MKA's Upper School Musical "Into the Woods" Captivates Audiences!

Congratulations to the remarkable Upper School thespians who gave outstanding performances in this year's winter musical Into The Woods. Over twenty percent of the Upper School student body made up the actors and stage crew members, and were all a part of putting together a magnificent show which delighted sold-out audiences each night under the direction of the superbly talented Upper School Fine and Performing Arts Department Chair, Nicole Hoppe (even with the weather - related cancellation of the first performance on Friday evening). Nicole, who marked her 10th year and show at MKA says,"This was a risky choice for us, which I knew from the start. But what I also knew was the passion, dedication and talent - of all the students and the production staff. The risk paid off and we rose to the challenge. It would be impossible to choose a favorite moment from the show because it was filled with amazing little moments and details that mattered. As I told the students, the love we pour into this show over four months - that is what comes across and that becomes an amazing feel to everyone in the theatre. This was pure joy and I truly couldn't have asked for anything more.".

The musical is MKA's largest production, and this year was the most challenging show to date due to the intricacies of the musical numbers. Every actor rose to the occasion, stunning audiences with their Broadway-type performances, due to the tireless work, and teachings from Winter Music Director Maria Gilmartin.

Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm and Charles Perraultfairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. The main characters are taken from "Little Red Riding Hood", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Rapunzel", and "Cinderella", as well as several others. The musical is tied together by a story involving a childless baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family, their interaction with a witch who has placed a curse on them, and their interaction with other storybook characters during their journey.

Click here for pictures from the show.