Into the woods programme

B RO S M U S I C A L P RO D U C T I O N S

into the

woods STEPHEN SONDHEIM

by J A M E S L A P I N E

M u s i c & Ly r i c s by Book

An am at eu r p ro du ct io n by arr an ge m e nt with Jose f We in ber ge r L t d.

W E D S 8 - S AT 1 1 N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 7 7 . 3 0P M , 2 . 3 0P M S AT M AT REGIS CENTRE, BOGNOR REGIS B ox O f fi c e 0 1 2 4 3 86 1 01 0 w w w. re g i s ce nt re . c o. u k w w w. b ro s mus i c al pro d u c ti o n s. co. uk

Going into the woods with Sondheim and Lapine...

Music & Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: James Lapine One of the most frequent images in folk literature is that of a character traveling through a dark forest.

Noted child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim explains the symbolism of the woods in these fairy tales as "the place in which inner darkness is confronted and ... where uncertainty is resolved about who one is ... or who one wants to be." In Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine lead a conglomeration of new and old storybook characters on just such a journey of growth and self-discovery.

The initial concept for the show was for Lapine to devise an entirely original story, but as he worked on it, he decided that there were already so many existing fairy tales that his seemed arbitrary.

Instead, he hit upon the notion of uniting numerous characters from familiar literature: Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood, Jack (of Beanstalk fame) and Rapunzel.

Various moments in the show seem straight from some Disney movie, but unlike those cartoons which invariably sanitized many of the violent and brutal aspects of the classic fairy tales, Lapine and Sondheim reacquaint us with some of the crueler elements of these stories. The more gruesome moments in the show--like the blinding of Rapunzel's prince and Cinderella's stepsisters--are taken straight from the source material.

Stephem Sondheim and James Lapine

Into the Woods opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on November 5, 1987 and ran for 764 performances.

The original cast included Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien and Tom Aldredge.

It remains one of Sondheim’s most performed musicals, having had a recent revival at the Menier Chocolate Factory and a big screen adaptation in 2013 starring Meryl Streep, James Corden and Anna Kendrick,

Original Broadway production 1987

Act I "Act One Prologue" Narrator, and Company "Cinderella at the Grave" Cinderella, Cinderella's Mother "Hello, Little Girl" Wolf and Little Red Ridinghood "The Spell is On My House" Baker and Baker's Wife "I Guess This is Goodbye" Jack "Maybe They're Magic" Baker and Baker's Wife "Our Little World" Witch and Rapunzel "Maybe They're Magic" (Reprise) Baker "I Know Things Now" Little Red Ridinghood "A Very Nice Prince" Cinderella and Baker's Wife "First Midnight" Company "Giants in the Sky�

Jack "Agony" Cinderella's Prince and Rapunzel's Prince "A Very Nice Prince" (Reprise) Cinderella and Baker's Wife "It Takes Two" Baker and Baker's Wife "Second Midnight" Witch, Cinderella's Prince, Rapunzel's Prince, Stepmother, Florinda, Lucinda "Stay with Me" Rapunzel and Witch "On the Steps of the Palace" Cinderella (with Jack and Little Red) "Act One Finale" Narrator and Company

Act II "Act Two Prologue" Narrator and Company "Agony" (Reprise) Cinderella's Prince and Rapunzel's Prince "Witch's Lament" Witch "Any Moment" Cinderella's Prince and Baker's Wife "Any Moment" (Reprise) Cinderella's Prince and Baker's Wife "Moments in the Woods" Baker's Wife "Your Fault" Jack, Baker, Cinderella, Little Red and Witch "Last Midnight" Witch "No More" Baker and Mysterious Man "No One is Alone (Part 1)" Cinderella and Little Red Ridinghood "No One is Alone (Part 2)" Cinderella, Baker, Little Red and Jack "Act Two Finale" Company

Production Team Director Kate Bennett Musical Director Dan Lacey Production Manager Al Amaladoss Production Assistant Ollie Turner Stage Manager Harry Boulter Deputy Stage Manager Lucy Burt Assistant Stage Manager Lynsey Webb Front of House Elaine?

Publicity Caroline Bennett Publicity Photography Lucy Burt Costumes BROS Wardrobe Wardrobe Mistress Wendy Jacklin Set Design Set Construction

Bruce Stewart

Sound Design Rhino Audio Visual Lighting Design Matt Pike

Into the Woods Band Musical Director & Keys Orchestral Assistant

Dan Lacey

The Narrator Mark Roberts

Into the Woods is Mark’s 7th show with BROS and 5th musical. He returned to the company in July to play Owen in The Vicar of Dibley after a two year absence.

