Review: Do Not Leave at Intermission of 'Into the Woods'

The story of Stephen Sondheim's "Into The Woods" only appears to be over at end of the first act of this farcical and entertaining mash-up made from four Brothers Grimm fairy tales. While everyone is about to live happily ever after, Act I is really a foreshadowing of the pay-back set forth Act II.

Bring your mind as well as your sense of humor to Barrington Stage's fine production of this musical theater classic.

As the show begins, The Baker (Jonathan Raviv) and his Wife (Mara Davi) are on a quest. They desperately want a child but are unable to conceive. The Witch (Mykal Kilgore) has cursed them, and to undo it, she demands four items: a cow as white as milk from Jack, of Beanstalk fame (Clay Singer) and his mother (Leslie Becker); a cape as red as blood from Little Red Riding Hood (Dorcas Leung); hair as yellow as corn from Rapunzel (Anna Tobin); and a slipper as pure as gold from Cinderella (Amanda Robles).

You already know the story of these famous characters’ lives: Jack plants his beans and slays the giant at the top of the beanstalk. Little Red Riding Hood and her Grannie kill the wolf. Cinderella defies her stepmother and stepsisters (Sarah Dacey Charles, Megan Orticelli and Zoë Aarts, respectively), goes to the ball and falls in love with the prince (Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton). Rapunzel falls in love with her prince, too (Pepe Nufrio). After many adventures in search of their four items, The Baker and his Wife present them to the Witch, and they soon have a baby.

But the characters have paid dearly for fulfilling their dreams. In Act II, the Giant's Wife (Leslie Becker’s voice) reins terror on the little community. She kills Rapunzel's mother and Jack's mother, too. The Prince cheats on Cinderella with The Baker's Wife. (When confronted, he tells Cinderella, "I was raised to be charming, not sincere." That has to be one of the theater's great lines!) The morals are many: Be careful what you wish for; don't squander your life; when you go into the woods – the scary unknown that is often life itself – you can't know what will happen.

The actors are uniformly excellent. It is not possible to single out any one performer for special praise or condemnation.

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Book by James Lapine; Directed by Joe Calarco; Musical Direction by Darren R. Cohen; Choreographed by Mayte Natalio; Scenic Design by Brian Prather; Costume Design by Jen Caprio; Lighting Design by Sherrice Mojgani; Puppit Design by Brandon Hardy.

With Zoë Aarts, Leslie Becker, James Cella, Sarah Dacey Charles, Mara Davi, Mykal Kilgore, Dorcas Leung, Pepe Nufrio, Megan Orticelli, Jonathan Raviv, Amanda Robles, Thom Sesma, Clay Singer, Anna Tobin and Kevein Toniazzo-Naughton.

Pittsfield ZBA Member Recognized for 40 Years of Service

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:23PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Albert Ingegni III tells the council about how his father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo who died at age 94 in 2020, enjoyed his many years serving the city and told Ingegni to do the same. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's not every day that a citizen is recognized for decades of service to a local board — except for Tuesday.

Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.

"It's not every day that you get to stand before the City Council in honor of a Pittsfield citizen who has dedicated 40 years of his life serving on a board or commission," he said.

"As we say that, I know that there are many people that want to serve on boards and commissions and this office will take any resume that there is and evaluate each person but tonight, we're here to honor Albert Ingegni."

The honoree is currently chair of the ZBA, which handles applicants who are appealing a decision or asking for a variance.

Ingegni said he was thinking on the ride over about his late father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo, who told him to "enjoy every moment of it because it goes really quickly."

"He was right," he said. "Thank you all."

The council accepted $18,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and a  $310,060 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program.