Venturing "Into the Woods"

On April 1, Northeastern Illinois University's (NEIU) Auditorium welcomed a fair sized audience to escape into a world of fantasy at the inception of the large scale musical "Into the Woods." The show began promptly at 7:30 p.m., and immediately visual and aural delights tickled the senses.

NEIU's stage was transformed into a setting appropriate for a fairy tale musical performance. Silken trees of various autumn shades sprung up from the stage and extended themselves into the audience spaces. Green landscape props rose up from the floor, creating a sense of a forested environment and visual stage depth.

The next thing an audience member might have taken notice of was the fact the orchestra pit was filled with musicians tuning up their various instruments. This in itself was a positive achievement for NEIU, as is the fact that musicals are seldom if ever performed on campus, especially on a scale such as this.

Offered up by the NEIU Opera Workshop, "Into the Woods" was originally composed by the award winning Stephen Sondheim. Sasha Gerritson, graduate and music theory teacher of NEIU, directed this production, while music was conducted by NEIU's director and teacher of choral activities, Michael Melton.

This musical was written to entertain, but as with most good art, it carried humanistic lessons in morals as well. While there were many adult-appropriate jokes and scenarios, which made for intriguing plot lines, this musical was safe for the whole family to enjoy (not to mention, to learn something from)

A cast of 24 characters comprised the talent, most of which were based on well-known fairy tale personas. But this was not your textbook fairy tale. For example, along with the familiar Cinderella, one was pleasantly surprised to also find Cinderella's mom, dad, stepmother and prince in the picture.

A well-dressed and old-fashioned narrator intermittently provided background information, as a frenzy of meshed characters attended to many challenges and realizations. Characters' paths were interwoven, as they continued on their individual chaotic missions full of mishaps, entanglements and infidelities. As they crossed each other's paths in the atmosphere of woodland, the plot lines thickened and laughter ensued.

Although set design, costuming, singing and prop use in general was sharp, there was some lack of polish in the talent's choreography. Although this was perhaps not as important as the acting itself, (which overall was fine) it did leave the dance numbers looking regretfully sloppy.

Aside from this, "Into the Woods" was (and is) a musical production worth seeing at least once in a lifetime, for the sheer comic fantasy that it inspires in all.

"Into the Woods" performed on three dates; April 1, 3 and 4. Admission was free for faculty, staff and students with ID. General admission ran at $10, and could be purchased at the Box Office of NEIU. Call (773) 442-4636 to find out about future performances of any plays or musicals brought to you by the NEIU Music Department.