The production of “Into the Woods” kicked off Thursday, Nov. 17 with a stellar opening night performance.

The production begins with music from the live orchestra that has finally returned after COVID-19 forced the Drama department to utilize recorded tracks rather than live music. Conducted by music teacher Jennifer Sokolosky and assisted by senior Emma Banister, the music throughout the entire performance was immersive. 

The costuming was a stand out category for this show. The costumes from Lyric were extremely detailed for all characters and contributed to the overall quality of the show. 

A true review of this production wouldn’t be complete without compliments to both the cast and crew. The dedication of the cast is clear in the performance from their sharp timing and mostly seamless scene changes. 

This musical was distinctly more singing heavy than dance heavy. The original music by Steven Sondheim had notes as high as a G5, a note high enough to be operatic. Despite the difficulty, the cast pulled off the songs with only minimal errors.

For the drama students with a bigger focus on dance, roles like Cinderalla’s Birds allowed their artistic abilities to shine through portions of ballet. Of course, no musical would be possible without the people behind the scenes. The crew, managed by Director Brett Young and Stage Manager Baylee Melot, a senior, coordinated with each other to keep the story flowing and set elements moving. 

The set, designed by Matt Avra and built by the Stagecraft classes, showcased the stationary woods and multiple moving parts such as Rapunzel’s tower and the village houses. 

Between the lighting cues and movement of set elements, the crew is deserving of appreciation for their hard work and precision when it comes to the minute details that really brought the performance to life. Despite the coordination of the crew, some mistakes are unavoidable. There was occasional feedback from some of the actors’ mics and some mics were inconsistent in volume. 

One factor that may have detracted from some audience member’s experience was the long run time. At almost three hours in length including intermission, the show is a daunting undertaking and some audiences could find the experience more draining than enjoyable. 

Overall, the show was fantastic and worth the long run time if musicals are something that interests you. If you missed the musical, be sure to watch this year’s spring play, “Suite Surrender,” which will debut in February.