Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Into the Woods” offers resonances wherever you may be on life’s journey. I’m almost an empty nester and, even though I didn’t think she’d yet figured out the full arc of what she wants to do with the Witch, Natalie Weiss still slayed me with “Stay With Me,” her Broadway experience showing as she nailed lines like “Who out there could love you more than I? What out there that I cannot supply?” It’s a song, of course, that can also be about a lover threatening to depart, or even the feelings that overwhelm when a loved one about to die. Sondheim has something for all of life’s most difficult transitions."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Most of us have some familiarity with the fairy tales spun into Stephen Sondheim's lyrically and musically mind-blowing musical "Into the Woods." And the characters therein: Little Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Jack, his beanstalk - all in the show (book by James Lapine). "Into the Woods" has long had a convenient synopsis: It's about what happens after happily-ever-after."
Daily Herald - Highly Recommended
"...Rooted in desire and punctuated by desperation, betrayal, loss and heartbreak, the intersecting tales that make up "Into the Woods" are cautionary and coming-of-age stories in which flawed but (mostly) well-intentioned characters make bad choices."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...But in watching the gorgeous revival of Into the Woods now onstage at Paramount Theatre in Aurora, new resonances and nuances I’ve not fully appreciated before came into view. Codirectors Jim Corti and Trent Stork certainly use the large stage and 16-piece orchestra to good effect: Jeffrey D. Kmiec’s scenic design, José Santiago’s lights, Paul Deziel’s projections, and Jordan Ross’s costumes look lush and fantastical (with special kudos to puppet designer Jesse Mooney-Bullock for creating Milky White, Jack’s beloved cow, and an astonishing horse ridden by Cinderella’s Prince). Kory Danielson’s musical direction is crisp, and Kasey Alfonso’s choreography manages to be both intimate and expansive as needed."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...When it was announced that Paramount Theatre would be doing “Into The Woods” this year, and that Jim Corti would be directing the production, I knew that heaven was on its way. I must first explain that this is one of my all time favorite musicals. With an amazing book by James Lapine and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, this is a marvelous fantasy taking all of the tales of the Brothers Grimm to a place that no one else has ever dared to go. I have probably seen the show 20 plus times and yet, watching tonight’s performance almost felt as if this was the first time."
WTTW - Highly Recommended
"...Ideally cast and co-directed by Jim Corti (the Paramount's Artistic Director) and Trent Stork, with a large, expert orchestra led by Music Director/conductor Kory Danielson, the production is almost operatic in scale, as are some of the voices. And of course, Sondheim's character-defining lyrics are pure genius - alternately satirical, sardonic, angry, poetic, loving, laugh-inducing and heartrending."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...“Into the Woods” brims with beautiful performances, gorgeous music and songs filled with sly naughtiness (“Hello, Little Girl”), hilarious hyperbole and juxtapositions (“Moments in the Woods”), lessons to be learned (“I Know Things Now”), and lessons that sometimes need repeating (“Children Will Listen,” “No One is Alone”). This magical production is about the consequences of having wishes fulfilled, learning what it means to grow up, having to accept responsibility and remembering the fragile relationship that exists between parent and child. This production will melt the heart of even the most hardened adult and charm the child out of any cynical grownup. As the Baker’s Wife sings, “That’s what woods are for: for those moments in the woods.” Everyone who’s able to take this Once Upon a Time journey into the woods, will leave the forest so much better for these moments."
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...Just on the heels of a very successful run of The Sound of Music, the three-hour production of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award winning Into the Woods at the lushly appointed art deco Paramount Theatre is here to delight another round of theatregoers. Simply stunning and jam-packed with talent and energy, Paramount gives us another production to rave about. Upon entering the theater, the enormous set by designer Jeffrey D. Kmiec, with romantic and powerful lighting by Jose Santiago, is a spectacle to behold with its beautiful stately trees and fairy tale castle towers which dazzles the eye and ignites the audience's senses."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...Since Stephen Sondheim's passing in late 2021, Into the Woods has cropped up on many a company's seasonal line-up, being his most accessible work. (Apparently, Sweeney Todd might not be the most appropriate for family audiences.) Paramount Theatre in Aurora has a production up now, and Broadway in Chicago will bring in the Rialto's concert staging in spring. We'll probably be going into the woods a lot in the coming years."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...The second you walk into the Paramount Theatre to see its production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, you are transported by Jeffrey D. Kmiec's brilliant set directly into the titular forest. Huge trees, leaf-covered paths, floral bowers, crumbling towers, and a clear sense, further propelled by Jose Santiago's soft lighting and Adam Rosenthal's gentle forest sounds, of being not only outdoors but in some magical place, make for possibly the most spectacular set ever for this simultaneously whimsical and provocative musical. Sondheim and book writer James Lapine, having conceived of this marriage of convenience between the fairy tales of children and the deep concerns and problems of adults, would undoubtedly be happy to witness this production by the area's most successful musical theatre."
Life and Times - Highly Recommended
"...Directors Corti and Stork have not done anything radically unheard of with Into the Woods. They haven't changed the script or the songs; they haven't changed the characters. What they've done is cast extremely talented actors, hired highly skilled musicians, and given them the tools to be brilliant. And that's exactly what you'll get with Paramount Theatre's Into the Woods - brilliance."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...As we walk into the Paramount Theatre, the stage has been transformed into an enchanted forest. Trees stand on almost every inch of the stage disappearing into the ceiling above. Soft lighting cascades down in reds, blues, yellows, and amber making it feel like dusk. Tiny specs of light dance around the trees like fairies. Old and crumbling castle towers bookend the sides of the stage adding an air of mystery. We prepare to embark on a journey in Into The Woods."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...As soon as you arrive at the theatre you are treated to one of the most beautiful forest sets imaginable, which you get to enjoy until the music begins and then for the duration of the show as it moves and changes and shows you different aspects of itself. It's a feast for the eyes and designer Jeffrey D. Kmiec should be very proud as it not only looks fabulous, it does a wonderful job of moving us place to place within the story. Jose Santiago's lighting is equally beautiful as are Jordan Ross's costumes."
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...The new production at Paramount Theatre in Aurora is the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine adult fairytale Into the Woods. All of the tales are interwoven throughout the 3 hour production. The directors, Jim Corti and Trent Stork, have crafted a stunning journey for the audience. The set designed by Jeffrey D. Kmiec of the woods is a treat for the eyes and senses. Jose Santiago's lighting seamlessly moves through the woods. The audience feels as though they are a part of the set. Even though the story is dark, Jordan Ross' costumes brighten the set and the colors just pop. The gowns for the Prince's festival are exquisite. Kory Danielson and the brilliant Paramount Orchestra perform the Sondheim score as originally orchestrated."
NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"..."Into the Woods" is funny and sad, hopeful and bittersweet, and very, very human. It reminds us that we all must pass through the woods at one point or another and aim to emerge, for better or worse."
