Once upon a time, on a perfect summer evening, I experienced a perfectly delightful production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods at Montgomery College’s Summer Dinner Theatre in Rockville, Maryland.
I love how fairy tales, especially fractured ones, speak to us about our modern dilemmas, and here the Baker and his wife, Red Riding Hood, along with Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk come alive in this high-spirited, immersive production directed by Tracy Lynn Olivera, under the musical direction of Elisa Rosman, featuring the extraordinary sound of an 11-piece orchestra, and a vibrant cast of college students and recent graduates.
As our twisty tale opens, the storyteller (Josh Flitter) attempts to guide us in a fabulously over-the-top fatherly way. However, soon the rich red curtains sweep open, and the characters are in charge as they take off…
Into the woods,
Without delay,
But care not
To lose the way.
Into the woods,
Who knows what may
Be lurking on the journey?
The beauty of this production is also this — we are no longer in a bleak community college auditorium. We are in the woods. We are on a journey of self-discovery with this mash-up of fairy-tale characters, who, because of their youth and talents, give this musical theater masterpiece an energy and vivacity that on the one hand, is perfect for summer dinner theater, but on the other, is also just perfect for the big life questions (of having children for the Baker, of power and agency for Red Riding Hood, of growing up for Jack) that transform these Grimm fairy tale characters into complex modern ones.
The directing and staging of this production are top-rate, with clever use of the wings and floor space, both on the stage and around the audience’s dinner tables. The stage is transformed with Brandon Roak’s set design. This fairy-tale land’s gabled village houses slide off to reveal a Maurice Sendak–like forest. These woods, along with the expert lighting of designer Lynn Joslin, seem inspired by Where the Wild Things Are as much as Grimm’s fairy tales.
Sondheim’s twisty, clever, pun-filled lyrics land with perfect comedic timing from this cast. Outstanding performances include Daniel Schlegel as the Baker, Sophia Indiana Fischer as the Baker’s Wife, Victoria Tejada as Little Red Riding Hood, and, with a powerhouse voice and presence, Margot Cohen as Jack’s Mother/Cinderella’s Mother. Scarlett Spano as the conniving Witch, who gets the journey into the woods started with evil pleasure, is a pleasure to watch. Her transformation into a bitterly funny, wild-haired, but thoroughly modern witch is both a testament to the actor and to Elizabeth Morton’s costume designs.
The scenes between the dueling princes, who seem less interested in actually finding their princesses, Cinderella and Rapunzel, than in bemoaning their own romantic fates, are among the most fun. Played by Mac Maryn (Rapunzel’s Prince) and Connor Halverson (Cinderella’s Prince), these two embody the one percenters’ brash, clueless demands for love as they challenge one another to a hilarious singing duel in “Agony.”
If there were a few voices that were less than the others, under Olivera’s direction and with the pitch-perfect orchestral accompaniment, the whole was just so much greater. An alluring Wolf, played by Augusto Garcia; a hapless, charming Jack, played by Kameron Sturdivant; and a high-flying Rapunzel, played by Julia Feller, each have solo moments that are sweet and true. The ensemble, which includes Zakaiya Purnell, Brenda Molley, Danny Zheng, and Jaden Norwood, rounds out this stellar cast.
Act II brings a fabulous, fabulist surprise with the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk descending on this kingdom, rattling everyone (destroying a few) through immersive sound design by Justin Schmitz that evokes the Giant’s descent and the terror it inspires. It’s a darker turn in this fairy tale as we learn that what the characters desire might not be all that it seems.
Ultimately, the fairy tale characters overturn the storyteller and take charge of their own story. In one of the most poignant moments, the ensemble performs “Children Will Listen”…
How do you say to your child at night?
Nothing’s all black, but then nothing’s all white
How do you say it will all be all right
When you know that it might not be true?
What do you do?
Be careful of what you will find in the woods. Be careful what you wish for in life. There might not be happily-ever-afters. Go see Into the Woods for a summer dinner theater experience worth the journey.
Running Time: Two and a half hours, with one 15-minute intermission.
Into the Woods plays through June 29, 2026, presented by Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre performing at Montgomery College, Theatre Arts Building, Rockville Campus, 51 Mannakee Street, Rockville, MD. Tickets ($10–$25 tickets for seniors; $10–$30 for adults; $10 for students; $75 with buffet dinner) are available online.
