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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">GLTG forges a
straight and narrow path through ‘Into the Woods’<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
review appeared in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
</I></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">4/1/11</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Sometimes
theater is too hard.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sometimes it’s
too soft.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And sometimes it’s just
right.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Geauga Lyric Theater
Guild production of Stephen Sondheim’s fairytale-infused <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Into the Woods</I>, currently on stage in
Chardon, is all three.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>In general,
Sondheim’s musicals are hard.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>His
subject matter is often disturbing—the vengeful spirit of a murderer in <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Sweeney Todd</I>, the tortured souls of
assassins in <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Assassins</I>, and the
complex psyche of the artist in <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Sunday in
the Park with George</I>, for example. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>He blurs the
line between lyric and dialogue, filling the air with a dense stream of words
and vivid images. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>He folds
disorienting discord into his music, which allows the audience to ride the
pleasant melody while simultaneously sensing a disturbing undercurrent just
below the surface.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Consequently,
many theatre goers find his work outside their comfort zone and beyond their
long-established expectations for what constitutes musical theater.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><FONT size=3><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Into the Woods</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> gives the false impression that it is
a more accessible, less demanding slice of Sondheim (and playwright James
Lapine).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>After all, it intertwines
the familiar storybook plots of several well-known Brothers Grimm tales,
including <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Little Red Riding Hood</I>, <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Jack and the Beanstalk</I>, <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Rapunzel</I> and <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Cinderella</I>. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Fairytale characters travel into a dark,
enchanted forest in search of what they want in life.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Yet, this musical bears all the
trademarks of a Sondheim musical and remains a hard, challenging piece of work
to perform and consume.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Act I of the
GLTG production of <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Into the Woods</I> is
too soft. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Director/music
director/choreographer Karen Porter and her cast of community players accentuate
the fairytale façade of this play while dismissing the more foreboding
subtext.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As such, characters are
too simply drawn and the woefully understaffed orchestra offers only melody,
with none the interesting stuff underneath. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Porter’s choreography, which is tied to
the melody, follows a relatively straight and narrow path through <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Into the Woods</I>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Act II, however,
is just right. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Here we are
exposed to the dark underbelly of once upon a time.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Act II reveals the consequences of each
character’s earlier actions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We
discover that getting your Prince does not mean happily ever after and having
your wish granted can have a serious downside.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>By softening the
overall approach to this play, the darker Act II as presented in this GLTG
production is actually just right for those uncomfortable or unfamiliar with
Sondheim.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Even fans of Sondheim
will find much to like in the second half for, with a bit more substance to sink
their teeth into, many of the players step up their performances to reveal their
characters’ complexities and their own acting chops.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Particularly
fine Act II performances are turned in by <SPAN style="COLOR: black">Gina
Piotrkowski as the Baker’s Wife, Shannon Metelko as Little Red, Paul Josell as
Cinderella’s Prince, Julie Connair as Jack’s Mother, and Ryann Angelotti as the
Witch.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Angelotti’s performance is
particularly compelling, for she chomps at the bit to give more dimension to the
Witch in Act I and delivers it in Act II. Her “Children Will Listen” number at
the end of the show is spellbinding.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black">Sean Thompson’s simple
but effective set design and Patrick J. Fagan’s lights add much to the quality
of this softer, </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">sanitized
but satisfying <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Into the Woods</I>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Into the
Woods</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">
continues through </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">April 10 (8pm Friday
and Saturday, 2pm Sunday) at the <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Geauga Theater, 101 Water Street,
Chardon.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For tickets, which range
from $15 to $18, call 440-286-2255 or visit <A href=""><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
color=#2266cc>www.geuagatheater.org</FONT></SPAN></A>.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>