Into the Woods at Merion Mercy Academy

Theater: Merion Mercy Academy
Show: Into the Woods
Seen: March 1,2008
Reviewer: Angela Manfredonia

A boy and his beanstalk, a girl and her slipper, a prince in pursuit, and a wicked old witch. Take these familiar scenarios, add a Baker and his wife, and you have Merion Mercy Academy’s enchanted production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into the Woods.

The show opens with three stories being told simultaneously, one of which belongs to a Baker and his wife, who are without a child (no thanks to the wicked witch who lives next door). The Witch informs the Baker that she has placed a curse upon their house, and the only way to lift it is to bring her four specific items: “A cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, a slipper as pure as gold.” On their journey, the Baker and his wife have several run-ins with famous fairytale characters such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack, and Rapunzel, each one out to grant their own, “I wish …” It isn’t long before they discover just how careful you should be when wishing.

Into the Woods is a musically challenging show, but its 80-person cast held it together very well. Everyone’s lines were timely and well-delivered, adding to the overall pleasantry of the show.

Almost every lead actor and actress portrayed their character to the best of their ability. Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton charmed as Cinderella’s Prince and the Wolf with his strong vocals and excellent comic timing (or sometimes both, as displayed in the Monty Python-esque “Agony”). Gianna Yanelli stood above her co-stars as the Witch, both in her acting and her singing. She was a joy to watch on stage. Anne B. Wechsler’s portrayal of the spunky Little Red Riding Hood was both fun and entertaining.

Technicians Stephanie Siravo and Megan Reilly did a clever job reflecting the time of day with the backdrop lighting. There were several times where microphones went out or acted up, but the cast remained professional and worked their way through the technical difficulties.

Each member of the cast gave their all during the performance, allowing the show to remain captivating and enjoyable. Such complicated numbers as “Opening” (Act I) and “Your Fault” were brilliantly executed; there was not one missed cue.

With magic beans and giants in the sky, who can deny that Merion Mercy Academy’s production of Into the Woods brought us out of reality and into a wonderful world of fairytales and “happily ever afters”?

by Angela Manfredonia of Nazareth Academy High School