Take a bewitching journey 'Into the Woods' at Titusville Playhouse

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We've all heard the fairy tales. We know the standard characters: Beautiful maidens, handsome princes, wicked witches and precocious children who find themselves out of their depth when they dare to stray away from home and into the deep, dark woods. Through trials and tribulations, the stories usually end with the characters living happily ever after.

But do they?

Titusville Playhouse is exploring what comes after "happily ever after" with Stephen Sondheim's fractured fairy tale musical "Into the Woods," playing weekends from April 7 through 30.

One of Sondheim's best-loved musicals, the show meshes familiar tales - Cinderella, Little Red Riding-Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk - where the characters stray from home wishing for something more. It introduces a couple of new characters - the Baker and his Wife - who are on a quest given them by a mysterious witch. Needless to say, the fairy tale figures all cross paths in the woods.

Niko Stamos, Titusville Playhouse's associate artistic director, explains, "'Into the Woods' is the combination of multiple Brother Grimm’s fairy tales interwoven into a new story."

But don't be fooled into thinking you know how the stories end: They may not turn out the way you expect. In this interpretation, the woods are a place where people make mistakes, witches can be right, giants can be good and choices have consequences.

"Even though the show is based upon fairytales, the messages resonate much deeper," Stamos said. "The thing that hits home are the themes of love, loss, life and death. It truly is an emotional roller coaster that twists and turns like a walk through the woods."

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For the production team at Titusville Playhouse, the biggest challenge has been staging the show with swift location changes while conveying a magical storybook quality.

"Watching the creative team work on this show has been very special." Stamos said. "The set is covered with thousands of pages of books (and actual books) as if the story was unfolding before your eyes. This has required lots of “arts and crafts” that we don’t typically do on a traditional show."

For Stamos, the most rewarding aspects have been the moments that hit the the heart. "I have always found the ending of 'Into the Woods' to be one of my favorite moments in musical theatre," he said. "It finds the light in the darkness and guides us on how to keep moving on."

"The show is all about people coming together and how we need to work with others to reach our goal," Stamos said. "Even if we are not all looking for the same thing in life, we can’t get through life without the people we have around."

Titusville Playhouse's production stars Terrence Girard as the Mysterious Man; Steven J. Heron as the Baker; Katie Gonzalez-Mussler as the Baker's Wife; Jaclyn Leal as the Witch; Emilee Mari Fruscella as Cinderella; Christina Griffith as Cinderella's Stepmother; Myanell Enriquez as Lucinda; Gabriela Astwood as Florinda; Thomas Greene as Jack; Traci McGough as Jack's Mother; Lindsey Strembicki as Little Red Riding Hood; Sasha Faye as Rapunzel; Noah Thomas as Rapunzel's Prince; Gabriel Garcia as the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince; Kingston Moore as the Narrator; Andrew Sparks as the Steward; James “Jimbo” Bordenkircher as Cinderella’s Father/Granny and Lucas Engle as Milky White.

"Watching the show should feel like a heightened version of reality." Stamos said.

"Who doesn’t love classic fairy tales seen in a new way!"

If you go

'Into the Woods'

Where: Titusville Playhouse, 301 Julia Street, Titusville

When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through April 30

Tickets: Start at $25

Info: 321-268-1125

On the web: titusvilleplayhouse.com

Christina LaFortune is the Entertainment and TGIF Editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/christinalafortune or send her an email at clafortune@floridatoday.com.

Whether you're interested in music, theater, festivals or other local entertainment, FLORIDA TODAY has got you covered. Support local journalism by subscribing at Special Offers - USAToday Network.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Fairy tales with a twist: 'Into the Woods' at Titusville Playhouse