Kokandy Productions’ is thrilled to announce two additional weeks of performances for its sell-out revival of Into The Woods. Following a brief holiday hiatus, the critically acclaimed musical will return January 2 – 12, 2025 at The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Kokandy is also pleased to add two new performances to its current run on Wednesday, December 11 and Wednesday, December 18, 2024. All other performances through December 22, 2024 are currently sold out. Tickets for all new performances are now on sale at kokandyproductions.com.
Pictured: (left to right) Evelyn Ryan (piano), Kevin Webb, Sonia Goldberg and Stephanie Stockstill in Kokandy Productions’ revival of Into The Woods. Photo by Evan Hanover.
Uniquely re-orchestrated for two grand pianos, Kokandy’s fresh and immersive revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical classic is directed and choreographed by Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham with music direction by Nick Sula.
The cast includes Kevin Webb and Sonia Goldberg as The Baker and The Baker’s Wife, Stephanie Stockstill as The Witch, Madison Kauffman as Cinderella, Kevin Parra as Jack, Anna Seibert as Little Red and Honey West as the voice of The Giant. Pulling double (or more) duty are August Forman as Narrator/Mysterious Man, Shea Hopkins as Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf, Jonathan Allsop as Rapunzel’s Prince/Steward, Ismael Garcia as Rapunzel/Florinda, Britain Gebhardt as Jack’s Mother/Lucinda and Emily Goldberg as Cinderella’s Stepmother/Mother. The company of players is completed by swings Gabby Koziol, Jackson Mikkelsen, Halli Morgan, Michael Penick, Julie Peterson, Elizabeth Rentfro and Evan B Smith.
Musicians include Ariana Miles (piano) and Evelyn Ryan (piano).
Escape into a fantastical fairytale adventure where wishes come true, but not always for free. A trove of storybook characters’ paths intertwine as they chase their deepest desires through an enchanted forest. However, once they receive their happily ever after, the unintended consequences of granted wishes unravel their worlds.
Weaving a euphoric score including the songs “Giants in the Sky,” “On the Steps of the Palace,” “No One Is Alone” and “Children Will Listen” with a darkly humorous book, Into the Woods is a sophisticated musical twist on beloved childhood fables.
The production team includes G “Max” Maxin IV, (Scenic Design and Lighting Design), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), Matt Reich (Sound Design), Mike Patrick (Sound Consultant), Jakob Abderhalden (Properties Design), Chels Morgan (Intimacy Choreographer), Syd Genco (Makeup Design), Keith Ryan (Wig Design), Ariana Miles and Evelyn Ryan (Orchestrators), Nicholas Reinhart (Production Manager), Shane Roberie (Casting Associate), Lynsy Folckomer and Mackenzie Hahn (Sound Engineers), Ryan Stajmiger (Assistant Director), Kendyl Meyer (Stage Manager), Ethan Colish (Assistant Stage Manager).
PRODUCTION DETAILS:
Title: Into The Woods
Book by James Lapine
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Directed and Choreographed by Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham
Music Direction by Nick Sula
Cast (in alphabetical order): Jonathan Allsop (Rapunzel’s Prince/Steward), August Forman (Narrator/Mysterious Man), Ismael Garcia (Rapunzel/Florinda), Britain Gebhardt (Jack’s Mother/Lucinda), Emily Goldberg (Cinderella’s Stepmother/Mother), Sonia Goldberg (The Baker’s Wife), Shea Hopkins (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf), Madison Kauffman (Cinderella), Kevin Parra (Jack), Anna Seibert (Little Red), Stephanie Stockstill (The Witch), Kevin Webb (The Baker) and Honey West (the voice of The Giant).
Swings: Gabby Koziol, Jackson Mikkelsen, Halli Morgan, Michael Penick, Julie Peterson, Elizabeth Rentfro and Evan B Smith.
Location: The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago
Regular run: Sunday, October 27 – Sunday, December 22, 2024
Extension: Thursday, January 2 – Sunday, January 12, 2025
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 5 pm. Please note: there will be added performances on Wednesday, December 11 and Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at 7 pm. There will be no performances December 26 – 29, 2024.
Tickets: $45 general admission, $55 reserved seating. Students/Seniors $35. There will be a limited number of $15 tickets (with code ARTIST) available to artists for each performance. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com.
About the Artists
Derek Van Barham (Director/Choreographer, he/him) is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions. Directing credits include Children of Eden in Concert (Broadway In Chicago), Spring Awakening (Flint Rep); Sweeney Todd, American Psycho and Head Over Heels (Jeff Awards and Jeff nomination, Kokandy); The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre); Miracle by Dan Savage, Poseidon (Hell in a Handbag). Choreography credits include Evil Dead (Jeff nomination), Coraline the Musical, Ghost Quartet, Shockheaded Peter and Coraline the Musical (Black Button Eyes). He was previously named one of Windy City Times’ 30 Under 30, and one of Newcity Magazine’s 50 Players 2024. MFA: CCPA/Roosevelt University. derekvanbarham.com | IG @dvbarham
Nick Sula (Music Director and Orchestrations, he/him) is an award-winning pianist, arranger and music director. Music Direction credits include the Jeff Award-winning production of Sweeney Todd with Kokandy Productions, for which he earned the Jeff Award for Outstanding Music Direction; Anything Goes with Porchlight Music Theatre [Jeff nomination]; Ghost Quartet [Jeff nomination], Nevermore, Amour, Coraline (Black Button Eyes Productions); Myths & Hymns, The Glorious Ones [Jeff nomination], Pippin (BoHo Theatre); His & His, Boys in Briefs, Broadway at the Broadway (Pride Films and Plays); Merrily We Roll Along, Head Over Heels, The Pajama Game, The Pirates of Penzance (CCPA). Nick can be heard performing with vocalists at theaters and cabaret venues around Chicagoland such as Davenport’s Piano Bar and Skokie Theater. As a professor of musical theatre he serves as a music director, instructor and vocal coach at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.
About Kokandy Productions
Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theatre to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theatre artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theatre community.
The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot T. Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Adrian Abel Azevedo & Leda Hoffman (Artistic Associates). The Board of Directors includes Preston Cropp, Scot T. Kokandy, Danielle Sparklin and Katie Svaicer.
For additional information, visit www.kokandyproductions.com.