As the CMPA continues its season of honoring the late Stephen Sondheim, its second show of the school year — a full-length production of “Into the Woods” — has already sold out ahead of its premiere this Friday in the Troutt Theatre. "Sondheim passed away last November, and to pay homage to his legacy, it was my dream to do two Sondheim shows this semester," said coordinator of the musical theatre department Nancy Allen. With an impressive Broadway run in the past, "Into the Woods" won two Tonys for best original book and score. Following well-known fairy tales, the show humanizes fantastical experiences creating a profoundly moving show. "Even though they are familiar fairy tales, Sondheim has created them in such a way that you can feel the real-life messages behind them," said Sachiko Nicholson, assistant to the music director. Though the production may not have a big city debut or A-list celebrity vocalists, "Into the Woods” has no shortage of star power. "Our students are telling stories and hitting incredibly difficult melodies and working through all of this music, and they are doing it as well as the performers on Broadway," Allen said. With its vast array of characters and big-stage worthy melodies, to fantastic costumes and thematic story lines, Belmont CMPA's "Into the Woods" runs from Nov. 18 to Nov. 20, and is sure to be worthy of its sold-out status.
This article was written by Zach Watkins