In the interim he has been seen on stage in Worthing and Littlehampton but is happy to be back in the fold. He says he enjoys the role of Narrator as it allows him to be both in the show and an audience member at the same time.

What’s not to like?

Cinderella Abigail-Esther Knight

Abigail graduated from D&B Academy of Performing Arts in 2012, where she studied for and obtained her Musical Theatre Diploma. Since graduating she has obtained her DDI and DDE in ballet, tap and modern theatre with the ISTD and is currently teaching for Arabesque School of Performing Arts in Chichester where she started her training as a child. Abigail has performed with BROS Musical Productions since the age of fourteen playing several roles; ‘Mayzie’ in Seussical, ‘Rizzo’ in Grease and ‘Mabel’ in The Pirates of Penzance, to name a few. She is very excited to play the part of ‘Cinderella’ this year and take her journey “Into The Woods”.

Jack Harry Collins

Adam trained at the London College of Music where he gained an upper second class degree in Musical Theatre. Adam has had some incredible opportunities to play challenging roles such as Mr. Erlanson in A Little Night Music, Tony in West Side Story and has worked

with successful composers such as Alexander Bermange. Adam is thrilled to be a part of this incredible cast and wishes everyone a good time watching the production.

The Baker Tony Bright

Tony trained in Performing Arts at Nene University Northampton. He has played a number roles including Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, Charlie Brown in Snoopy, Jim Fenner in Bad Girls, Anatoly in Chess, The Beast in Beauty and the Beast, Mickey in Blood Brothers and Dave in The Full Monty. Tony is a local high school teach and is also extremely proud to run ARTY - a drama school for children at the Regis Centre. Tony is looking forward to channeling his inner Paul Hollywood for this role.

Baker’s Wife Caroline Bennett

Caroline is excited to be part of this production as she is a real fan of Sondheim. Recent roles include Mary in Merrily We Rolly Along, Florence in Chess (Arundel Players), Mrs Anna in The King and I, Gertrude in Seussical (BROS) and Side by Side by Sondheim (Riverside Theatre, Chichester). Caroline also runs her own theatre school - The Academy of Musical Theatre in Portsmouth and is proud mum to sparky little Daisy.

Stepmother Tracy Clayton

Playing Cinderella’s stepmother in a junior school pantomime is how Tracy got into performing so it’s a delight to return to the character decades later for Into the Woods! Favourite roles

include Maggie Jones in 42nd Street, Lowbutt in Honk!, Helene in Sweet Charity, Ziegfeld’s Favorite in The Will Rogers Follies and Diana Mitford in The Mitford Girls. Tracy is already looking forward to ‘Sister Act’ and getting ‘back in the habit’ next Spring!

Florinda Claire Hunt

Claire is delighted to be playing the part of Cinderella’s evil stepsister and this is Claire’s first principle part with BROS. She has been dancing since the age of 4 and attended the Nina Asling School of Dance. She also studied musical theatre and acting at Chichester College.

Previous shows she has been in since joining BROS include; Beauty and the Beast, Grease, 42nd Street and Hairspray.

She has loved performing this week with the BROS family and hopes you enjoy the show!

Lucinda Josie Simmons

Josie joined BROS back in 2012 as part of the company of Chess. She has enjoyed performing in many shows with us including 42nd Street, Mack and Mabel and Hairspray. She also played ‘Yertle the Turtle’ in our production of Seussical. Josie is a member of the committee and looks forward to many more great shows with the company.

Jack’s Mother Liz Lawrence

Liz has played many varied and challenging roles with BROS and Arundel Players over the years, some of them also by Sondheim. These roles include Mrs Lovett Sweeney Todd,

Desiree A Little Night Music and Amy Company. This time a lovely experience working with characters from stories she used to read to her two daughters.

It certainly is an enjoyable challenge.

Milky White Julie Waite

Adam Hoskins is a young British conductor, making his US debut in 2012 and has toured internationally.

Adam has worked closely with a range of orchestrators and Music Directors, including EGOT winner Jonathan Tunick, Jason Carr, Julian Kelly, and Nicholas Skilbeck, assisting on both Gypsy and Sweeney Todd at the CFT. He also served as an Associate on the UK Tour of The King and I. This summer he conducted a new cast album with Anna Jane Casey and is thrilled to join BROS for the first time. He is currently orchestrating Notre Dame, a new musical by Ed Court.

Little Red Riding Hood Lily Armstrong Lily Armstrong is 18 and has been performing since she was very young.

She attended the Italia Conti Associates School in Hove at the age of 6 and from thereonin her passion for singing and acting grew. She has won various awards and is currently working towards a degree in Musical Theatre.

