VAHS THEATRE OPENS SEASON WITH INTO THE WOODS,
VAHS Theatre Arts will present Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award winning musical production, Into the Woods on September 28 – October 1, 2006 in the VAHS Performing Arts Center.

Filled with a variety of the best loved  characters from childhood fairytale stories, Into the Woods takes us on a journey deep into the “woods” of our own life, where we are reminded that there will be times when each of us must journey into the woods but that we must mind the future and the past.

The story revolves around three sets of well known fairytale characters. We learn about a series of wishes that are more important than anything - even life itself – to these characters. Cinderella wants to go to the King’s festival; Jack wishes his cow could give milk; and the Baker (who believes his parents were killed in a baking accident) wishes he and his wife could have a child.

As these characters express their wishes, we meet Cinderella’s Stepmother and stepsisters who laugh at the idea of her going to a ball; Jack’s aging mother wishes for a lot of gold and a less foolish son; and Little Red Ridinghood, arrives to buy bread, sticky buns and pies from the Baker and his Wife before starting her journey into the woods to see her sick Grandmother.

The Baker and his Wife learn the Witch next door, a humpbacked crone with long gnarled fingers, has placed a curse upon them to prevent their having a child. She explains the Baker’s father had stolen various vegetables from her garden many years ago to satisfy his wife’s insatiable desire for greens. He also stole the Witch’s magic beans. To punish him for the theft, she demanded and had been given the Baker’s sister; a sibling the Baker never knew existed. She claims she still has the baker’s sister hidden away and that he can break the spell that makes him childless only by bringing her a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold. 

The Baker puts on his father’s old jacket as he preparesto journey into the woods.  Cinderella goes to visit the grave of her mother, and Jack reluctantly takes off with his cow, Milky White, to sell her. At this point, the show takes on a rapid pace as all the characters disappear deep into the woods in search of something they need.

Nothing works on the stage like a well-crafted tale and Into the Woods is just such a show! If you love the music of Stephen Sondheim or just enjoy good musical theatre, you won’t want to miss this production. There is something for everyone.

Reserved tickets for the production are $8.00 and can be obtained by calling the VAHS Theatre box office at 845-4488.