Welcome to our beautiful theatre. We are incredibly excited to share this musical production with all of you. It has been quite a journey these past few months, and while we are all exhausted, I think I can speak for all of us when I say we are so proud of the work we have done.
Personally, this is one of my favorite shows. I think it might be because of the memories I attach to it. The first time I was introduced to Into the Woods I was a junior in high school, and our county produced it with a group of students from all three high schools. It was so amazing! I knew so little, I thought that it was over at intermission. My friends just laughed at me.
The second memory I have of this production was from 2004 when I musically directed it at Salem High School. Brandon and I had been married for just 2 years, and Sora was born just weeks z before our first rehearsal. She attended many rehearsals with me, wrapped up in a baby sling on my hip or in the Baby Bjorn. Now she is a sophomore in high school and performing as Cinderella.
Now, 16 years later, I find myself immersed in yet another production of this show with a different school, more incredible students, and myself in a completely different stage of life. The many poignant and incredibly relatable moments that Lapine and Sondheim so intricately weave into this script and score mean so much more to me this go around.
I find myself relating to different characters and their life experiences than I did the past two times. The desire for the Witch to protect her child above all else from the pain of the world somehow makes her way less evil now that I’m a mom of teenagers who are making their own way out in this unpredictable world. Our beloved Baker finds himself beginning to make the same mistakes his father made so many years before after he experiences loss and grief that begin to overwhelm him. His personal struggle hits much closer to home than it did 16 or 25 years ago.
I love this show. These performers have once again stepped up to a very big challenge, and I couldn’t be more proud of them. Sondheim is no joke, and this music is not easy by any stretch let alone the complexities of the script and characters. We have students programming and running lights and mixing sound. We have students backstage making all the magic happen, and we even have an incredible mostly student orchestra with real live string instruments!
I leave you with these lyrics. They have guided my words and my actions these last few months. Sometimes a song can cause you to reframe your mindset, and this one in particular did that for me.
“Careful the spell you cast,
Not just on children
Sometimes the spell may last
Past what you can see,
And turn against you.
Careful the tale you tell
That is the spell,
Children will listen…”
Welcome to the theatre,
Lenae Rose
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