‘Into the Woods’ is a powerhouse play

By Saja Hoffpauir
Lifestyles Editor
“Into the Woods,” the first play presented by the newly-formed Bayou Broadway Productions is, in a word, outstanding.
Having debuted on Broadway in 1987, the two-act musical “Into the Woods” is a dark comedy that scrambles the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales. It centers around a childless baker and his wife tasked by a witch with bringing her a number of items - “the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold” - in exchange for her lifting an infertility curse she has placed on the baker. The cow belongs to Jack of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” the cape to Little Red Riding Hood, the hair to Rapunzel and the slipper to Cinderella. As the show unfolds, the various characters are confronted with the consequences - sometimes extremely bad - of their desires and actions.
The cast of this show is downright phenomenal, with several members giving professional-level performances.
In her role as the scheming witch, one of the characters the audience sees the most, Connie Humble owns the stage. She manages the tongue-twisting rhymes of her particularly verbose character without missing a beat and delivers her lines with just the right evil flair. Audiences will also be wowed by her amazing voice as she sings her way through her diabolical plans.
Also a standout is Angelica Menges as the baker’s wife. Although she is one of the main characters, the baker’s wife could easily fade into the background without the right actor playing the role. There is no danger of this happening with Menges, whose broad range encompasses both the sadness of a woman who cannot have a child and the humor of the absurd situations in which her character finds herself. Her comic timing and delivery are great.
One of the standouts among the male cast members is Luke Nettles, who holds down two roles - Little Red Riding Hood’s big, bad wolf and Cinderella’s prince. He nails the lewd and crude wolf on the head. As he chases Little Red Riding Hood around the stage, he delivers a predatory vibe that will bring shivers to theater-goers’ spines. Then he is able to turn right around and play the role of the charming yet devilish prince to the hilt. Nettles is another cast member whose comic delivery is remarkable.
Also of note are Gabe Ortego, who plays both the narrator and the mysterious man, and Vanessa Benoit, who skips through the play as Little Red Riding Hood. Benoit, who has the voice of an angel, just graduated from Notre Dame, and if she is this good this young, it will be interesting to see where she goes from here.
It is only for lack of space that every actor is not individually recognized. The other cast members include Courtney Richard as Cinderella, Hedrick Deshotel as Jack, Bradley Credeur as the baker, Sandi Doré as Cinderella’s stepmother, Claire Doré and Sidney Gilder as Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters, Clint Broussard as Milky White the cow, Tina Reaux as Jack’s mother, Kathryn Loewer as Cinderella’s mother, Tierney Aguillard as Rapunzel, Casey Robichaux as Rapunzel’s prince, Sandra Marx as Little Red Riding Hood’s granny and Seth Harson as Cinderella’s prince’s steward.
Susan Comeaux, the musical director, shores up the production with a score that seems melodically simple but is actually deceptively difficult. She plays for the duration of the show, a marathon performance.
The play is directed by the obviously-talented Logan Frederick, with Desiree Doucet as stage manager and Andre LaFleur as light designer.
In short, “Into the Woods” should not be missed by anyone who even remotely appreciates theater. And, fortunately, there will be four more performances. There will be a 2 p.m. matinee today, and next weekend there will be 7 p.m. shows on both Friday and Saturday, with a second 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday.
All performances will be at The Grand Opera House, 505 N. Parkerson Ave. in Crowley.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students.
They can be purchased by calling the opera house at 785-0440 or visiting www.thegrandoperahouse.org.