The Grand in Ellsworth recently concluded its annual fall musical, presenting Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” to audiences. The production featured a superb cast of singers and actors, complemented by a skilled production crew and pit orchestra.
The performance immersed the audience from the outset, as Benjamin Carter, in the role of the Narrator, began relating the intertwined fairytale stories of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Baker and his Wife. Conductor Sky Kust led a small but impactful orchestra, setting the scene as Joe Lewis’s set design came alive under the stage lights, transporting theatergoers deep into the woods for an adventure that prompted laughter, tears, and reflection.
At the heart of the story were The Baker, portrayed by Mike Smith, and his wife, played by Ruby M. MacGregor. Smith brought many layers of emotion to his role, while MacGregor was highlighted as a standout performer, commanding the stage with her professional singing, acting, and movement, drawing on extensive experience in musicals, operas, and cabarets.
Jess Immel, previously seen as Jo March in “Little Women,” delivered a wonderful performance as Cinderella, her lovely soprano well-suited to Sondheim’s challenging music. Her prince was played by Andy Phinney, who demonstrated his versatility. Jessica Smith was noted as delightfully dreadful as Cinderella’s stepmother, with Amelia Ashmore and Tori Smith creating hilariously horrible stepsibling roles as Florinda and Lucinda.
Young Jack, an excellent portrayal by Matt LeVasseur, traded his beloved cow, Milky White, for magic beans. Milky White was beautifully puppeteered by Amanda Cole. The show also featured Moxie Breairty, who delivered a performance of Red Riding Hood described as "bratty perfection," and Chris Madigan as an appropriately sleazy Wolf. Parents bringing younger viewers were cautioned that Sondheim’s work, drawing from Grimm versions of these tales, includes darker themes such as blindings, bludgeonings, smushings, and munchings, especially in the second act. Some very young children were reportedly distressed during one Sunday matinee.
Leslie Michaud delivered an astounding performance as the grudge-bearing Witch, a role that balanced hatefulness with a heart-wrenching depth, particularly when exploring her connection to her garden and her daughter, Rapunzel. Seneca Maddocks-Wilbur played Rapunzel as wonderfully fey. Zachary Field, as Rapunzel’s Prince, showcased his fine voice, joining Andy Phinney’s Cinderella’s Prince in a memorable duet, “Agony.”
The lead characters consistently took advantage of their dramatic opportunities throughout the show. Their combined performances in duets, trios, quartets, and full choruses were described as stunning.
Further contributions were made by Di Klausmeyer as Jack’s spot-on beleaguered mom, and Dan Mills as the riddling Mysterious Man. The bird puppeteers adeptly transformed from sweet companions to bloodthirsty predators. Sky Kust’s orchestra was praised for not missing a note, and Melissa Egolf’s fanciful costumes were noted for hitting all the right notes. Stephanie Bradshaw’s direction was described as lively and complex.
Joe Lewis’s set design was tasked with creating both an enchanted forest and a credible bakery, and effectively engineered their destruction. Specific elements like the mother tree and Rapunzel’s tower were highlighted as impressive. Jeff Ferrell’s lighting design and Neil Graham’s sound engineering contributed to the overall magic and horror of the production, despite a few initial miscues during the first weekend. Minor criticisms included the opacity of the shadow puppetry for Granny’s house, the beanstalk illusion being partially obscured from one section of the theater, and the unfinished appearance of flats representing Cinderella’s and Jack’s houses.
