La Jolla High’s theatrical department opened Into the Woods on January 24th. The musical is about the interwoven stories of several iconic fairytale characters: Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Prince Charming.
For the first time, the theater department will be using a live orchestra, a shift that drama teacher Mr. Allen is particularly excited about. “It’s the first time that we are using a live orchestra,” he says, a departure from the recorded tracks of past shows.
Into The Woods, composed by Stephen Sondheim, is musically very complex. On top of that, memorizing choreography and lines is no small task. “The hardest part of the play is having to memorize all of the choreography and my parts,” says understudy to the Narrator, Sterling Neisz. For fellow freshman Stanko Alic, the highlight is simple: “My favorite part of the play is when they sing ‘Into The Woods.’”
This production follows the department’s recent takes on Chicago and Beauty and the Beast, two very different but equally ambitious shows. In a review for the Hi-Tide, A&E Editor Max Davis called Chicago an “unexpectedly bold” choice, and Into the Woods is bold in an entirely different way. It’s structurally complex, thematically loaded, and emotionally raw. But the drama department’s risks in the past most often pay off. Into the Woods is currently running with shows on January 31st and February 1st.
