Lizzie Deadrick
Mariemont High School
Sycamore High School brought “Into the Woods” to life. The fantastic vocals of the lead actors accompanied by the comedic, exciting acting of the supporting cast made for an entertaining show. The cast worked well as an ensemble, frequently sharing the spotlight while continually shining individually. Additionally, the actors and the crew showed utmost professionalism, especially when faced with microphone troubles.
John Carroll as the Baker led the cast with his unwavering character and flawless vocals. Carroll, with solid acting and emotional singing, expertly depicted the intense conflicts inside the Baker. The Baker’s Wife, played by Tess Plona, also provided a layered, complicated character. The audience sympathized with the Wife, thanks to Plona’s heartfelt portrayal of the desperate, childless woman. Plona’s strong vocals also lent to the sincerity of her performance.
Matt Ruehlman
Turpin High School
The most delightfully unpredictable character was the Witch, played by Cady Aulicino. At moments, it seemed the witch had turned over a new leaf and joined the good guys, but it just wasn’t to be. This complexity kept audiences guessing just what the nature of the Witch was. Caroline Bresnahan as Jack’s Mother was convincing as an older character. She was an intimidating mother with a booming voice that dominated most of her scenes.
The brotherly love between the two Princes, played by Ben Mather and Michael Sevrence, rang true in the hearts of viewers. The chemistry between them was perfect and exuded confidence. Carmel Rechnitzer as Granny delivered silly lines in a hilarious dialect, allowing him to be memorable despite a short appearance on stage.
Erin Willemstein
Cincinnati Christian Schools
The supporting actors did an amazing job as well. Garrett Douthitt was fantastic as the young Jack. His actions were hilarious and fun to watch and his emotions were well shown throughout the show. The witch was played by Cady Aulicino, who did an amazing job at playing an old raggedy witch and as well as the young. Her anger seemed to flow so well with the character in the loss of Rapunzel. And as an ensemble were the two princes – Cinderella’s prince, played by Michael Severence, and Rapunzel’s prince, played by Ben Mather – who were hilarious together and showed their character’s personalities wonderfully.
Zack Hatfield
SCPA
Sycamore High School’s performance contained highly professional vocals that all intertwined well together. Every performer showed signs of strength in musical theatre, and their production of “Into the Woods” proved to be well above average for a high school.
Cady Aulicino, who portrayed the witch, established herself as a dominant vocalist with songs like “Last Midnight” and “Witch’s Lament.” Aulicino was able to enchant the audience through these numbers, which is not easy considering Sondheim’s very complex arrangements. Also, the actor who played Jack, Garrett Douthitt, asserted himself as a serious vocalist/actor, belting out “I Guess this is Goodbye” (which was addressed to Milky White, he beloved cow) and “Giants in the Sky” with severe authenticity, though struggling with pitch just a little bit.
Lisa Hewitt
Loveland High School
Along with the Baker and his wife, Jack, played by Garrett Douthitt, and Little Red Ridinghood, played by Emily Gilgoff, contributed to this show majorly. Douthitt successfully portrayed a very fun, lighthearted character, who entertained the audience throughout the whole duration of the show. He threw in great gestures and expressions that really added to his character. Gilgoff as Little Red Ridinghood did an excellent job of portraying a cute, funny little girl. With the way that she carried herself on stage, she proved that she had given a lot of thought into her character.
“Into the Woods” is a very unique show, therefore tech is even more important. This show requires a lot of sound equipment, in order for the cast members to be heard clearly. Almost every cast member required a microphone, due to the extensive vocals and important dialogue. Although the sound quality was rough in the beginning, by the end of the show the sound was clear as a bell. The lighting in this show was quite impressive. The lights really contributed to the mood and setting to each individual scene. The lighting design was set up in a very creative way and was most effective.
Nicole Light
Loveland High School
The actors had high energy and every single actor on stage was extremely talented. Despite the sound problems the cast continued to wow the audience without fail. The set they had was a rotating stage, which was as impressive as it sounds.
The actors in this show that made it that much more enjoyable to watch was first, Milky White, played by Samantha Misali. Though she was a cow with no lines, her body language captivated the audience from the first scene.
Next, the Princes, played by Ben Mather and Michael Sevrence. They were
PRINT
