When walking into the Baldwin Auditorium, students generally groan as they await an assembly on safety or academic performance; last month, however, students and parents alike were delighted by Massapequa’s latest spring musical, as cast members turned on the magic and took them into the woods.

The many talented actors, musicians and technical crew members banded together on March 15 and 16 to produce Into the Woods. Director Mr. Harrington, producer Dr. Gaines, conductor Mr. Stempel, vocal director Mrs. Dempsey, assistant producer Mrs. Martingano, and technical director Mr. McCabe all played an integral role in ensuring that the students’ efforts did not go to waste.

The play consisted of four different fairy tales: “Cinderella,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Rapunzel.” Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, who wrote the original Broadway version, intertwined these stories with an original tale about a baker and his wife who are determined to reverse a curse that prevents them from having a child. This conglomeration of fairy tales resulted in a single story with an intriguing plot and overt messages that kept the audience members on the edge of their seats.

Into the Woods commenced with the characters expressing their desire to find their “happily ever after”; Jack and his mother want to sell their cow to gain money for food; Cinderella, scorned by her stepsisters, wishes to go to the ball to meet her Prince Charming; lastly, the baker and his wife need to gather ingredients for a witch’s potion to undo a curse that prevents them from having a family.

To appease the witch and live happily ever after, the baker and his wife venture into the woods to find the ingredients—one from each fairy tale. While they incur the resentment of the characters from whom they steal, they ultimately become acquainted with the characters from the other fairy tales.

It is evident that this play required much mental exertion and theatrical talent. The students’ success in performing such an intricate storyline was a result of their memorization of many lines and their incorporation of expression throughout the play.

However, the depth of the storyline made it a difficult production to execute, which caused the rehearsal process to be quite stressful at times. “It had its ups and downs, but in the end when it all finally came together it was something that I was extremely proud to be a part of,” junior Jennifer Enochs, who played Jack’s mother, said.

Senior Bailey Hawthorne, who portrayed the baker’s wife in the musical, echoed Jennifer’s sentiments. “I think that this weekend was the first time I was able to really enjoy performing in the show because it was a very stressful rehearsal process.”

Additionally, the reaction of the audience validated the actors’ hard work. The audience gasped and laughed with fervor as plot twists unfolded. “It was amazing to have such a responsive audience on opening night, and I think it really helped the performance overall,” Bailey said.

A full team effort was crucial to the success of the production. The pit orchestra presented an outstanding accompaniment to the voices of the actors, which helped to capture the attention of the audience and keep them engaged throughout the show.

Furthermore, the performance was also enhanced by the picturesque wardrobe and scenery that several art classes designed under the instruction of Mrs. Gale Domingo, Mrs. Penny Schneider, and Mrs. Julie Thornton. Mrs. Kirby led the costume design. The costumes that adorned the actors, which resembled those of the actual characters in the fairytales, helped to enrich the actors’ roles, and the ornate scenery gave the audience members the sense that they were in the woods and a part of the journey.

After working together for so many weeks, the cast was reluctant to leave the stage. “I feel accomplished now that it is over but also sad that it is my last performance at MHS. It’s a bittersweet feeling,” senior Marigrace Maley said.
Massapequa’s talented students put on another successful musical in Into the Woods. The cast’s determination and hard work resulted in a fairy tale that ended happily ever after.