Live from New York, it's the rollicking cast of 'Into the Woods' at the Colonial

More than 30 years have passed since Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's "Into the Woods" premiered. Despite a rapidly changing world, the wonder, comedy, themes and music endure. The delightful musical brings together characters from some of the most famous fairy tales like "Little Red Riding Hood," "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Rapunzel" in a narrative that's focused on our need for one another. The excellent cast from the 2022 Broadway performances bring the story to life with panache at the Emerson Colonial Theater (through April 2).

Sondheim’s exuberant music and lyrics (packed with difficult intervals to sing) are rendered beautifully by the whole ensemble. Still, Montego Glover's Witch, Katy Geraghty's Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella's and Rapunzel's princes — Gavin Creel (who also magnificently portrays the cunning Wolf), and Jason Forbach are particularly memorable. Some of that can be attributed to their voices; for example, Glover exercises smart control over her performance, deftly moving through vocal registers or the passaggio with ease; and the audience was in stitches over Creel and Forbach's hilarious yet gorgeous "Agony." Their presence, prowess and comedic timing are top-notch. Cole Thompson's kind-hearted but dim-witted Jack and Alysia Velez's Rapunzel also have lovely voices but fewer opportunities to use them.

True to its origins in New York’s “Encores!” series under Lear deBessonet’s  direction, the visible presence of an orchestra adds a lot to the production. The music they create behind the performers augments the energetic, perfectly paced narrative. Music director and conductor John Bell shapes the essential notes to all of the actor's antics — from bean-counting to the collapse of the cow Milky White.

The reprisal of the show is in honor of Sondheim's memory. Sondheim, a composer, and lyricist born in 1930, is one of our most important musical figures. A prolific artist, Sondheim, whom Oscar Hammerstein mentored, has a lengthy list of seminal works beginning with "West Side Story," for which he wrote the lyrics before taking over both music and lyrics after “WSS” and “Gypsy.”  Sondheim, who died at the end of 2021, had a Kennedy Center Honor, eight Tony awards and a Presidential Medal of Freedom to his credit.

"Into the Woods," narrated by a charismatic David Patrick Kelly, who doubles as a mysterious man in the forest helping the characters find their way, is a tale about a curse (or many) being lifted. The Witch wants her beauty back, the Baker (Sebastian Arcelus) and his wife (Stephanie J. Block) — a dynamic duo — want a child, Velez's Rapunzel wants love and freedom, Cinderella wants to get from under the heel of her stepmother, and Jack wants to save his beloved cow Milky White from slaughter. (Forbach and Ximone Rose take over the Baker and Baker’s Wife roles from March 28 to April 2.)

Will the tale wrap up nicely with everyone living happily ever after? Sondheim and Lapine were looking for more complex themes than that in the second act, like interdependence and facing the world without blinders. Still, that doesn’t detract from the overall joyfulness of "Into the Woods," particularly in this production, a masterful musical journey.

"Into the Woods" runs through April 2 at the Emerson Colonial Theatre.