She is delighted to be playing one of her favourite ever roles, Little Red, in what is her favourite Sondheim Musical, as well as the first in which she has performed. She would like to dedicate this performance to her mum, who has always allowed her to follow her path.

The Witch Caroline Lowe

Caroline is very excited to be playing the role of The Witch in this fabulous production. She was last seen with BROS in the role of Lady Thiang in The King and I. She started performing at the age of 5 and went on to train at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom. Caroline’s favourite roles to date have been Reno in Anything Goes, Polly in Crazy for You, Anna in The King and I, Peggy in 42nd Street, Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music and Millie in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She is a Speech & Drama teacher at Box Hill School and an examiner for LAMDA.

Cinderella’s Mother Gemma Payne Gemma is 23 and has recently moved back to Bognor after completing two seasons as a Bluecoat Entertainer and Show Team singer/dancer at Pontins Camber Sands. Gemma was a full time student at Arabesque School of Performing Arts where her passion for musical theatre grew. She continued her training at Southern Theatre Arts Centre where she graduated with a degree in musical theatre back in 2014. Gemma is thrilled to be back performing with BROS again and hopes you enjoy the show!

Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf Oliver Martin Oliver has just received his Bachelors degree from the University of Chichester where he studied Music and Musical Theatre and hopes to soon

enrole on a Masters course at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He has previously performed in such other Sondheim shows as A Little Night Music, Side by Side by Sondheim and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and, having met him only briefly, would one day love to work with Stephen Sondheim personally.

Mysterious Man David Bennett

Caroline is very excited to be playing the role of The Witch in this fabulous production. She was last seen with BROS in the role of Lady Thiang in The King and I. She started performing at the age of 5 and went on to train at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom. Caroline’s favourite roles to date have been Reno in Anything Goes, Polly in Crazy for You, Anna in The King and I, Peggy in 42nd Street, Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music and Millie in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She is a Speech & Drama teacher at Box Hill School and an examiner for LAMDA.

Rapunzel Amy Shurey

Adam Hoskins is a young British conductor, making his US debut in 2012 and has toured internationally.

Adam has worked closely with a range of orchestrators and Music Directors, including EGOT winner Jonathan Tunick, Jason Carr, Julian Kelly, and Nicholas Skilbeck, assisting on both Gypsy and Sweeney Todd at the CFT. He also served as an Associate on the UK Tour of The King and I. This summer he conducted a new cast album with Anna Jane Casey

and is thrilled to join BROS for the Steward Ryan Richardson first time. He is currently orchestrating This is Ryan’s 5th show with BROS. He Notre Dame, a new musical by Ed Court. graduated with a Joint Honours in Music and Musical Theatre at The University of Chichester in 2015. During his time Rapunzel’s Prince there he took part in several shows Adam Hoskins Adam Hoskins is a young British including another Stephen Sondheim conductor, making his US debut in hit Sweeney Todd in which he played 2012 and has toured internationally. The Beadle. He hopes that none of the Adam has worked closely with a range audience get lost when they go ‘Into the of orchestrators and Music Directors, Woods’...would recommend a TomTom. including EGOT winner Jonathan Tunick, Jason Carr, Julian Kelly, and Nicholas Skilbeck, assisting on both Gypsy and Sweeney Todd at the CFT. He also served as an Associate on the UK Tour of The King and I. This summer he conducted a new cast album with Anna Jane Casey and is thrilled to join BROS for the first time. He is currently orchestrating Notre Dame, a new musical by Ed Court.

Granny/The Giant Bob Woodman Adam Hoskins is a young British conductor, making his US debut in 2012 and has toured internationally.

Adam has worked closely with a range of orchestrators and Music Directors, including EGOT winner Jonathan Tunick, Jason Carr, Julian Kelly, and Nicholas Skilbeck, assisting on both Gypsy and Sweeney Todd at the CFT. He also served as an Associate on the UK Tour of The King and I. This summer he conducted a new cast album with Anna Jane Casey and is thrilled to join BROS for the first time. He is currently orchestrating Notre Dame, a new musical by Ed Court.

Snow White Katie Goodrick

Adam Hoskins is a young British conductor, making his US debut in 2012 and has toured internationally.

Adam has worked closely with a range of orchestrators and Music Directors, including EGOT winner Jonathan Tunick, Jason Carr, Julian Kelly, and Nicholas Skilbeck, assisting on both Gypsy and Sweeney Todd at the CFT. He also served as an Associate on the UK Tour of The King and I. This summer he conducted a new cast album with Anna Jane Casey and is thrilled to join BROS for the first time. He is currently orchestrating Notre Dame, a new musical by Ed Court.

