Walden Mega Magic is a concept that combines the ideas of Henry David Thoreau's book Walden and the concept of magic. Thoreau's Walden is a reflection on his experience of living in solitude in a cabin by Walden Pond for over two years. He explored the themes of simplicity, self-reliance, and the importance of connecting with nature. Thoreau believed that by simplifying our lives and living in harmony with nature, we can find true happiness and fulfillment. The concept of magic, on the other hand, adds an element of wonder and mystery to this idea. Magic has always been associated with the supernatural and the unexplained.
The Baker (Sebastian Arcelus) and the Baker’s Wife (Stephanie J. Block) desperately want to have a baby, but a Witch (Montego Glover) has put a curse on them. To reverse the curse, the Witch tells the couple, they must go into the woods and find a cow “as white as milk,” a cape “as red as blood,” hair “as yellow as corn,” and a slipper “as pure as gold.”
To reverse the curse, the Witch tells the couple, they must go into the woods and find a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold. It s Tyler Micoleau s lighting design that truly lends the production a fairy-tale magic, the enormous full moon and back wall constantly shifting colors to reflect the passage of time as we move from the oranges of sunset to the inky purples of midnight.
Magic has always been associated with the supernatural and the unexplained. It allows us to believe in something beyond the ordinary, something that transcends the boundaries of the physical world. When we combine the ideas of Walden and magic, we get Walden Mega Magic.
‘Into the Woods’ works its magic in a fairy tale with no happily ever after
Before a single word had been spoken or sung at Tuesday night’s performance of “Into the Woods,” a burst of fervent applause rained down upon the cast, who were arrayed across the stage at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, looking out at the packed house.
That audience reaction served as a reminder of the special place this 1987 musical occupies in the hearts of many theatergoers because “Into the Woods” — not, say, “Sweeney Todd,” not even “West Side Story” or “Gypsy” — was their introduction to Stephen Sondheim.
The captivating production at the Colonial, directed by Lear deBessonet, is proof positive that many riches are still to be found in those woods. They remain, to borrow from Robert Frost, “lovely, dark and deep."
That’s not a bad description of Sondheim’s score, actually. But “Into the Woods” encompasses a wide tonal and emotional range, from humor to heartache, in deBessonet’s spare, concert-style production, with the orchestra seated upstage at the Colonial amid a forest of birch trees.
There have been countless high school or regional theater productions of “Into the Woods," not to mention the starry 2014 film version, but its peculiar brand of magic is undimmed.
Montego Glover as the Witch in "Into the Woods." MATTHEW MURPHY AND EVAN ZIMMERMAN FOR MURPHYMADESondheim’s songs, which contain some of his deftest wordplay and most piercing insights, elevate and compensate for the somewhat choppy book by James Lapine, who was also Sondheim’s collaborator on “Sunday in the Park with George" (1984).
“Into the Woods” entwines characters from classic fairy tales with newly invented ones. Pretty much everyone is yearning for or searching for something. Ah, but how to resolve the dilemma that can arise when you get what you think you want?
And, not so incidentally, what are they going to do about that rampaging giant who’s flattening everything and everyone in sight?
Act One of “Into the Woods” is frequently funny. Then in Act Two the shadows — Sondheim’s comfort zone — start to fall across those woods in earnest. The body count piles up, and by the end virtually every character left onstage has lost a loved one. Relationships are complex and friction-filled in “Into the Woods”: of husband and wife, of parent and child, of royalty and commoner.
From left: Stephanie J. Block as the Baker's Wife, Sebastian Arcelus as the Baker, and Katy Geraghty as Little Red Ridinghood in "Into the Woods." Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
The Baker (Sebastian Arcelus) and the Baker’s Wife (Stephanie J. Block) desperately want to have a baby, but a Witch (Montego Glover) has put a curse on them. To reverse the curse, the Witch tells the couple, they must go into the woods and find a cow “as white as milk,” a cape “as red as blood,” hair “as yellow as corn,” and a slipper “as pure as gold.”
