{"id":110398,"date":"2024-12-18T13:01:14","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T18:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=110398"},"modified":"2024-12-19T07:00:02","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T12:00:02","slug":"preview-director-richard-ouzounian-talks-sondheims-woods-koerner-hall-end-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/12\/18\/preview-director-richard-ouzounian-talks-sondheims-woods-koerner-hall-end-year\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | Director Richard Ouzounian Talks About Sondheim\u2019s Into The Woods \u2014 At Koerner Hall To End The Year"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_110400\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-110400\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-110400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2024-12-18T124555.374.jpg\" alt=\"From the RCM\u2019s production of Stephen Sondheim\u2019s A Little Night Music, May 2023 (Photo: Lisa Sakulensky)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2024-12-18T124555.374.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2024-12-18T124555.374-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2024-12-18T124555.374-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2024-12-18T124555.374-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-110400\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From the RCM\u2019s production of Stephen Sondheim\u2019s A Little Night Music, May 2023 (Photo: Lisa Sakulensky)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That after-Christmas period can feel anti-climactic, and many performing arts organizations take a holiday break. That\u2019s where the RCM and Stephen Sondheim\u2019s Into the Woods come into the picture, with a run that begins on December 28 and closes New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the third Sondheim production for the RCM after Follies in 2021 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2023\/05\/25\/interview-richard-ouzounian-david-briskin-stephen-sondheims-little-night-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Little Night Music in 2023<\/a>, and brings back Richard Ouzounian to direct.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_110406\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-110406\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-110406\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Copy-of-INTERVIEW-94.jpg\" alt=\"L: Autographed publicity photo of Stephen Sondheim, circa 1970, photographer unknown (CC 1.0 Public Domain universal); R: Writer, director Richard Ouzounian (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Copy-of-INTERVIEW-94.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Copy-of-INTERVIEW-94-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Copy-of-INTERVIEW-94-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-Copy-of-INTERVIEW-94-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-110406\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">L: Autographed publicity photo of Stephen Sondheim, circa 1970, photographer unknown (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/mark\/1.0\/deed.no\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC 1.0 Public Domain universal<\/a>); R: Writer, director Richard Ouzounian (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Sondheim\u2019s Into the Woods<\/h2>\n<p>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\u2019s fairy tales, bringing the characters to life in order to explore the idea of happily ever after\u2026 What happens when you get what you desire?<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The Tony-winning musical opened in San Diego and toured for several years. It\u2019s been revived multiple times since then on both sides of the Atlantic.<\/p>\n<h3>The Talent<\/h3>\n<p>The cast includes a who\u2019s who of Canadian theatre:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>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);<\/li>\n<li>Gabi Epstein as the Baker\u2019s Wife (a Dora Award-winning performer and recording artist);<\/li>\n<li>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);<\/li>\n<li>Eric Peterson as the Narrator\/Mysterious Man (Canadian TV and theatre icon, recipient of the Governor General\u2019s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award);<\/li>\n<li>Mike Nadajewski as the Baker (recently performed in Talk is Free Theatre\u2019s La B\u00eate, a veteran of Stratford and Shaw, and had appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway);<\/li>\n<li>Fiona Reid as Jack\u2019s 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);<\/li>\n<li>With Nicole Joy-Fraser, Robert Markus, Ben Page, and Heeyun Park \ubc15\ud76c\uc724 ;<\/li>\n<li>Featuring Dillan Chiblow, Elena Howard-Scott, Jillian Mitsuko Cooper, Will Parry, Emma Pennell, and Mirabella Sundar Singh.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Live music comes courtesy of conductor <strong>Paul Sportelli<\/strong> and a 20-piece, on-stage orchestra featuring students from The Royal Conservatory\u2019s Glenn Gould School. <strong>Genny Sermonia<\/strong> is the choreographer.<\/p>\n<p>Richard Ouzounian directs the production, and we spoke to him about Into the Woods and more.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_110401\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-110401\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-110401\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/A-Little-Night-Music-May-2023-photo-Lisa-Sakulensky-DZ6_6777.jpg\" alt=\"From the RCM\u2019s production of Stephen Sondheim\u2019s A Little Night Music, May 2023 (Photo: Lisa Sakulensky)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"798\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/A-Little-Night-Music-May-2023-photo-Lisa-Sakulensky-DZ6_6777.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/A-Little-Night-Music-May-2023-photo-Lisa-Sakulensky-DZ6_6777-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/A-Little-Night-Music-May-2023-photo-Lisa-Sakulensky-DZ6_6777-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/A-Little-Night-Music-May-2023-photo-Lisa-Sakulensky-DZ6_6777-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-110401\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From the RCM\u2019s production of Stephen Sondheim\u2019s A Little Night Music, May 2023 (Photo: Lisa Sakulensky)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Richard Ouzounian: The Interview<\/h2>\n<p>Why is Sondheim a favourite? \u201cIt\u2019s because the work is so innately theatrical,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s meant to be sung by those characters in those scenes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The piece this year is a substantial one. \u201cThe score for Into the Woods in 145 pages long. There\u2019s a lot of sections that are virtually operatic in texture,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt\u2019s music theatre, and that\u2019s why I like it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also a sure way to get him involved. \u201cSomebody said, if you want Richard to work with you, suggest doing a Sondheim show,\u201d he laughs, although as a caveat, he adds that he\u2019s turned down Sweeney Todd, just because the original production he saw was perfect.