Music & Lyrics Stephen Sondheim American composer Stephen Sondheim was born on March 22, 1930, in New York City. After early practice at songwriting, his knowledge of musical theater was influenced by master lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, who served as a mentor. Sondheim’s contributions to West Side Story and Gypsy in the 1950s brought him recognition as a

rising star of Broadway. Known for the startling complexity of his lyricism and music, his major works for the theater also include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park With George and Into the Woods.

Book James Lapine Renowned as the co-creator of one of the most innovative musicals on the Broadway stage, James Lapine was born on January 10, 1949, in Mansfield, Ohio. He moved on to Pennsylvania and California for schooling, and eventually landed in New York, where he worked as a freelancer, including as a designer for the Yale School of Drama magazine.

This led to Lapine’s first directing gig, which launched a string of New York theater successes and awards, including a collaboration with Stephen Sondheim and a Pulitzer Prize for Sunday in the Park with George. Lapine is also a respected filmmaker.

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BROS COMMITTEE

Vice President - David Bennett Chairman - Kate Bennett Treasurer - Ian Booker Secretary - Caroline Bennett Production Manager - Al Amaladoss Committee Members - Josie Simmons, Wendy Jacklin, Caroline Waeland, Bruce Stewart The National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA), founded in 1899, is the leading representative body for amateur theatre in the UK. The Association has a membership of approximately 2400 amateur theatre groups and over 2000 individual members staging musicals, operas, plays, concerts and pantomimes in a wide variety of venues ranging from the country’s leading professional theatres to village halls. Covering a broad spectrum of age ranges NODA member societies meet the needs of all levels of both performers, whether dramatic, dance or musical, and those involved backstage, front of house or in society administration.

ABOUT US

BROS Musical Productions is an amateur theatre company based primarily at the Regis Centre, Bognor Regis, West Sussex. The Society was formed in 1925 and originally BROS presented a combination of musicals and plays, but, after a break for the war, started producing musicals only. From the 60s a wider variety of musicals were presented and the 80s and 90s saw the addition of compilation shows.

BROS have always tried to present a varied selection of musicals from well-known standards to the lesser known. BROS are affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) and in recent years have received the NODA Accolade Of Excellence award eight times - Come On And Hear (a tribute to Irving Berlin), Chicago, The Will Rogers Follies, The Mitford Girls, Return To The Forbidden Planet, Sweeney Todd, Beauty and the Beast and most recently The Sound of Musicals.

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS

David Bennett, Kate Bennett, June Bryant, Gillian Butcher, Ann Crouch, Pauline Edwards, Elaine Green, Sandy Knight, Rex Latter, Anne Marney, Maureen Stewart and Georgie Sangster.

THANKS TO OUR PATRONS

Ron Gibson, Marion Hall, Phil and Vanessa Johnson, Miss E Linton (Life Patron), Claire Murphy, Carole Tuffin, Roger and Janet Turner, Robbie Vine, Anthony Wade, Pam Wright (Life Patron).

RECENT PRODUCTIONS 2000 Godspell 2000 And The World Goes ‘Round 2001 Return to the Forbidden Planet 2001 Oliver!

2002 Sweeney Todd 2002 The Wizard of Oz 2003 Me and My Girl 2003 Annie 2004 Follies 2005 The Scarlet Pimpernel 2005 Jekyll & Hyde 2006 Godspell 2006 Thoroughly Modern Millie 2007 Hot Mikado 2007 Sweet Charity 2008 The Pirates of Penzance 2008 Oklahoma!

2009 Honk!

2009 Crazy for You 2010 Annie Get Your Gun 2010 The Will Rogers Follies 2011 The Sound of Musicals 2011 The Full Monty 2012 Beauty and the Beast 2012 Chess 2013 Mack & Mabel 2013 Grease 2014 42nd Street 2014 Our House 2015 Evita 2015 Fawlty Towers 2015 The Sound of Musicals: 90 Years 2016 Hairspray 2016 Seussical 2017 The King and I 2017 The Vicar of Dibley 2017 Into the Woods

M u s i c by A LA N M E NKE N Ly ri c s by G LE NN S LATE R Bo o k by C H E RI STE INKE LLNE R & B ILL S TE INKE LLNER A dd i t i o n a l B ook M a t e r i al D O UG LA S C A RTE R B E A NE An amateur production presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe)

TU E S 22 - SAT 26 M AY 201 8 7.30PM , 2.30PM SAT MAT R EGI S CEN TRE , BO G NO R RE G IS B ox O ffice 01243 861010 www.regisce ntre .co.uk www.bro s musicalproductions.co.uk