{"id":13023,"date":"2014-07-12T21:29:38","date_gmt":"2014-07-13T04:29:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=13023"},"modified":"2014-07-12T21:33:58","modified_gmt":"2014-07-13T04:33:58","slug":"favorite-fairy-tales-follow-into-the-woods-at-sf-playhouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/favorite-fairy-tales-follow-into-the-woods-at-sf-playhouse\/","title":{"rendered":"Favorite Fairy Tales Follow Into the Woods at SF Playhouse"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u00a0Baker\u2019s Wife (El Beh) meets handsome Prince (Jeffrey Brian Adams) in\u00a0Into the Woods<\/em> at SF Playhouse. Photo by Jessica Palopoli.<\/p>\n

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The San Francisco Playhouse concludes its provocative 11th<\/sup> season with Into the Woods\u00a0<\/em>by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and James Lapine (book).\u00a0 This musical intertwines the plots of many Brothers Grimm fairy tales and explores the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. The main characters are taken from “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Rapunzel”, and “Cinderella.\u201d<\/p>\n

The musical is tied together by an original story involving a childless baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family, their interaction with a Witch who has placed a curse on them, and other storybook characters during their journey.<\/p>\n

Making her musical directorial debut, Susi Damilano deftly guides her large and talented cast through the overlapping story lines of the various tales and also adds the silent role of a boy (Ian DeVaynes) who introduces the characters. All the players have shining moments. Exceptional performances come from Keith Pinto as the Baker, Monique Hafen as Cinderella and Safiya Fredericks as the Witch.\u00a0 Louis Parnell is delightful as the Narrator.<\/p>\n

Music Director Dave Dobrusky brilliantly leads a seven-piece orchestra and Kimberly Richards\u2019 choreography is outstanding.\u00a0 Kudos also go to Nina Ball\u2019s multilevel set and Abra Berman\u2019s lovely costumes.<\/p>\n

Into the Woods<\/em> is structured so that Act I ends on an upbeat \u201chappily ever after\u201d note and then Act II delves into the darkness that follows when people get what they think they want.<\/p>\n

Into the Woods<\/em> runs at SF Playhouse from June 24-September 6, 2014.\u00a0 Performances are held Tuesday-Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at 450 Post Street (2nd<\/sup> Floor Kensington Park Hotel), San Francisco. Call 415-677-9596 or go to www.sfplayhouse.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Coming up next at SF Playhouse will be the World Premiere of From Red to Black<\/em> by Rhett Rossi and directed by Susi Damilano, August 7-8 (previews) and August 9-30, 2014 at the A.C.T. Costume Shop, 1119 Market Street (at Seventh Street), San Francisco.<\/p>\n

Flora Lynn Isaacson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Baker\u2019s Wife (El Beh) meets handsome Prince (Jeffrey Brian Adams) in\u00a0Into the Woods at SF Playhouse. Photo by Jessica Palopoli. The San Francisco Playhouse concludes its provocative 11th season with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13023","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-flora-lynn-isaacson"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"