The Department of Theatre deserves a Tony Award.
The latest installment to the 2003-04 season, "Into the Woods," is entertaining and visually stunning.
The musical follows the path of a handful of favorite fairy-tale characters - Cinderella, the Baker, the Witch, Rapunzel and a few princes - as they mingle together in the woods in search of "happily ever after."
The Baker and his wife, played by Patrick Hickey and Kathleen McDonald, respectively, are desperately trying to produce a child after the Witch, played by Amy Handelman, placed a curse on their home.
In order to get the evil spell reversed, the Witch has told the couple they must collect various objects - a cloak as red as blood and a milky white cow, to name a few - and bring them back to her so she can concoct a potion.
As the couple hunts in the forest for their precious items, they run into a slew of characters - Little Red Ridinghood, Jack and a Mysterious Man - who have their own missions in life, like getting to Granny's house and selling a cow for some cash.
But when their trading ends, and sacred objects - say, magical beans - have been placed in the wrong hands, a giant bean stalk climbs into the sky and a rather large problem follows.
Will the Disney-esque characters live "happily ever after?" Go see the show for the answer.
Stealing the spotlight is Handelman, who plays the wicked Witch.
Handelman is amazing as the cranky, overbearing Witch and brings the character to life by way of her flamboyant witchy laugh and flailing body. You can't help but laugh at her approach toward evil.
But even funnier is the dimwitted, sassy Little Red Ridinghood, played by Erin Roe.
Roe makes the audience believe that Red is a little off-kilter with her high pitched voice and cutesy mannerisms.
When she steps in the Wolf's way, the gray creature, played by Nathaniel Nose, is a professional gentleman to the girl. Nose knows his character down to the last fur and all of his hopping around gives flavor to his performance.
The cast of "Into the Woods" is large but not overbearing. The direction of Marcus Olson shines on these wonderful actors and every single one of them deserves a standing ovation.
And so does the set, which is filled with eye candy.
The set consists of large, 3-D trees made out of cloth, which shape the woods. The home of the Baker and his wife is gorgeous, with a curling rooftop.
Each and every costume is rich and wonderfully textured, and the beauty of the dresses, pants and uniforms adds to each character's persona.
Don't miss this opportunity to see the department's last show of the semester.
"Into the Woods" deserves five out of five stars and is worth seeing twice - once for the plot, humor and singing, and the second time for the depth of the characters, the visuals and to admire the direction.
For more information on the show, visit the department's Web site at http://theatre.msu.edu.
