Brody Monaco, as the Big Bad Wolf, and Juliana Warnick, as Little Red Riding Hood, in Butler Catholic School's production of “Into the Woods Jr.” Submitted photo

The musical “Into the Woods Jr.” weaves several fairy tale characters’ stories into one, while featuring energetic songs and dances that emphasize the storytelling of the original fairy tales.

Needless to say, the students involved in Butler Catholic School’s production of “Into the Woods Jr.” are having a great time rehearsing for the show’s debut the first week of April.

“They love it, they think it’s really cool to see the stories intertwine with each other,” said Hannah Bossinger, the musical’s director. “They love the songs and are dancing, and they are making friends who they might not normally talk to.”

According to Bossinger, 71 students in kindergarten through eighth grade at the school are involved in this year’s production, which began rehearsals in February.

The story features characters from stories like Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and Rapunzel, who all get wrapped up in the plot of a baker and his wife’s search for artifacts that will help them break a witch’s curse.

Bossinger said the show is “musically dense,” which is demanding, but gives everyone in the show a chance to shine. The story unfolds from the point of view of a narrator, who tells the story as the characters act it out on stage.

“Everyone in the cast gets to sing, and there’s a lot of solos, duets, small group stuff,” she said. “The story is all told by the narrator, and you watch the story come alive on stage.”

Bossinger added this musical is the first chance for people to see the upgraded stage technology recently implemented at Butler Catholic School. She said the school has a new lighting system, a new sound system and its stage has been painted so it is a better version of a black box theater.

Butler Catholic will stage “Into the Woods Jr.” at 7 p.m. April 3 and 4, and at 2 p.m. April 5 at the school. Presale tickets are available at the Butler Catholic School office for $8, and are $10 at the door.

Sierra Viehmann, Narrator; Guerin Hammonds, Baker; Madalyn Krill, Baker’s Wife; Megan Eicher, Witch; Juliana Warnick, Little Red Riding Hood; Penelope Cummings, Cinderella; Nolan Skwirut, Jack; Taetum Dougherty, Rapunzel; Sean Martin, Rapunzel’s Prince; Kaelyn Gapinski, Cinderella’s Mother; Cecilia Livengood Cinderella’s Stepmother; Olivia Yeager, Florinda; Amelia Bicker, Lucindia; Aiden Dorcy, Cinderella’s Father; Scout Bicker, Cinderella’s Prince; Brody Monaco Big Bad Wolf; Julianne Bzorek, Jack’s Mother; London Green, Milky White; Khloe Brown, Granny; Fred Edwards, Mysterious Man; Gunnar Hammonds, Steward; John Sommers, Other Steward; Natalie Londino, Annabelle Carr, Averiana Hesky, Kate Sommers, Dash Bicker, John Sommers, Joseph Hauser, Rylee Nguyen, Khloe Brown, Soloists; Khloe Brown, Giuliana Dalcamo, Eloise Leyland, Kaelyn Gapinski, Natalie Londino, Madelyn Miklavic, Alania Nguyen, Rylee Nguyen, Averiana Hesky, Annabelle Carr, Jacqueline Baptiste, Lucia Warnick, Featured Dancers; Anthony Edwards, Aubriella Bacher, Shaylee Best, Kinsley Thompson, Olivia Black, Luciana Warnick, Christopher Kaiser, Joey Edwards, Lily Monaco, Dash Bicker, Mason Do, Milky White Ensemble; Loriann Morin, Natalie Snow, Violet McIntyre, Sophia McCune, Charlie Edwards, Juliette Cancilla, Juliette Livengood, Kendyl Shipos, Kamryn Shipos, Cora Rodgers, Jacqueline Baptiste, Emily Edwards, Sophia Montani, Camila Weaver, Dimitri Moreino, Silas Rhodaberger, Miriam Rhodaberger, Samuel Strahler, Benjamin Hauser, Mila Monday, Gemma Monday, Clare Galey, Kylie Gapinski, Maura McConnell, Audrey Thompson, Lydia McGrath, Luke Skwirut, Karina Prutz, Clara Miloser, Sawyer Uhl, Ensemble.