'Into the Woods' MTG brings Grimm tale to life on Succop stage
The Musical Theatre Guild is bringing the Brothers Grimm to life on stage at the Succop Theater.
“Into the Woods” is a Tony Award-winning show for book and score written by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim.
The MTG autumn production under the direction of Doug Anderson with musical direction by David Daugherty will open Oct. 7.
The musical tells the tale of the baker and his wife who desperately want to have a child but have to find the Witch who put a spell on them. Throughout the saga, we see other classic fairy tale characters stepping a bit out of their iconic stereotypes.
Playing the baker will be Brady Patsy of East Brady.
“He is a character that has a giant (no pun intended for those who know the show) arc as the show progresses! He experiences guilt, love, loss, fear and everything in between, from the top of act one through the final chord of the musical,” Patsy said.
Patsy is a resident artist with Pittsburgh Musical Theater where he performs and teaches. He said he enjoys the challenge that a Sondheim musical presents with his specific and strenuous writing style.
“One of my favorite things about this show is how it encompasses so many of those beloved stories we remember from childhood,” Patsy said.
He has played the prince character in this show in the past.
For this show, Krista West of Penn Township said she is delighted to be able to get on the stage with one of her longtime friends. West will portray the wicked stepsister Lucinda.
“She is a snotty, spoiled brat who laughs at others' expense, is bullied by her horrible mother and usually follows her sister's lead in all things nasty,” said West, who teaches English in the South Butler School District.
“The musical really explores the idea of 'be careful what you wish for,' in ways that the original fairy tales do not,” she said of the differences between the traditional fairy tales and this production.
West previously performed in “Into the Woods” in 1996. “It was my senior year in high school and I was a wicked stepsister then too,” she recalled.
West's friend, Lacretia Crawford, one of the reasons West auditioned for the show, will star as the witch.
“She is a charismatic, multidimensional character who displays a wide range of depth throughout the course of the show,” said Crawford of Cranberry Township.
No stranger to the stage, Crawford brings her bold vocals and acting chops to this roll. “I bring a true desire to understand and portray the Witch and her multidimensional character to the best of my ability,” she said.
One of the highlights of the production for Crawford is reconnecting with old friends. “It has been 20 years since I have seen Krista West, which coincidentally was the last time we shared the stage together,” Crawford said.
Playing Cinderella's stepmother is Beth Taylor Ackelson of Center Township. “She is selfish, nasty and arrogant,” Ackelson said of her character.
Ackelson, who teaches music and drama at Karns City High School, uses this show in her classroom, she said.
“'Into the Woods' tells the tale of how fairy tales come true. But it also shows the consequences of individuals' actions for their choices and poor judgment used along the way,” she said.
The cast includes Randal Krampert, Megan Flannery, Tyler Pollock, Robin Kriley, Veronica Mortier, Katy Wayne, Glen Bittner, Whitney Angeloni-Ruediger, Paula Baptiste, Brad Griffiths, Zach Frye, Chris Lilley, Hailey Patsy, Robert Meals, Carrie Perichini and Hannah Sloboda.
WHO: Musical Theatre GuildWHAT: “Into the Woods”WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 and 8 and 3 p.m. Oct. 9WHERE: Succop Theater at Butler County Community CollegeTICKETS: $17, call 724-287-8243 from 7 to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays or at www.mtgbutler.org
