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Into
The Woods
Presented by: UMMTA
Venue: Union Theatre, University of Melbourne
Reviewer: Julia Roper
Date Reviewed: Saturday 9th May 2009
Since its Broadway premier in 1987, Into the Woods has
justifiably become a firm favorite, among music theatre audiences
and performers alike.
Written by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods
was inspired by
Bruno
Bettelheim's 1976 book, The Uses of Enchantment,
and intertwines multiple fairy tales into one story – namely
Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel
and an original tale of a baker and his wife who need to break a
witch’s curse so they can have children.
The
musical has won numerous Tony Awards, sparked revival shows both on
Broadway and London’s West End, and continues to be staged by
theatre companies around the globe – some remaining true to the
original portrayal and others controversially opting to try fresh
approaches.
UMMTA went for the fresh approach.
While I applaud companies adopting a new treatment of familiar
material, rather than reproducing carbon copies of professional
shows, it is important that the complete concept still works.
In his program
notes, Director Scott Dunsdon provided one of the more interesting
and comprehensive insights into the show’s themes, music motifs and
life lessons. I wonder if the show’s commentary on how we
communicate to our children had any bearing on Scott decision to use
Australian accents throughout the performance.
I must admit
that ‘Woods-meets-Neighbours’ was jarring to begin with – and even
though that reaction is more about what I’ve become accustomed to, I
couldn’t help but conclude that the accents combined with modern-day
costumes brought a sense of reality rather than the escapism fairy
tales traditionally provide.
The set
combined both fairy tale and modern elements with cartoon-sketched
houses and an abstract forest of fly-to-floor panels featuring
excerpts from the script in large font ornamented with silhouetted
trees. Set Designer Robert Smith should be commended for such fine
work. Its simplicity was appropriate, attractive and effective. It
was a shame that some of the props used didn’t quite match that
standard. Lighting and Sound (Zach Oates and Dean Gourley
respectively) had minor hiccups which I’m sure will be ironed out as
the season continues.
The highest
accolades should be reserved for Musical Director Tanya Chaves. The
singing from all cast members was polished, precise and a pleasure
to listen to. Each performer handled solo work with ease and
ensemble singing was clear and blended. Tanya’s orchestra was also
tight, well-balanced and never overshadowed the cast.
The Baker and
his wife, played by Ed Harcourt and Amelia Ryan, offered solid
performances. Amelia gave the Baker’s wife a girl-next-door feel
against Ed’s ‘little boy’ interpretation. I would have liked to have
seen more development from Ed as the Baker begins to mature and
embrace responsibility.
Bianca Bruce
(The Witch), Kathryn Sutherland (Cinderella) and Jayne Lovelock (Rapunzel)
excelled in their respective roles and displayed a good
understanding of their characters. Annie Johnston played Little Red
Ridinghood a lot younger than I have previously seen, but her
portrayal was still endearing and humorous, while Brenton Spiteri’s
Jack could have afforded to be played slightly younger. That aside,
his performance was charming.
Cinderella’s
Prince and Rapunzel’s Prince were played by Eric Woodward and John
Frankland respectively. The performance levels of the two princes
became unbalanced at times as the younger brother overshadowed the
older brother, but their scenes together were still thoroughly
entertaining. Giancarlo Salamanca added a quirky style of humour as
the Mysterious Man, and Dylan Morgan kept the story flowing as the
Narrator – although at times his pace was a little too rushed.
The cast was
rounded off by Clare Tonti-Filippini (Stepmother), Rebekah Davis (Florinda),
Sarah Zeleznikow (Lucinda), Shaun Fitzgerald (Steward) and Emma
Leaver (Granny/Giant) who all brought their own colour to the show.
Overall, there
were comedic moments that were either smudged or overlooked
entirely. Nevertheless the finished product was a fine piece of
theatre and congratulations should be extended to all involved.
Julia has been an on-stage performer for many years and has also
undertaken roles in vocal training and Musical Direction. Drawing
from a professional background in media, journalism, marketing and
events management, Julia has been directing shows since 2006 and is
currently the Lyrebird Awards President. |