‘Into The Woods’ Opens At Grace Arts Live

By Nicole Matheson

The fall productions and 19th season has started at Lake Havasu Main Street theater Grace Arts Live with the first up being Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s classic, beloved musical, “Into the Woods.”

This Tony award winning show tells the story of multiple intertwining fairy tales with characters such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack from “Jack and the Beanstalk.” It is a somewhat dark comedy about making and granting wishes and what happens in the pursuit of the elusive happily ever after.

Tyler Fallis as the Baker and Camaro Iseminger as the Baker's Wife (front) in Into the Woods

Elijah Aston/ LHHS Intern RiverScene Magazine

Camaro Iseminger as the Baker's Wife and Tyler Fallis as the Baker (front) in Into the Woods

Elijah Aston/LHHS Intern RiverScene Magazine

The cast of all local performers includes father and daughter Jim and Bridget McCabe as the narrator and Rapunzel respectively.

“I think most dedicated theater-goers are familiar with ‘Into the Woods’ at this point. They’re coming to hear the gorgeous score, to laugh and maybe cry, and to see what this cast and crew bring to it that’s new for them. For those who aren’t, I hope it becomes a new favorite,” Jim McCabe said.

Samantha Reed as Little Red Riding Hood and Jim McCabe as the Narratorn (front) in Into the Woods

Elijah Aston/LHHS Intern RiverScene Magazine

As the narrator, McCabe guides the audience through the interwoven fairy tales with spoken narration and singing both.

“Being the narrator is something familiar to me,” he said. “Three years ago, I played Jean Shepard in ‘A Christmas Story’.”

He serves as the narrator and something of a part of the story, and almost never leaves the stage.

“Then two years ago, I played Vice Principal Panch in the ’25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’. Panch isn’t the narrator, but the show has some complicated moving pieces and Panch plays a crucial part in keeping things organized and moving. Both of those roles, and this one, feel like a lot of responsibility.

“Those kind of challenges, though, are the things I am looking for in acting roles. I try to learn something from every role I play, and these three are among the ones that I learned the most from.”

Tyler Fallis as the Baker and Jim McCabe as the Mysterious Man and the Narrator in Into the Woods

Elijah Aston/LHHS Intern RiverScene Magazine

Also a seasoned local performer with soaring soprano vocals, his 18 year old daughter Bridget said, “From being in this show, I’ve further solidified my thought that even with difficult shows like this, being a dedicated performer can help everything run smoother. No one in this cast is not dedicated. Everyone loves what they are doing and wants the best for this show.”

Alyson Chapin as the Witch and Bridget McCabe as Rapunzel in Into the Woods

Elijah Aston/LHHS Intern RiverScene Magazine

The difficulty lies in the challenging musical score as well as multiple props and costume pieces, all managed by director Jason Fallis, who told RiverScene, “Years ago, my first experience with ‘Into The Woods’ was as an actor. Naturally, after rehearsing countless times for opening night you gain a connection with the material that goes beyond the audience’s experience. You begin to realize the similarities of the characters’ wishes for a better life with humanity’s desire for the same things.

“The power of the story resides in its use of a fairy tale to express the story. Usually these are cautionary children’s tales but here we see them as warnings for dealing with life’s challenges – the difficulty of having a child, struggling financially, yearning for a better status in life. All these situations hit home through the telling of a humorous, touching experience onstage.”

Marcelo Mercado as Cinderella's Prince and Betsy Heredia as Cinderella in Into the Woods

Elijah Aston/LHHS Intern RiverScene Magazine

Community theater often brings together people of all ages and backgrounds, and here with this production of “Into the Woods” this is no exception. Fallis said, “We have a nice balance of our favorite familiar players and an exciting mix of new faces in leading roles.”

Stephanie Edmonds as Jack's Mother and Ian Riedel as Jack in Into the Woods

Elijah Aston/LHHS Intern RiverScene Magazine

Betsy Heredia as Cinderella in Into the Woods

Elijah Aston/LHHS Intern RiverScene Magazine

Along with the cast, is a committed crew of artists and technicians, each with a task that over the course of just five weeks brought the entire show together from lighting and set design to costuming and properties. The final piece of the puzzle is of course the audience.

To support the arts in this community, consider experiencing “Into the Woods” at Grace Arts Live beginning this weekend on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. The show runs for two additional weekends following this one. For ticket information, visit graceartslive.com