The third show of the Paramount Theatre’s 2022/2023 season is Into the Woods, which starts off with familiar fairy tales: Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Ridinghood, and Rapunzel, with a bonus story about Rapunzel’s brother, The Baker. The basic premise to the first half of the show has each of the main characters working towards their happily ever after. The second half covers the ramifications of those happily ever afters, including two princes in Agony (it’s a song), and the giant’s wife searching for Jack to avenge her husband’s death. There are, as always, a plethora of terrible character decisions needed to make a good story.
As a longtime Paramount subscriber, I am completely in awe of their ability to stun me with their set design. As we walked into the theatre, I paused to gape at the forest on stage. Wow.
During the show, the forest moves, so you feel the difference as the actors run through the forest or pause in clearings. When Rapunzel lets down her hair from the tower, it continues down into the forest for the prince to climb, ascending among those trees. And when the giant – who is never actually on stage (size different, you know?) – comes stomping through, you hear the splintering of the trees.
Into the Woods is playing at the Paramount through March 19th, so you have plenty of time to go see it.