‘Into the Woods’ comes into the Milford Theater for two weekends in May

This beloved, well-known musical with music by Steven Sondheim and lyrics by James Lapine will be coming to the Milford Theater for six performances on two weekends in May.

This is the first musical that the Milford Theater will be self-producing. Beth O’Neil, the artistic director of the theater, has had this as a long-term goal for a while. With 20 years of experience producing shows in New York City, she has set her sights on expanding the reach of the theater.

“We are building a company and reputation as a regional theater in terms of both actors and audiences and producing top off-Broadway quality,” O’Neil said.

They are currently getting actors and audiences from wider New Jersey, New York State and Connecticut.

A little bit about the director

Joseph Ambrosia is the choreographer and director for “Into the Woods.” Ambrosia is local to Stroudsburg, but has worked with O’Neil before and is excited about her vision for growth. He was the choreographer for “Guys and Dolls” and the Director of a cabaret last year called “Christmas in Milford.”

Ambrosia comes from a musical family and has performed all over the country as a dancer and creative. He had his first show when he was nine years old. In addition to directing musicals, Ambrosia is the assistant director of the Fusia Center for the Arts in Stroudsburg which he helped found 15 years ago.

What he loves most about the Milford Theater is working with the people and the comradery, as well as the creative space.

A little bit of this, that and then something else

“Into the Woods” is written in the style of a fairy tale.

“It’s bits pieces of the childhood stories so many of us grew up with which could be the reason it’s so well loved,” O’Neil said.

The story is about a once-beautiful witch and the curse she put on a baker and his childless wife. Three days before the rise of a blue moon, they venture into the woods to find the ingredients that will reverse the spell and restore the witch’s beauty: A milk-white cow, hair as yellow as corn, a blood-red cape and a slipper of gold.

During their journey, they meet Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Jack each one on a quest to fulfill a wish.

There is lots of dancing and singing and familiar strands of these childhood characters. The show was on Broadway and was later made into a film in 2014 with Meryl Streep as the witch, James Corden as the Baker and Emily Blunt as the wife.

Up next

Ambrosia pays attention to detail and conveys his enthusiasm and expertise to the cast in rehearsal. Some of the cast members also were in “Guys and Dolls.”

Ambrosia and O’Neil are planning a “juke box” musical called “All Shook Up,” which is based on the music of Elvis Presley, but re-arranged for the musical theater.

Some of the cast of “Into the Woods” will be in this forthcoming summer delight which will begin rehearsals immediately after the run of “Woods.”

Ambrosia will direct and O’Neil will produce it.

This will be the second self-produced musical for the Milford Theater, and they are planning on running it on Saturdays and Sundays for three weeks from July 19 through Aug. 3