Cast of 32 students showcased their passion and dedication

By Savannah Brito

Performing arts students at Sobrato High School brought Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” to the stage last month, showcasing their passion and dedication for the classic musical.

With a cast of 32 actors and singers, the production captivated audiences in five performances as fairytale figures filled a story full of life, love, and the pursuit of happiness.

From the enchanting melodies to the impressive choreography, “Into the Woods” showed the students’ passion for the performing arts and their unwavering dedication to their craft, leaving audiences spellbound and earning well-deserved praise for the talented young performers.

This musically sophisticated production showcases actors adapting to grim humor and dark comedy in a magical world that can be relatable to the audience: sometimes the things that people most wish for lead to horrible results.

The story of “Into the Woods” takes famous fairytale characters and brings them together in a particular timeless way. Characters such as the Baker and his wife wish for a child. Cinderella wishes to attend the King’s Festival. And Jack wishes his cow would give milk.

The musical begins when the Baker and his wife learn that a witch has cursed the family into never being able to bear a child, and the two go on a journey to break the curse. Each individual’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their chosen actions result in detrimental outcomes.

Rehearsals for the show began in January with the cast memorizing their lines and getting into character. They also spent many hours constructing the stage set to create the world of make-believe. Handmade bushes and 35-feet long pine trees stretched all the way to the top of the stage’s curtain to help bring this set to dramatic life.

Lighting effects and fog machines enhanced the show by allowing the audience to feel like they were in the magical, fantasy forest.

After a series of vocal lessons, two to five hours a day of practicing and learning to embody their character, the crew wrapped up the last couple of days of rehearsal before the April 22 opening night.

Christopher Demelo, the director of the show, felt excited to see the relatable theme of consequences shock the audience through the musical’s various stories turning on the wheel of fortune.

“There’s a lot of people who think the musical ends at intermission. They think it’s over, but there’s a whole second act,” he said. “The drama and emotion is juxtaposed with the comedy of it all, and it’s very much well done.”

Sobrato senior Ryleigh Etie played the lead role of Cinderella. She began acting in the seventh grade and has had multiple lead roles throughout her theatrical career.

“Playing Cinderella is so much fun,” she said. “I love her personality. She’s very headstrong and can take charge even though she is indecisive — and I appreciate that in her character.”

Etie is thrilled for Sobrato’s version of this production by its special emphasis on the acting.

“It’s not your standard musical, and it’s not classic Hollywood,” she said. “‘Into the Woods’ is very interactive or in your face, in a sense that the characters are larger than life and the characters portraying that are fantastic.”

Demelo agrees that Sobrato’s version focuses on the acting side of the show.

“It’s very much an actor’s musical,” he said. “We really push the character’s emotional side of it. The acting is my favorite part because it’s so good.”

Sobrato senior Mike Garcia plays the lead role of Jack. This is his first time acting and he performs as the hero from “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

“Taking this big role in my first production made me shocked and encouraged me to take this last chance before my senior year ends,” he said. “It’s been something that’s been so exciting for me.”

“‘Into the Woods’ is a college level show and took a lot of work to put into it,” he said. “Adding that fairytale element to your acting had to make your character bigger than life and was something so interesting and fun to learn.”

Demelo thinks the meaning behind the show will be relatable to the audience in real life.

“It really latches onto a discussion in the second act about parents and children,” he said. “Through the last song ‘Children Will Listen,’ it talks about how actions have a direct consequence on those we’re raising.”

Savannah Brito is a Sobrato senior who wrote this for Morgan Hill Life.