interpretations, and was recently adapted into an ensemble film produced by Disney. GHS Theater Director Cara Mulqueen-Teasdale said that those expecting a “Disney-fied” version of the story when her cast takes the stage may be a bit disappointed.
“It’s traditional in some ways, and it’s kind of a subversive musical in another way, too,” she said.
Blending the characters and stories of a handful of well-known fairy tales, including Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood, the story injects a little more harsh realism into these tales—more in line with the original stories compiled by the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perault in the 15th or 16th century rather than the cartoonish versions with which many people are familiar today.
Mulqueen-Teasdale said this show will more closely follow the original production than the film adaptation.
“It’s a great movie, but it’s also really a Disney movie...The source material was more the Brothers Grimm rather than the French fairy tales that Disney usually mines from. So [the musical is] darker than the movie was. And the way that the play is written, it’s very theatrical, rather than the screenplay that they used for the movie,” Mulqueen-Teasdale said.
Having the cast watch a taping of the original Broadway production was one way Mulqueen-Teasdale said the actors have familiarized themselves with the original production, though she said many members of her cast still appreciate the Disney movie.
She also said that when choosing which productions to put on, she tries to make sure every student has a chance to shine, so “that in four years at GHS, everybody has at least one opportunity to showcase what their strong suit is.”
After last year’s presentation of Anything Goes put dancing front and center, Mulqueen-Teasdale said Into the Woods will bring out a different type of talent on display.
“[Into the Woods] requires really good singing chops, but because of the acting requirement in it, the cast really also have to be people who can go into the text and analyze the text and bring their analysis to fruition in terms of their performance,” she said.
With the tradition of having their spring production be a musical, Mulqueen-Teasdale said the expectation in the community is always to have plenty of pageantry and pomp, and Into the Woods will be no exception in this regard. There are still plenty of big musical numbers, colorful costumes, and everything that goes along with that, she said.
“In terms of its scale, it’s much, much larger. So you have all these different components, you’ve got vocal music, you’ve got dance, you’ve got instrumental music—it’s usually a different acting challenge. The genre of musical theater requires a certain style of performance...everything is sort of like the drama, but more,” she said.
Cast, crew, and support staff have been working on these elaborate sets and effects, Mulqueen-Teasdale said, which promise to have a big payoff come the premier.
She specifically highlighted the amount of space in the new GHS theater as both offering an opportunity and challenge for her production staff.
“The kids are more educated in how theater works,” she said. “So you’re able to take on challenges...building huge sets...because the kids are more educated we can do more with them.
Into the Woods will premiere on Thursday, March 19 at 7 p.m. at Guilford High School, 605 New England Road, with additional evening shows on Saturday, March 21 and Thursday to Saturday, March 26 to 28, with one matinée at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 22.
Tickets ($18 for adults, $15 for students and seniors) are available at ghsta.weebly.com or at the community center and at Palumbo’s Automotive on Boston Post Road.