THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 1, 1996 TAG: 9610010301
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 67 lines
Weird, wild, wacky are often Stephen Sondheim trademarks - even when he heads into the fairy-tale domain of never-never land.
``Into the Woods'' is his successful offering for the kiddies and those supposedly in charge of them, their parents.
Everybody knows the characters - Cinderella and her dysfunctional family, Jack who traded his pet cow for a few beans, Little Red Riding Hood and her wolf nemesis, the long-long haired Rapunzel.
Sondheim puts them together with very funny results; the Encore Theatre makes the most of his cleverness.
The performers are a mix of veterans and newcomers, the latter group so successful you often can't tell who has been on stage before and who has not.
Red, for instance, is portrayed by 12-year-old Laura Hansen, whose previous experience has been in church productions. She is an attention-getting, expressive performer - a delight.
There are 20 in the cast and it is no easy task picking the gems from this mine of talent but, as usual, a double nod must go to Tom Cherry.
First, he is the wolf - the big, bad one - then he gets into uniform to portray Cinderella's prince. But he is still a wolf, cheating on Cindy, rendezvousing with the baker's wife.
The kiddies may want to know why they are rolling down the hill - er, arm in arm - in the play's light but surprising PG-13 scene when they set the ``Into the Woods'' woods on fire.
Cherry's semi-graceful balletic leaps and his dashing good looks, in the play, anyway, set feminine hearts a-thumping.
The first thing that catches your eye is the excellent set by Danny Rogerson. He utilizes every inch of space on the small Encore stage. Kudos also to those responsible for the lighting, costumes and special effects.
A basket of kudos to director, Mary Cherry, who makes the difficult look easy. ``Into the Woods'' is a complex production that seldom lags.
Seldom. Part of the second act, like any good fairy tale, offers a moral or two. Forgiveness and kindness in this case. The play drags a little when they get serious about all that.
Otherwise, things move swiftly thanks to a fine cast and toe-tapping music. You may not remember the songs, but you will have fun recalling the circumstances around them.
``Agony,'' for instance features both Cinderella's prince and Rapunzel's prince, a good turn by Chris Crossland, as they sing about the supposed woes of their romances. Another goodie is ``Your Fault,'' a patter song that sounds like something from ``The Music Man.''
Fascinating scenes abound, not the least of which is one reminiscent of ``Alien.'' Instead of a strange ``thing'' popping out of a tummy, Red Riding Hood and grandma pop out of the wolf's tummy when the animal is done in.
Other wonderful scenes: Birds talking to Cinderella, the witch-eating bugs, Jack's cow on wheels, Jack's cow's death scene, Jack's cow oozing flour.
Kent Luton plays Jack for warmth and laughs.
Other particularly noteworthy folk: Kimberly Graves Matthes as the wonderfully clumsy Cinderella; Elizabeth A. LeBlanc as Jack's mom, especially in a great crying scene; Celeste Gray and her daughters, Celina and Nicole, as Cindy's stepmother and stepsisters; Janet Gregory's wonderful witch; and a special nod to squeaky cute Tammy Watts as Rapunzel.
Go ``Into the Woods.'' You and the young'uns will have a delightful time. ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Encore Theatre Co. presents ``Into the Woods.''
WHEN: 8 p.m. Oct. 4, 5, 11, 12 and 3 p.m. Oct. 6.
WHERE: Main Street Stage, Pasquotank Arts Council, Elizabeth
City. by CNB