Amherst High School heads 'Into the Woods'
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter
T School will bring to life classic fairy tales for their audience with Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods" at 9:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, and at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday,

Amherst's operetta incorporates several classic fairy tales, including "Little Red Riding Hood," with Rachel Zimmer as the title character, and Peter Blanford as the wolf.

Feb. 8 and 9.

"It's a tough musical for the singers," said senior Devon Borowski, who plays the baker. "But it's coming together well, even though there's a lot of complex subject matter."

"Into the Woods" is the intertwining story of fairy tale characters, including Cinderella, the baker and his wife, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the giant from "Jack and the Beanstalk," and others - some even added specifically for Amherst's production.

"We chose it in part because it offered 21 roles, so there were many opportunities for students to have a part," said director Lisa Ludwig. "We also added some that weren't in the play, like Hansel and Gretel."

Along with Ludwig, the show's musical director is Justin Pomietlarz, and the choreographer is John Fredo.

"Into the Woods" boasts a large cast, including, from left, Tyler Brown as Jack, Annise Celano as the witch, Alie Bauer as the baker's wife and Devon Borowski as the baker. At right, Jake Bradley and Claire Comtois rehearse as Cinderella and Prince Charming for Amherst High School's production of "Into the Woods."

Because of its length and the difficulty of the play, the high school will present Act I only.

"We were initially going to do the whole show but decided to just do Act I because it's a complete piece in itself," Ludwig said. "We only rehearse for five weeks, and I'm always amazed at what the students can do."

The first and second acts are also very different from each other, with the lighter end of the play being in the first act.

"I think people want to see a happy ending, too," Ludwig said.

Ludwig noted that the primary function of a high school musical is to provide an educational opportunity for the students while entertaining the audience.

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"You want to challenge the students, but you never want to make them feel insecure," she said. "And of course, they need to be having fun, because if they aren't having fun, then what's the point?"

As far as the difficulty of the piece, both Ludwig and Borowski said the challenge hasn't stopped the students from coming together and providing an enjoyable experience for audiences.

"A lot of people think that the old standards are easier to perform, but they aren't. There are challenges in every piece whether it's new or old. " Ludwig said. "It's such an amazing show with challenging music, and it's a great group of students."

"Assuming high schoolers can do it - and we can - says something to the community," Borowski said. "It also gives the students some real-world experience."

Borowski also said he expects the production to be enjoyable for all attendees because the fairy tale aspect conveys a sense of familiarity, even though the story itself is quite different.

"It's something that everyone can relate to," he said. "It has to do with wishes, and everybody experiences wishing for things and the consequences of those wishes. It's a good message for everyone because it's ingrained in the human psyche."

For more information on the show or for tickets, call the school at 362-8100.