CheekyChicago

In the darker, second act of Into The Woods, there’s a number called “Your Fault”, in which the surviving characters of a Giant’s rampage bicker over who’s to blame for their predicament. Luckily, no lobbyists or elected officials exist in fairy tales, and the characters actually learn to set aside their old wishes and grudges for the greater good.

At a time when just about every aspect of our society seems lost in the proverbial woods, it feels appropriate to revive Sondheim and Lapine’s re-imagination of the Brothers Grimm classics, where traditional characters’ fates are intertwined in a sort of fairy-tale global economy. That said, it’s also high time for good comedy and cheap entertainment.

Good news: Chicago’s Quest Theater has delivered a dynamic, imaginative and polished production of Into the Woods for . . . wait for it . . . absolutely no charge. Not one magic bean. It sure doesn’t look nor sound free, even considering the notoriously challenging Sondheim score. As the Witch, Courtney Freed stops the show with her timing skills in “Greens, Greens” and Jennifer T. Grubb’s Cinderella boasts an effortless soprano. And yes, that’s a live band pumping through the speakers.

Director Andrew Park has staged a parade of loveable characters mixed with eye-candy design. We have to care about the Baker and his Wife for this play to work, and the rock-solid Elliot Cunningham and Sarah Kinsey keep us invested. Mary Candler belts out a spunky Little Red Riding Hood and Nathaniel Niemi is adorably nerdy as the earnest Jack. Julie Taylor’s sets and Steven Besic’s lights transition seamlessly to mine the cozy church space for the show’s multiple looks and feels. And in Joanna Melville’s costumes, the ladies of the Cinderella household resemble a delicious explosion at the Betsey Johnson factory.

No retelling of the Grimm tales is complete without some spot-on Disney parody, and for that we have to thank Matt Bugay and BJ Engelhardt as the over-the-top Princes and the outstanding Christin P. Boulette as Rapunzel on the wrong meds.

Perhaps the poster child for the whole shebang is a cow named Milky White. Brought to life by shrouded actor David Isaac Leef’s precise physical comedy, Milky White is just one of many awww-inspiring creations by puppet designer, Megan Hovany.

At well over two hours, the show could present an attention span challenge for youngsters who would otherwise adore the characters and laughs. But don’t let the kids miss out. If necessary, I’d suggest that small children could be perfectly content with Act I only (in fact, the official school version of Into The Woods eliminates the more adult Act II altogether). But, of course, we recommend staying through the whole journey – and leaving as hefty a donation as you can on your way out the door.

Now thru March 29th.