March 03, 2010 Connect Special

    Inspired by the timeless tales of the Brothers Grimm, Into The Woods is an award-winning Broadway musical that tells the story of a baker and his wife who must journey into the woods in order to lift a witch’s curse.
    On the way, they cross paths with Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and a menagerie of other fairy tale characters. They each pursue individual wishes until their stories become entangled in unexpected ways—revealing what happens after “happily ever after.” Stephen Sondheim’s wickedly witty score weaves a magical spell with such enchanting gems as “Children Will Listen,” “Giants In The Sky” and “No One Is Alone.”
    “Into The Woods gives me the incredible opportunity to showcase the amazingly diverse talent we have here at Georgia Southern,” said Arikka Gregory, GSU’s Director of Opera. “Our cast members aren’t just drawn from our music department; they come from all over campus. It’s exciting to have students majoring in other disciplines participating in the show. We’re also really fortunate to have Dr. Mercier, the Head of the Music Department, serving as our Musical Director.”
    “Having done a lot of opera recently, in which every word is sung, the hardest part of this show is all of the spoken dialogue,“ Remarked Trevor Martin, who will perform the role of the Baker. “This role is helping me grow as an actor. Sondheim is a genius at making his music an extension of the dialogue; it is very speech-based, as opposed to being a separate entity from the words.”
    Adam Pulver, who will play the part of Jack, said, “Of all my musical theatre experiences, this has been the most exciting and fun-filled! I have never worked with such talent before in my life. The vocal talent is far beyond beautiful, and the acting, although quite comedic, is truehearted."
    Liz Zettler, a student in GSU’s MBA program, will play the Baker’s Wife. As she rushed into rehearsal, she quipped excitedly, “Into The Woods is a great show for anyone to see! There is a little bit of everything—fairy tales, love, loss—and lots of comedy! Oh, and some excellent singing, too!”
    Into The Woods is one of Sondheim’s most family-friendly works, appealing to audiences of all ages. In 1988, Into The Woods swept the Tony Awards, winning 10 categories, including Best Musical. Time Magazine described it as “the best show yet from the most creative mind in the musical theater today.”
    GSU’s production of Into The Woods runs Thursday March 4-Saturday March 6 in the Georgia Southern Performing Arts Center, with a matinee performance on Sunday March 7, featuring the Understudy Cast. Show time is 7:30 on Thursday-Saturday, and 3:00 on Sunday. GSU students will be given free admission on Thursday evening when they present their student ID. Tickets cost $7.00 for students and children, $10.00 for GSU faculty and staff, and $13.00 for all others. Call the PAC Box Office at (912) 478-7999 to order tickets.

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