It is remarkable and gratifying that decades into CGI, at the dawn of AI-infused entertainment and with myriad games and streaming options available on devices many of us carry in our pockets, that people not only attended a live performance the other day in Alameda but lined up early to get good seats. The draw was neither Taylor Swift nor the latest boy band, but Into the Woods—the most recent production from Tomorrow Youth Repertory (TYR). And not only were the actors actually acting and singing on stage, but they did so working with a live ensemble of musicians playing instruments largely unplugged. Stephen Sondheim would have no doubt shaken his head and grinned were he still with us.
The phenomenal creative engine that is TYR, led by executive director Tyler Null, has followed in the footsteps of Kids Take the Stage (KTTS) and Alameda Children’s Music Theater (ACMT) in providing actor training and performance opportunities for thousands of children on and off the island. Kids who began with ACMT, KTTS, and now TYR, have gone on to do shows at the local high schools, study acting in college, and in some cases, perform professionally. Not much of that was the urgent interest of the hundreds who filled the seats at the Academy of Alameda (AOA) this past Saturday. Why? Because as Shakespeare said, “The play’s the thing,” and these folks had come to see the Toad cast strut the stage (the Frog cast performed on opening night, and alternates with the kids I saw).
Into the Woods is the familiar fairytale world turned upside down, inside out, laid bare upon the stage and sung in that distinctive Sondheim style that is soothing and jarring. Jack, Cinderella, Rapunzel and the crew are all there doing their thing in kind of an All-Star game format (more on that below), but in a tone a little less innocent. The stories are classic and clever—cow for beans, long haired maiden stuck in the tower, prince shoe shopping—but as the director notes in his notes, they’re also about “generational trauma.” Sondheim takes what had been one dimensional characters and circumstances and transforms them into people you’d see in a serious young adult novel. This is especially true in the second act, where the death of innocent characters, marital infidelity, and single parenthood are explored. The highly regarded and devoutly adored musical may not be the best bedtime fare for younger audiences.
Perhaps being performed in the gym aided in this connection, but children’s theater is a lot like youth hoops. The participants are on a legitimate court, authentically uniformed, but they are young people developing their skills. Some can deftly dribble and shoot, others are not there yet, but we who love the game celebrate how close they get to running the plays and making the baskets. Woods is an ensemble show and these performers were often astonishing. Cinderella, played by Aya Rokeach, was the Steph Curry of the team, while Ellia Blank as Little Red wore Klay Thompson’s shoes. Their voices and movement and interactions were poised and impressive. The witch, performed by Kasia Kim, was menacing like Draymond Green can be at times, but being our witch, like Dray she got a lot of love. Rounding out the starting five would be the two princes: Alex Hayden and Luke Walker. These guys nailed the last-second buzzer beater when they belted out Agony, maybe the show’s best song. To complete the metaphor, strong off the bench were the Baker and his Wife, played by Matthew Dean and Grace Pabalan. They got serious skillz.
It is worth noting and praising the sound quality that, along with the amazing musicians, raised the level of this play far above what we’re used to experiencing with amateur productions. Strong applause to Tyler Null the coach, his staff, the TYR organization, and the loyal fans and followers (including TYR alums). They all brought their A game.
Into the Woods can and should be seen this coming weekend with performances on July 21-23 at the Academy of Alameda. Please visit their website for more information on tickets and times.
Gene Kahane is the founder of the Foodbank Players, a lifelong teacher, and former Poet Laureate for the City of Alameda. Reach him at [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Gene-Kahane.
