INTO the WOODSIN CONCERT Book by James Lapine Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

PRESENTS INTO THE WOODSIN CONCERT Book by James Lapine Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Directed by Michael Torontow NOVEMBER 14 -16, 2019 Georgian Theatre, Barrie | 705-792-1949 www.tift.ca Presented by | Season Partner Artistic Producer Arkady Spivak INTO THE WOODS Book by James Lapine Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Director Michael Torontow Music Director Wayne Gwillim Choreographer Lori Watson Set and Lighting Designer Joe Pagnan Costume Designer Laura Delchiaro Production Manager Jeff Braunstein Stage Manager Dustyn Wales Assistant Stage Manager Sam Hale Sound Designer Joshua Doerksen Props Master Vera Oleynikova CAST OF CHARACTERS Cast Baker-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Aidan deSalaiz Cinderella’s Prince, Wolf, Lucinda------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Griffin Hewitt Witch---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Alana Hibbert Rapunzel’s Prince, Florinda, Milky White-------------------------------------------------------------------------Richard Lam Baker’s Wife---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Jamie McRoberts Jack’s Mother, Stepmother, Granny, Giant------------------------------------------------------------------Charlotte Moore Jack, Steward------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Justin Stadnyk Little Red, Rapunzel----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Amy Swift Narrator, Mysterious Man, Cinderella’s Father----------------------------------------------------------Kristian Truelsen Cinderella--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Kimberly-Ann Truong Young Company-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Claire Allen, Adam Ashby, Ellie Atton, Sail Croker, Griffin Dauphinee, Arianna Goarley, Emily Harvalik, Abigail Lelievre, Matthew MacQuarrie-Cottle, Mary Jo Marshall, Gaby Mirafuentes, Korol Pikulik, Charlee Rochon, Jarod Tessier, Mary Witlib Band Conductor, Piano-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wayne Gwillim Piccolo, Flute, Clarinet--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Peter Voisey Violin-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Valerie Selander Cello-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Alyssa Wright Percussion-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Justin Han DIRECTOR’S NOTES While engulfed in blankets and pillows and a certain level of depression one day in the not-too-distant past, I stumbled upon a meme on social media that struck a chord with me. It read, “Be who you needed when you were younger.” I began wondering what it would be like to talk to my younger self; what I, Michael at 41, would tell Michael at... wait... what age would I choose? What would I tell “Mikey” at 5 years of age? Or “Mike” at 13, or “Michael” at 22? Or—what the heck—even Michael at 39? Children possess a sort of magic which adults have a very difficult time accessing as they grow older. Their boundless creativi- ty and curiosity, their unconditional love and acceptance of others... All things they are born with, until we adults slowly take it all away from them. It isn’t necessarily our fault—we just do the best we can with what we learned from our parents, who also did the best they could based on what their parents learned from their parents. We want to protect our children from dangerous realities, of course. There is absolutely danger out there in the woods. But we also inadvertently teach them things they don’t need to know. And we disappoint them in ways we don’t know, or worse, don’t think will really matter in the long run. When I learned I would be directing “Into the Woods” and would be incorporating the TIFT Young Company into the show, I decided to focus my direction on a certain lyric Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine actually cut from the show during pre-Broadway tryouts in San Diego. The Witch was meant to have a song in which she said, “You know what’s evil? Nice peoples’ lies.” The song was cut for good reason, but I find that lyric immensely poignant. Many of our characters in “Into the Woods” deceive or tell lies in Act One to achieve their goals, and they pay for those deceptions in Act Two. We all tell little lies, but just as a director does when deciding how to present a show, we have to remember our audience. The impressions you make on young people will last. But I don’t have to remind you of that. After all, you, yourself, are a young person inside a body that is aging at a rate you are probably not comfortable with. So have a conversation with your younger self, and see what you’ll say. If you ask me today, I would have several fairy tales I would tell my 12-year-old self about his future. I would teach him about forgiveness, about honesty, and about the importance of loving yourself for who you are and who you can be. That grown-ups may sometimes be TOO grown-up. And to believe in magic. Children will listen. Michael Torontow Into the Woods Design Statement Prepared by Joe Pagnan for Talk is Free Theatre Into The Woods in concert. ABSTRACT Michael Torontow approached me with text by Sondheim in his book Look, I Made a Hat that reads – “What interested James [Lapine] were the little dishonesties that enabled the characters to reach their happy endings”. .. [he] was also skeptical about “happily ever after” in real life and wary of the danger that fairy tales may give children false expectation. … he was drawn … to Carl Jung’s theory that fairy tales are an indication of collective unconsciousness”. Stemming on this, I endeavour to create a space that is highly critical of the little dishonesties that have rather large ramifications to the adult consciousness. Fixing on the emotionality of the woods by waning light, add a carnal danger we see repeated throughout in lust or gluttony. The natural order punishes moral quandary, akin to a childlike law, it is fixed and holds no court. Innocence, as lied to, is as dangerous as the adults twisting the truth. Through the trees, through the doorways of parent’s bedrooms, through pages in a book, through windows on a screen. The power of imagination is unbridled the deeper into the primordial we seek, be it in a metaphorical and/or literal wood. Imagination can kill. I lament on the impossible trees, representative of our own self. Standing amid a clear cut? Balancing threatened ecosystems as fragile as human consciousness. Consider this once upon a time from the perspective of the tree the story was writ on and how a kid left to figure it all out watched the woods of their childhood, disappear. SONG LIST Act I Act II Prologue: Into The Woods So Happy Hello, Little Girl Agony (Reprise) I Guess This Is Goodbye Witches Lament Maybe They’re Magic Any Moment I Know Things Now Moments In The Woods A Very Nice Prince Your Fault Giants In The Sky Last Midnight Agony No More It Takes Two No One Is Alone Stay With Me Finale: Into The Woods On The Steps Of The Palace Finale: Ever After LIGHTLY STAGED? What does “Lightly-Staged” mean? The history of musicals being presented with limited staging, costumes, and sets date back to the 17th century with the earliest operas and has become an increasingly popular platform in the 21 st century. Lightly-staged and concert series productions allow rarely-staged musicals the opportunity to be experienced again and for works of greater size to be produced that our traditional staging would not allow. This performance style puts the music and lyrics centre-stage and allows the very essence of the work to shine through in a unique way for the audience. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We acknowledge that this theatre and our beautiful city are situated on the traditional lands of the Anishnaabe people, including the Odawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi Nations, collectively known as the Three Fires Confederacy. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land. CAST BIOGRAPHIES AIDAN DESALAIZ (Baker) TIFT: Pal Joey. Recently: Beauty and the Beast (Drayton); A Christmas Carol (Grand Theatre); The Best Brothers (Western Canada/TNW). Elsewhere: Red, Cabaret, Legally Blonde (Theatre Aquarius); Having Hope At Home (Neptune); The Wedding Singer (Stage West, Critter nomination: Best Actor in a Musical); Lies My Father Told Me (Segal Centre); Visiting Mr Green (Harold Green); Altar Boyz (Angelwalk); three seasons with Stratford Festival (Guthrie Apprenticeship Award). Upcoming: The Last Five Years (Neptune); Spamalot, Wendy and Peter Pan (Stratford). Other: Graduate of Ryerson University, Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre Training (Stratford). Love and thanks to my family and Billy. GRIFFIN HEWITT (Cinderella’s Prince, Wolf, Lucinda) TIFT: Debut. Recently: Beside Myself (Foster

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