Western Washington University's Department of Theatre and Dance is wrapping up its academic year with a production of Stephen Sondheim's beloved musical "Into the Woods," inviting Bellingham audiences to experience one of the most celebrated works in American musical theatre performed by WWU student artists. The production runs this month on the Bellingham campus.
"Into the Woods" is a complex, layered musical that weaves together familiar fairy tale characters including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel into a single interconnected narrative about wishes, consequences, and what happens after the happy ending. Sondheim's score is widely regarded as one of the most sophisticated in the Broadway canon, and the show is known for its demands on both vocalists and the ensemble as a whole.
For Bellingham residents, a WWU Theatre and Dance production at the end of the spring quarter is typically one of the strongest performance opportunities of the year. The department draws students from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond, and by spring, the ensemble has been together for a full academic year of intensive work. Productions at this stage of the year tend to reflect that preparation.
The WWU Department of Theatre and Dance operates out of the Performing Arts Center on the Western Washington University campus, located in the Sehome neighborhood of Bellingham. Tickets and showtimes are available through the WWU Box Office and the department's events page. For specific dates, times, and ticket pricing, check the WWU events calendar for the most current performance schedule.
Western Washington University is one of Bellingham's largest institutions and a consistent contributor to the city's cultural life. The theatre and dance department produces several shows each academic year, ranging from straight plays to dance concerts to musicals, and its work draws audiences from across Whatcom County and from Skagit County to the south. End-of-year productions like this one are typically well-attended, so getting tickets ahead of time is advisable.
For those who haven't seen "Into the Woods" before, the show runs approximately two and a half hours with an intermission, and it is appropriate for audiences of most ages, though some themes are more complex than a typical fairy tale. It is especially rewarding for anyone who grew up with the source material, as Sondheim's treatment of familiar stories is simultaneously faithful and unexpectedly dark.
Bellingham's arts calendar is particularly active in June, and a WWU production is a reliable anchor for anyone looking to spend an evening at live performance. For other things happening around the city this month, the World Cup fan zone calendar has details on outdoor events running through the summer. Ticket information for "Into the Woods" is available at wwu.edu.
