Overview
This Stephen Sondheim musical, based on the Grimm Brothers fairy tales, combines the well-known fairy tales of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood with a newly crafted one. In it we are taken down the paths of growing up, parents and children, responsibility, morality, wish fulfillment and its consequences. The plot intertwines the stories of familiar fairy tales with an original story of a childless baker and his wife, who attempt to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child, thereby creating a single, even bigger, fairy tale. In the first Act, the characters set out to achieve their goal of living “Happily Ever After” through familiar routes. Cinderella goes to the ball and captures the heart of Prince Charming. Jack climbs the beanstalk and finds a land of giants and gold. Little Red Riding Hood survives her clash with the wolf at grandma’s house, and Rapunzel manages to escape her tower with the aid of a handsome prince who climbs her long hair. In Act Two, all the characters must deal with what happens after “Happily Ever After.” When the characters come together to fight a common enemy, they see the pitfalls of selfishness and greed. They learn that goals are not as important as the journey to achieve them and that enduring meaning is found in community and family. Sondheim’s beautiful score, which includes “Children Will Listen” and “No One Is Alone,” carries the audience away while exploding the “happily ever after” myth.
Extras!
- Click here to listen to MP3 recordings from the production!