Broadway Theatre to host 'Into the Woods Jr.' play
The Broadway Theatre will be hosting a string of performances by their children theater group from March 8-17.
This year's show will be a rendition of the musical “Into the Woods.” The production is completely managed by the children volunteers, from spotlights to sound production. While adults are present for logistics and safety precautions, the youth make up most of the cast and crew.
"This isn't a kid's show, even though it may say that," music director Bonnell said. "The standards are held incredibly high."
The original musical was released in 1986 when it first premiered at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. It premiered on a Broadway stage the next year.
In 2014, the musical was adapted to the big screen by Disney and featured a cast of A-list performers like Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Chris Pine. The movie grossed $128 million in the US and was nominated for three academy awards according to IMDB.
“Into the Woods Jr. is an engaging and funny musical comedy that twists familiar fairy tales into a brand-new story,” according to the Friends of Broadway website.
Into the Woods takes a modern spin on classic Brothers Grimm tails such as “Cinderella,” “Jack and the Bean Stalk” and “Little Red Riding Hood.”
“I tell the kids the moral of this story is you may not always get what you wish for - or you may not always want what you wish for,” producer Beth Ebright said. “At the end, they all have to work together to fix what they created.”
The group of youth, ranging from 10-18, come from communities near and far in Mid-Michigan. One even traveling from Gladwin, a 45-minute commute.
The “Into the Woods Jr.” production is following last year’s “Seussical,” a doctor Seuss themed performance and a rendition of “Aladdin” from the year before. Ebright said that the children's adaptation leaves out some of the scarier scenes and is shortened to easier viewing length.
The Broadway Theatre originally opened in 1919 as an opera house and has continued operating since with the help of the Friends of Broadway. While the organization makes renovations when needed they still withhold the theater's historical value
Bonnell said the Broadway is one of maybe two theaters in Michigan that still has a manual, pulling curtain mechanism rather than being automated. However the musical will be heard crystal clear with the theater's new sound system upgrade.
"This ends up being a very popular show," said Bonnell. "Which puts money back into a very wonderful organization."
Tickets cost $10 and are available for sale on the Friends of Broadway website, Ric’s Food Center, Ace of Diamonds, and at the theatre an hour before the show. All proceeds go back to the Broadway Playhouse Kids for next year’s production.