<\/p>\n<p>Sondheim fits the music and lyrics together perfectly. \u201cI just like the way they always fit the scene you\u2019re in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>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. \u201cIt\u2019s a perfect example of how Sondheim writes in the moment. He\u2019s a joy to work with. He\u2019s difficult, but he always rewards you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Into the Woods comes later in Sondheim\u2019s 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\u2019s true or not, he understood human nature, and that\u2019s at the core of his appeal. It\u2019s 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\u2019s mother are awful people in the story.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd in fact, the big number at the end of the show is, Children Will Listen,\u201d Richard notes.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_110402\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-110402\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-110402\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Follies-in-Concert-October-16-2021-photo-Lisa-Sakulensky-DZ6_7473.jpg\" alt=\"From the RCM\u2019s production of Stephen Sondheim\u2019s Follies in Concert, 2021 (Photo: Lisa Sakulensky)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Follies-in-Concert-October-16-2021-photo-Lisa-Sakulensky-DZ6_7473.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Follies-in-Concert-October-16-2021-photo-Lisa-Sakulensky-DZ6_7473-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Follies-in-Concert-October-16-2021-photo-Lisa-Sakulensky-DZ6_7473-1024x604.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Follies-in-Concert-October-16-2021-photo-Lisa-Sakulensky-DZ6_7473-768x453.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-110402\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From the RCM\u2019s production of Stephen Sondheim\u2019s Follies in Concert, 2021 (Photo: Lisa Sakulensky)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>The Production<\/h3>\n<p>The production can be said to be semi-staged. \u201cI have my own personal rules for how we do these.\u201d There will be no music stands or binders on stage. \u201cThey are wearing appropriate costumes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With a 20-piece orchestra on stage, sets and scenery aren\u2019t feasible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe one thing I\u2019m doing different with this, which I don\u2019t think anyone has done to date [&#8230;] I\u2019m just going straight for it, and everyone is costumed and playing someone from Toronto in 2024.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In this version, the Baker and his wife run a business in the Annex. \u201cThe Witch is homeless,\u201d Ouzounian adds. The rich families come from North Toronto, and are ethnically diverse. \u201cIt\u2019s a little different when you see it. It takes the subtext and brings it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Luckily, not much of the Giant is required on stage. \u201cAlmost everything else, we\u2019ve found contemporary relevance for.\u201d For Rapunzel, who\u2019s imprisoned by the Witch, her stepmother, the solution was creative. \u201cI thought about it, what would you do today?\u201d Richard says. \u201cAnd so, she\u2019s in CAMH committed, and Rapunzel is in a hospital gown.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The variations add a contemporary and local touch, but don\u2019t change the work. \u201cWe don\u2019t change a syllable of the text lyric.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The new elements have been popular in rehearsal. \u201cEverybody in the cast is excited about it.\u201d As he points out, Into the Woods is so popular, it\u2019s probably one of the most performed high school musical productions. Finding a new edge was important to set the show apart.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sure people are gong to say, yeah I\u2019ve seen that show,\u201d he says, \u201cbut you really haven\u2019t \u2014 I want to tell them.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n<p>As he points out, it\u2019s 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\u2019t familiar with the musical, audiences would leave after the first act, assuming the story was over.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course, it\u2019s when people find out that what they wanted isn\u2019t what they really wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Act II is where the real story begins. \u201cTo me, it\u2019s perfect,\u201d he says, citing the materialism of the season, and society in general. \u201cIf I only had this, I\u2019d be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While it deals with larger themes, it\u2019s also a family friendly show. \u201cAlso, I believe, that if you\u2019re taking your family out to the theatre, does it have to be mindless? I\u2019m not saying that it\u2019s the most psychologically profound story,\u201d he laughs, \u201cbut the music is fantastic.\u201d He\u2019s using the original orchestration in its complete form, something he points out is rare nowadays.<\/p>\n<p>Koerner Hall has typically shuttered for that holiday week, but the experiment was producer Mervon Mehta\u2019s idea. \u201cThere is no Christmas carol singalong,\u201d Ouzounian laughs. \u201cIt\u2019s Into the Woods the way Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine wrote it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He underscores the importance of collaborating with conductor Paul Sportelli. \u201cWe\u2019re collaborators all down the line.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe pay such respect to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find tickets and performance details [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rcmusic.com\/events-and-performances\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/masthead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>news tip<\/u><\/a>? Need to know the best\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>events<\/u><\/a>\u00a0happening this weekend? Send us a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:anya@ludwig-van.com?subject=Let's%20chat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em><u>note<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em><b>#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p class=\"western\"><em>Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em>Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid=S3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid%3DS3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1695737525351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QTqKRwRJQFGK3KoJYigxX\">HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Royal Conservatory and Stephen Sondheim\u2019s Into the Woods offer a between holidays run that begins on December 28 and closes New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":110400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[40967,29,4780,4557,62,63],"tags":[2198,40152,6283],"yst_prominent_words":[19844,13943,13893],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/12\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2024-12-18T124555.374.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-sIC","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110398"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110398"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110398\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110445,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110398\/revisions\/110445"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110398"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=110398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}