I must admit that when Scotch ‘n’ Soda announced that their fall musical was “Into The Woods,” I was skeptical. How was a student-run organization going to tackle this beast of a production? This is a show that requires top-notch vocals and storytelling capabilities. So how well could they pull it off? Very well, in fact. Everything from the casting to the costumes, sets, and pit were top notch. Frankly, in my humble opinion, this was probably one of the best Scotch ‘n’ Soda productions I’ve seen in my two and half years at Carnegie Mellon.
“Into the Woods” was directed by second-years Kiera Tantillo and Moyo Ifafore. The original production was written by James Lapine with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Right off the bat, you know anything Sondheim is a SINGING show. Sondheim musicals are never easy on the actors and “Into the Woods” is no exception. Despite that, this cast executed this difficult show with ease.
Starting out this incredible cast, we have second-year Dayven Martinez and third-year Lillian McDermott as the Baker and the Baker’s wife. They were both so great, and the acting and singing level was top notch. This casting decision was one that I am in full support of.
In the days after the show, I heard several people say that the princes stole the show. And I can definitely see why people felt that way. The Tartan’s own creator of “The Adventures of Andy,” Sam Bates, was Cinderella’s Prince/the Wolf alongside Josh Malley as Rapunzel’s prince. Their “Agony” duets were two of my favorite moments of the show. They both brought so much humor and charm to the roles.
Also representing The Tartan in this stellar production was Sofia Johnson as Cinderella. She was absolutely radiant onstage and her voice was so beautiful that I wouldn’t have been surprised if an actual bird flew in and landed on her finger. Isabella Garcia, Ella Mineroff, and Jacqueline Germer were hilarious as Cinderella’s Stepmother and stepsisters. Sienna Lehner and Trey Dubose felt like they stepped right out of a storybook as Little Red Riding Hood and Jack. Moira Doolittle nailed her role as Jack’s mom.
Simon Reich played The Narrator/Mysterious Man and I just could not get over how perfectly his voice suited The Narrator. Initially, I thought they got the voice of the original Broadway actor to go inside his body somehow. Finally we have Ashley Onuigbo as the Witch and Skylar Burnett as Rapunzel/Cinderella’s mother. Both were also great in their roles. I could really feel Ashley’s desperation as the Witch trying to keep Rapunzel to herself.
I could go on about how great this cast was, but I also need to mention the incredible pit. This show is almost entirely music, so the pit musicians were playing for three hours straight with a 15 minute intermission. That is exhausting but they never faltered. The pit was directed by Noah Van Ess and assistant directed by Chase Crandall.
I also thought that the sets, costumes, and lighting for the show were great. While the set was relatively simple, I thought the way certain pieces were used for many different things was very cool. There was this moment where the lighting really stood out to me. When the witch was listing the items the baker and his wife needed to find in the woods, the lighting changed to match the color of each object. It really added to the scene.
So to everyone who played a part in making this show happen, brava! You truly delivered in this production and I wish I could see it again.
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