That after-Christmas period can feel anti-climactic, and many performing arts organizations take a holiday break. That’s where the RCM and Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods come into the picture, with a run that begins on December 28 and closes New Year’s Eve.
It’s the third Sondheim production for the RCM after Follies in 2021 and A Little Night Music in 2023, and brings back Richard Ouzounian to direct.
Sondheim’s Into the Woods
Sondheim wrote the musical to lyrics by frequent collaborator James Lapine, and it was first produced in 1986. The story uses the rich territory of Grimm’s fairy tales, bringing the characters to life in order to explore the idea of happily ever after… What happens when you get what you desire?
It ties together characters from Little Red Riding Hood to Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel into a story about a baker and his wife, and their quest to begin a family. The Witch places a curse on the couple, and mayhem ensues.
The Tony-winning musical opened in San Diego and toured for several years. It’s been revived multiple times since then on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Talent
The cast includes a who’s who of Canadian theatre:
- Tess Benger as Cinderella (previously performed in both Sondheim shows at the RCM, and recently starred as Carole King in Beautiful in Montreal and Winnipeg);
- Gabi Epstein as the Baker’s Wife (a Dora Award-winning performer and recording artist);
- Sara Farb as the Witch (previously performed at the Stratford Festival, and made her Broadway debut in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in 2019);
- Eric Peterson as the Narrator/Mysterious Man (Canadian TV and theatre icon, recipient of the Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award);
- Mike Nadajewski as the Baker (recently performed in Talk is Free Theatre’s La Bête, a veteran of Stratford and Shaw, and had appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway);
- Fiona Reid as Jack’s Mother/Giant (a theatre icon with five seasons with the Stratford Festival and 13 at the Shaw Festival, along with a career that has taken her to stages in the UK and US);
- With Nicole Joy-Fraser, Robert Markus, Ben Page, and Heeyun Park 박희윤 ;
- Featuring Dillan Chiblow, Elena Howard-Scott, Jillian Mitsuko Cooper, Will Parry, Emma Pennell, and Mirabella Sundar Singh.
Live music comes courtesy of conductor Paul Sportelli and a 20-piece, on-stage orchestra featuring students from The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School. Genny Sermonia is the choreographer.
Richard Ouzounian directs the production, and we spoke to him about Into the Woods and more.
Richard Ouzounian: The Interview
Why is Sondheim a favourite? “It’s because the work is so innately theatrical,” he says. “It’s meant to be sung by those characters in those scenes.”
The piece this year is a substantial one. “The score for Into the Woods in 145 pages long. There’s a lot of sections that are virtually operatic in texture,” he adds. “It’s music theatre, and that’s why I like it.”
It’s also a sure way to get him involved. “Somebody said, if you want Richard to work with you, suggest doing a Sondheim show,” he laughs, although as a caveat, he adds that he’s turned down Sweeney Todd, just because the original production he saw was perfect.
Sondheim fits the music and lyrics together perfectly. “I just like the way they always fit the scene you’re in.”
As he points out, his songs tend to work well only in their original context. With the exception of Send in the Clowns, there have been none that truly crossed over from Broadway into the mainstream. Send in the Clowns was also written in one afternoon. “It’s a perfect example of how Sondheim writes in the moment. He’s a joy to work with. He’s difficult, but he always rewards you.”
Into the Woods comes later in Sondheim’s career, after his split with lyricist Hal Prince, and was his second collaboration with Lapine. Sondheim was said to have spent years in psychoanalysis; whether it’s true or not, he understood human nature, and that’s at the core of his appeal. It’s not secret that Sondheim had a difficult relationship with his mother, and was estranged from her for decades before her death. Into the Woods delves into the complexities of parent-child relationships, and many of the women characters like the Witch and Jack’s mother are awful people in the story.
“And in fact, the big number at the end of the show is, Children Will Listen,” Richard notes.
The Production
The production can be said to be semi-staged. “I have my own personal rules for how we do these.” There will be no music stands or binders on stage. “They are wearing appropriate costumes.”
With a 20-piece orchestra on stage, sets and scenery aren’t feasible.
“The one thing I’m doing different with this, which I don’t think anyone has done to date […] I’m just going straight for it, and everyone is costumed and playing someone from Toronto in 2024.”
In this version, the Baker and his wife run a business in the Annex. “The Witch is homeless,” Ouzounian adds. The rich families come from North Toronto, and are ethnically diverse. “It’s a little different when you see it. It takes the subtext and brings it forward.”
Luckily, not much of the Giant is required on stage. “Almost everything else, we’ve found contemporary relevance for.” For Rapunzel, who’s imprisoned by the Witch, her stepmother, the solution was creative. “I thought about it, what would you do today?” Richard says. “And so, she’s in CAMH committed, and Rapunzel is in a hospital gown.”
The variations add a contemporary and local touch, but don’t change the work. “We don’t change a syllable of the text lyric.”
The new elements have been popular in rehearsal. “Everybody in the cast is excited about it.” As he points out, Into the Woods is so popular, it’s probably one of the most performed high school musical productions. Finding a new edge was important to set the show apart.
“I’m sure people are gong to say, yeah I’ve seen that show,” he says, “but you really haven’t — I want to tell them.”
Final Thoughts
As he points out, it’s a story with a poignant message for the year end/new year. At first, all of the characters get what they want. As Ouzounian relates, in the early years after its premiere, when people weren’t familiar with the musical, audiences would leave after the first act, assuming the story was over.
“Of course, it’s when people find out that what they wanted isn’t what they really wanted.”
Act II is where the real story begins. “To me, it’s perfect,” he says, citing the materialism of the season, and society in general. “If I only had this, I’d be happy.”
While it deals with larger themes, it’s also a family friendly show. “Also, I believe, that if you’re taking your family out to the theatre, does it have to be mindless? I’m not saying that it’s the most psychologically profound story,” he laughs, “but the music is fantastic.” He’s using the original orchestration in its complete form, something he points out is rare nowadays.
Koerner Hall has typically shuttered for that holiday week, but the experiment was producer Mervon Mehta’s idea. “There is no Christmas carol singalong,” Ouzounian laughs. “It’s Into the Woods the way Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine wrote it.”
He underscores the importance of collaborating with conductor Paul Sportelli. “We’re collaborators all down the line.” That includes a private session with him and Paul and each performer to discuss character and interpretation and other details before the official staging rehearsals begin. When blocking sessions begin, everyone is prepared.
“We pay such respect to it.”
- Find tickets and performance details [HERE].
Are you looking to promote an event? Have a news tip? Need to know the best events happening this weekend? Send us a note.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.
Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! — local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox HERE.
- PREVIEW | Sinfonia Toronto Baroque & Beyond Celebrates the Season With Guest Artists The Ezra Duo - December 4, 2025
- INTERVIEW | Director Peter Phillips Talks About The Tallis Scholars And Their Toronto Concert - December 4, 2025
- PREVIEW | The Royal Conservatory Of Music Launches Orchestrated With Cory Wong - December 3, 2025
