Into The Woods in Concert
Laurie Beechman Theater, NYC, September 27, 2018
Reviewed by Chris Struck for Cabaret Scenes
This concert version of Sondheim’s Into the Woods landed well, having the right touches of acting, singing, and costume work. The production was buoyed by a few stand outs among the cast and sterling orchestral arrangements by Nathan Urdangen and Brian Shaw. In a cabaret setting, the full production was a touch long and parts of the second act could possibly have been cut, especially when performed without intermission.
However, the talented cast put together by Dream Productions and Vanessa Paradis, who also played the Witch, kept us engaged and laughing.
From a large cast, I must mention Sam Belanger (the Baker), Sean Patrick Murtagh (the Big Bad Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince), and Paradis as the most stunning performers. Whether performing solo numbers or duets, they had a firm grasp on both their character and the musical interpretation required to deliver this classic work by Sondheim. Additional mention would have to go to Mardie Millit (the Baker’s wife) and , Bridget Harvey (Little Red Riding Hood) who, at various times, renewed my interest in this classic hodgepodge of the Brothers Grimm.
There are quite a few numbers that frequently appear in cabaret rooms from Into the Woods, but perhaps none is more common than “No One is Alone.” Christian Sineath (Cinderella), Demond Nason (Jack), Belanger, and Harvey did a fabulous job in that number. It was among the many other particularly good moments in song that made the length of Act II most certainly worth enjoying. Paradis’s “Witch’s Lament” and Millit’s “Moments in the Woods” also provided opportunities for those performers to showcase their respective abilities among a large and typically impressive cast.
The performances of Into the Woods ran for a few nights in a row, and for fans of Sondheim or for those who didn’t get to enjoy the show during its original run or even its multiple revivals around the world, this is a fantastic opportunity to get a fine introduction to one of his most well-known works.
