Before the Performance

Hamilton students showed their artistic talent and enthusiastic acting on stage in Into the Woods last week. in the days leading up to the performance, all the staff and students worked vigorously to make sure everything was set up perfectly for when they performed to an audience. Musical theater can be slightly more complicated than theater because you have to worry about singing, dancing, and lots of choreography with props. They have to perfect timing with their dancing, singing along with the orchestra playing, and timing when to say their lines. With that in mind, I was able to see their rehearsals and the effect of their hard work. During rehearsals, they were acting with their whole heart and emotions, keeping it very real even though it was just a rehearsal.  

During the Performance

At the beginning of the play, Cinderella appears on the floor, cleaning it. While singing and cleaning she was rudely interrupted by her evil sisters. They went to go look for dresses for a festival, leaving Cinderella behind. I found this scene very heartbreaking. Moving on with the play. There was a scene where Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, The Bakers, and a kid with his cow, all of them going Into the Woods. Little Red Riding Hood went into the woods to give her grandma some bread, but along the way she got hungry and ate all of it, leaving her grandma with nothing to eat. She ended up crossing paths with the Big Bad Wolf. The wolf had gotten to the grandma’s house before Little Red and ate the grandma. This was my favorite scene because the wolf had eaten people and the baker cut open the wolf, saving the granny. As a reward for saving them, Little Red gave the baker her red coat. Due to getting all the items, each character got a happy ending…for now.

During the performance, all of the cast was beaming with energy. Even the orchestra was really drawing me in as a viewer. You can tell the performers had to train their voices, bodies, and minds. As musical actors, you have to train your vocal cords to hit high notes, your body to get used to the choreography, and your mind to remember your lines. During their performance, all the actors and actresses seemed well prepared and confident with their acting on stage. Students sitting nearby commented that they brought the characters to life and that no one character was lacking in their performance. The actors really embodied the emotions, motivations, and qualities of their characters, making the performance even more captivating and entertaining. 

Lastly, here are some reviews and encouraging words on the play

Overall, nobody seemed to have any negative views on the performance.

“I feel it was well played out, the people who played each role were great picks, and it was easy to follow. I just wish it was a little bit longer but it made me feel like I was watching the movie all over again,” Zephaniah Smith, a sophomore in BIT, commented.

BIT sophomore Jose Vasquez also shared this opinion, claiming it was, “Very thrilling and action-packed. The actors were definitely passionate about their roles, and the sound was great.”

Angel Hernandez contributed the story synopsis.