So off the couple goes on that bizarre shopping expedition. The woods turn out to be pretty crowded.
Nearly all of the actors in the touring production that has arrived at the Colonial had performed at some point in “Into the Woods” on Broadway. Perhaps that helps explain why it’s such a well-oiled machine, though there’s nothing mechanical about the performances.
That Broadway-to-Boston roster includes Glover, Arcelus, and Block. (Block and Arcelus will not perform March 28-April 2. For those performances, the roles of the Baker and the Baker’s Wife will be played by Jason Forbach and Ximone Rose.)
Glover is mesmerizing in her ominous Act Two solo, “Last Midnight.” The Witch’s daughter, Rapunzel (Alysia Velez), wants her freedom — not unreasonably after all that time cooped up in the tower — but Glover still cracks the heart in “Witch’s Lament” when she sings: “Children can only grow/ From something you love/ To something you lose.”
Also on board from Broadway are a gleefully hammy Gavin Creel as Cinderella’s foppish Prince and as the sinister Wolf; Katy Geraghty, who is flat-out hilarious as an imperious and fearless Little Red Ridinghood; and Diane Phelan as Cinderella, who entrances Creel’s Prince but, in “On the Steps of the Palace,” gives voice to the ambivalence that runs through “Into the Woods” (”I know what my decision is/ Which is not to decide”).
Gavin Creel as the Wolf in "Into the Woods." Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMadeThen there’s David Patrick Kelly as the Narrator and a Mysterious Man whose identity is no mystery at all; Cole Thompson as young, ingenuous Jack, utterly devoted to his cow, Milky White, the most soulfully expressive puppet I’ve ever seen; Kennedy Kanagawa, the exceptionally skillful puppeteer who manipulates Milky White; and Aymee Garcia as Jack’s Mother, who tells her son they must sell the cow, asserting, in one of my favorite Sondheim rhymes: “We’ve no time to sit and dither/ While her withers wither with her.”
There’s been a stampede of Sondheim revivals since the nonpareil composer-lyricist died in November 2021 at age 91. A new Broadway staging of “Sweeney Todd,” starring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford, began previews last month. Later this year Broadway will be home to a production of “Merrily We Roll Along” starring Daniel Radcliffe of “Harry Potter” fame. In addition, it was recently reported that “Here We Are,” Sondheim’s long-gestating musical inspired by the Luis Buñuel films “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” and “The Exterminating Angel,” will be presented off-Broadway in September.
But until then, this “Into the Woods” will do nicely.
INTO THE WOODS
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by James Lapine. Directed by Lear deBessonet. At Emerson Colonial Theatre. Through April 2. $39-$249. 888-616-0272, www.EmersonColonialTheatre.com
Don Aucoin can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GlobeAucoin.
It represents a belief in the power of simplicity and self-reliance, while also acknowledging the magic that can be found in the world around us. It encourages us to open our minds to the possibilities that exist beyond what we can see and touch. Walden Mega Magic invites us to explore the wonders of nature and seek a deeper connection with the world around us. It encourages us to embrace the simplicity and beauty of everyday life, while also recognizing the magic that can be found in the smallest of moments. In a world that is increasingly fast-paced and disconnected from nature, Walden Mega Magic serves as a reminder to slow down, reconnect with ourselves and the natural world, and find joy and wonder in the simplicity of life. It invites us to see the world through the eyes of a child, where everything is filled with wonder and magic. It encourages us to cultivate a sense of awe and reverence for the natural world and to embrace the unknown and unexplainable. Walden Mega Magic is a concept that challenges us to rethink our relationship with nature and the world around us. It urges us to find our own version of Walden, a place of solitude and reflection, where we can connect with our inner selves and the magic that lies within us. So, let us embrace the spirit of Walden Mega Magic and allow ourselves to be transported to a world of simplicity, wonder, and magic. Let us seek the magic in our everyday lives and find joy in the beauty of the natural world..
Reviews for "The Eco-Friendly Enchantment of Walden's Mega Magic Practices"
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