americanstage.org<\/a>.<\/p>\nDating back to 1986, \u201cInto the Woods\u201d intertwines several classic fairy tales, taking audiences on a journey that goes far beyond \u201chappily ever after.\u201d In crafting the Tony award winning show, Lapine and Sondheim plucked traditional storybook characters from the pages of Grimm\u2019s fairy tales and recast them in a timeless and relevant piece. Primary characters are pulled from \u201cLittle Red Riding Hood,\u201d \u201cJack and the Beanstalk,\u201d \u201cRapunzel,\u201d and \u201cCinderella.\u201d<\/p>\n
Directed by Helen R. Murray, \u201cInto the Woods\u201d is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. According to the theatrical licensing agency\u2019s website, the story follows a baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King’s festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.<\/p>\n
For Murray, bringing \u201cInto the Woods\u201d to Demens Landing Park is a wish come true.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first saw it, I actually skipped school and rode the metro into D.C. to see it at The Kennedy Center,\u201d Murray said. \u201cIt is one of those theatre experiences that has stayed with me. The way the stories intertwined, the lovable but fallible characters, the idea of what comes after \u2018happily ever after\u2019 \u2014 it was just magic.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s that same magic Murray brings to this outdoor production, blending personal nostalgia and theatrical innovation.<\/p>\n
The cast of the American Stage production includes Ryan Joustra, Edward L. Simon, Morgan Tapp, Katie Davis, Cody Taylor, Becky Keeshin, August Bagg, Kristin Carbone, Larry Alexander, Kayah Bonilla-Mas, Troy Brooks, Delores McKenzie, Marguerite Reed, Mariela Zeno, Anthony Gervais, Culver Casson, and Jonathan O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n
Costume designer Cass Duimstra will blend whimsical fairytale style with practical, Florida-friendly glamour. Puppetry by Michael Horn will bring beloved character Milky White to life \u2014 the cow that Jack (of beanstalk fame) traded for magic beans.<\/p>\n
Set under the open sky at Demens Landing Park, \u201cInto the Woods\u201d in the Park promises an enchanting atmosphere where the music, storytelling, and community come together. Audiences can enjoy the show picnic-style on blankets or in reserved seating \u2014 a perfect way to welcome spring and experience professional theatre in an unforgettable setting.<\/p>\n
\u201cInto the Woods\u201d features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim with book by James Lapine, and is directed by Helen R. Murray with music direction by Jeremy D. Silverman and choreography by Jessica Kerner Scruggs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ST. PETERSBURG \u2014 American Stage in the Park returns this spring with an outdoor production of \u201cInto the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":196361,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[19946,91097,596,202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-196360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-american-stage","tag-into-the-woods","tag-pinellas-county","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196360\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/196361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}