Last night “Into the Woods” opened at the Murray
Amphitheater. My middle son and I are in the orchestra pit on cello and
keyboard. This is the first musical I’ve helped to stage since my accident last
fall. My wrist and hand are completely functional, but reading is still a challenge.
So I deliberately chose a play I’ve done before to ease back into this. Maybe I
should have picked a nice Rogers and Hammerstein. The atonal dissonance that
makes Sondheim so delicious also makes it excruciating to read. At least I’m
not the only musician looking like a deer caught in headlights. We’re all in a
mild state of panic, but it sounds amazing. If you go, let me make one
suggestion: take your wee ones home at intermission when Cinderella, Rapunzel,
Jack and Red Riding Hood get their happily ever afters. The difference between
a cheerful story and a sad one is where you stop telling it.
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