Welcome to Kettering Fairmont High School’s production of Into the Woods, the timeless musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. Our students, staff, and volunteers have poured thousands of hours into this show to give you a truly magical evening. Thank you for being here!
I’ve always loved musicals that are both musically and emotionally complex—shows that reward every viewing and every listen, that make us think and feel at the same time. Into the Woods does exactly that. By cleverly weaving together familiar fairy tales, it teaches us valuable lessons through several powerful themes:
• Be Careful What You Wish For: Wishes often come with unexpected and high-stakes consequences.
• Actions Have Consequences: Every choice, good or bad, creates a ripple effect that touches everyone around us (as the song “It’s Your Fault” so clearly shows).
• “Children Will Listen”: Adults carry a great responsibility because children absorb and learn from everything we say and do.
• “No One Is Alone”: Though we each face our own struggles, we are part of a larger community and must share responsibility and offer support to one another.
• The Complexity of Morality: The show reminds us that “witches can be right, giants can be good,” challenging both characters and audience to move beyond simple fairy-tale ideas of right and wrong.
• The Necessity of “The Woods”: Venturing into the woods serves as a powerful metaphor for facing life’s challenges, dangers, and temptations in order to grow and mature.
My own journey with Into the Woods began in 2001 when I played Cinderella’s Prince at Sinclair Community College. The show has lived in my soul ever since. I first directed it here at KFHS in 2005. Just before tech week during Spring Break that year, I proposed to my wife Marty. Now, twenty-one years later, we have two teenagers of our own. This time around, the parenting themes have hit me like a freight train!
During rehearsals, this remarkable cast has brought me to both uproarious laughter and cascading tears as they breathed life into these characters. I am deeply grateful to our entire team—cast, orchestra, crew, staff, and parent volunteers—for turning these “moments in the woods” into reality.
I hope you will be profoundly moved by the work of these talented students. Actually… not hope. I wish!
- Brody McDonald
