This year’s spring musical, “Into the Woods,” was a sight to behold. It followed Cinderella (Ani Field ‘24), Jack (Zachary Brown ‘26), The Baker (Addie Nayback ‘25), The Baker’s Wife (Jordan Kropka ‘24), and Little Red Ridinghood (Kadiah Dragone-Gutierrez ‘26) through a storyline combining many well-known fairy tales made popular by the Brothers Grimm. Hugh Himwich mentioned that “nobody held anything back,” and I truly agree. Everyone’s acting was at their best, and the lighting, sound, music, and set especially were all major highlights of this production. It was incredible that all the musical elements were performed live, and it sounded wonderful. The cast and crew’s work could not have been better.
There were many wonderful actors but a few that stood out were as follows: Quinn Ross ‘25 was wonderfully cast as the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince. He interacted with the audience, breaking the 4th wall, and had the crowd laughing with his wide strides across the stage and larger-than-life reactions. The Baker’s Wife, Jordan Kropka ‘24, fully captured her character through multidimensional layers of personality – masterfully portraying her devotion to her husband, her affair with the Prince, and her ability to prove her worth as a woman. Jack, played by Zack Brown ’25, was also expert in his acting, with his love for his cow, Milky White (Noah Pocock Wood ‘25), and his naïveté as a young teenager shining through. The Giant also provided a welcome contrast as an offstage role voiced by a mystery faculty member (JP?).
The Academy’s production was notable for many reasons, but I particularly enjoyed seeing the familiar faces of the seniors in some of their last performances and the newer faces from cast members in the 8-9 division. I’m excited to watch 9th graders Sean White, Ellie Nuñez, Adelyn Haas, Modupe Grace Erinle, and Shelby Horwitz in upcoming shows while I know we will also be sad to see many seniors go.
Many thanks for this wonderful performance, to everyone in it, and to the many tech and rehearsing hours that went into creating another well-done production.
