Submitted by Jacob Boyd, Publicity Committee member
Town & Gown Theatre in Stillwater is excited to close out its 74th season with Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s beloved musical, Into the Woods. As the second collaboration between the famed duo (after 1984’s Sunday in the Park with George) the original show premiered in 1986 and made its Broadway debut in 1987. It was nominated for an incredible 10 Tony Awards and won three major categories in its inaugural run. It has been produced multiple times on Broadway and spawned several national tours over the years and is of course a perennial favorite of regional and community theaters across the country. Many patrons may also recall the 2014 Disney film adaptation that garnered multiple Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.
Across nearly 30 musical numbers and a fantastically creative script, Into the Woods offers a mixed-up retelling of several of the best-known fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm that is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking. Audience members will recognize characters and plot elements from stories such as Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and more.
Town & Gown patrons will be familiar with the show’s director, Timothy Cole, due to his many roles on its stage and multiple previous turns in the director’s chair. He most recently directed last season’s production of White Christmas, in which he played the character of Phil Davis. He has since appeared in the Town & Gown productions of Beauty and the Beast as Lumiere, Jekyll and Hyde as Spider, and The Diary of Anne Frank as Otto Frank.
When asked about his thoughts on bringing Into the Woods to the Town & Gown stage, Cole said, “As a big Stephen Sondheim fan, I have wanted to put on one of his shows for a long time. Into the Woods is a great, fun show with wonderful music that I know everyone will love. These actors are fantastic, and it’s been an honor to see them bring these characters to life and act alongside them."
The cast of Into the Woods features a list of veterans of the Town & Gown stage, including director Timothy Cole himself as Rapunzel’s Prince and The Wolf; Chloe Cavins as Rapunzel; Sydney Wehmeyer as Little Red Riding Hood; Gabriel Reyes as The Baker; Josiah Reyes as Jack and Dana Ayers as Jack’s Mother; Kalista Grizzle as Cinderella; Richard Ayers as Cinderella’s Father; Dominique Cannon as Cinderella’s Stepmother; Brittanie Cannon as Florinda and Sydney Weiser as Lucinda; Elizabeth Ziegler as The Witch; Benjamin Allen as the Mysterious Man; Landon Greene as The Steward; Hank Hanrahan as Milky White; and Scott Martin as The Narrator. Making their respective debuts on the Town & Gown Stage are Kathryn Ximena Rojas as the Baker’s Wife, Aleks Schaefer as Cinderella’s Prince and The Wolf, and Elliot Hale in the dual roles of Granny and Cinderella’s Mother.
The show’s ensemble features many familiar faces as well, including Austin Reed, Reed Bonge, Evan Goodner, Kaylyn Barrie, Marshall Peters, Mattie Clarke, Sidney Whitacre, Tavery Gage, and Tracey Payne. Newcomers in the ensemble include Andrew Terrell, Haven Schaefer, Brinkley Niles, Wyatt Burns, and Rachel Miller. Miller, Barrie, and Burns also serve as puppeteers. Crew members include Stage Manager Erin King, Music Director Dana Ayers, Choreographer Sydney Wehmeyer, and Costumer Melissa Harless.
Into The Woods will run from June 11-15 and 18-22. Wednesday through Saturday evening shows start at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 2:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale Monday, June 9 and can be obtained by calling the Town & Gown box office at (405) 372-9122 or visiting the theatre’s website at www.townandgown.org. Tickets prices are $18 each for adults and $16 for military members, students, and seniors.
