Press Release: Into the Woods

SOUTH COAST REPERTORY OPENS 63RD SEASON WITH 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF SONDHEIM AND LAPINE’S

INTO THE WOODS

Tony Award-Winning Musical Runs Sept. 12-Oct. 18

COSTA MESA, Calif. (Aug. 24, 2026)—South Coast Repertory (Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Director Suzanne Appel) opens its 63rd season with a new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods, running Sept. 12 through Oct. 18 on the Segerstrom Stage. Directed by Peter Rothstein, with musical direction by Wiley DeWeese, the popular Tony Award-winning musical—part of SCR's American Icons series honoring artists who reshaped American culture—marks its 40th anniversary this year.

This is SCR’s first production of Into the Woods and its eighth by Sondheim. The run, originally scheduled through Oct. 10, has been extended through Oct. 18.

“Into the Woods is an astonishing musical—theatrical, magical, haunting and transportive,” said Ivers. “Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine weave together complex tales we think we know and dare to ask ‘what comes after happily ever after?’ Featuring a glorious multi-layered score, it’s a feast for the senses and a loving reminder of why Sondheim occupies a singular place at the top of our American composers.”

The Musical

When the Baker and his wife venture into the forest to break a witch’s curse, they encounter Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack (of beanstalk fame)—and familiar tales take on clever new lives. But be careful what you wish for, because “happily ever after” is never the whole story. This poignant musical comedy masterpiece celebrates its 40th anniversary with a fabulous new SCR production featuring 12 actors instead of the customary 18 or more. Ivers described Into the Woods as “an absolute masterpiece.”

Sondheim’s witty, enchanting score and Lapine’s imaginative, dark book combine to make Into the Woods one of American theatre’s most beloved musicals. A two-time Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Theatre Album, Into the Woods features memorable songs such as “No One is Alone,” “Agony,” “Children Will Listen,” “Last Midnight” and “Giants in the Sky.”

Into the Woods premiered in December 1986 at The Old Globe in San Diego, before opening on Broadway the following November. Lapine, who wrote the book, directed the original Broadway production that captured three Tony Awards from its 10 nominations, winning for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, with Joanna Gleason receiving Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. The play’s 2002 Broadway revival would receive two more Tonys: for Best Revival of a Musical and for Best Lighting Design. Laura Benanti, who will appear on SCR’s stage later this season in her one-woman comedy show with music, Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in the same revival.

In his review of the original Broadway production, Allan Wallach of Newsday wrote, “Into the Woods blends imagination and playfulness in its own very special proportions. By the end, the musical arrives at a clearing in the woods illuminated by autumnal shafts of wisdom, but not before it has followed a path strewn with wit and the beguiling songs we’ve come to expect from Sondheim.”

Appel adds, “Our fairy tale heroes of Into the Woods begin the story each on a quest for their own happiness. But as our incredible director Peter Rothstein pointed out at first rehearsal, the great Steven Sondheim once said, ‘A folktale without a moral is merely a whimsy.’ Among Sondheim and Lapine’s morals is ‘the notion of community responsibility.’ At South Coast Repertory, we ask Orange County to choose to include South Coast Repertory in your community as we kick off our largest season since the COVID pandemic with this glorious musical.”

Sondheim and Lapine

Considered one of the most brilliant and creative playwrights and lyricists in American history, Sondheim (1930-2021) is credited with reinventing the American musical. After getting his start writing the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy, Sondheim segued into writing both music and lyrics. His extensive list of Broadway credits, such as A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Follies, Merrily We Roll Along, Assassins and Sunday in the Park with George, are known for taking on themes that go far beyond the traditional musical genre. They are also known their musical complexity and sophistication.

New York Times Music Critic Anthony Tommasini wrote that Sondheim’s work “while hewing to a tonal musical language, activated harmonies and folded elements of jazz and impressionist styles in his own distinctive, exhilarating voice.”

That style earned him numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Sunday in the Park with George. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Sooner or Later” from the 1990 film Dick Tracy, eight Tony Awards and eight Grammy Awards. Many of his works were adapted for film, including West Side Story (both the 1961 and 2021 versions), Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Into the Woods.

Sondheim’s impact on theatre was so deep and profound that upon his 2021 death, theatres around the West End of London dimmed their lights for two minutes in tribute. Nine days later, Broadway theatres paid the same tribute for one minute.

A frequent collaborator with Sondheim, Lapine is a noted director, playwright, screenwriter and librettist. He wrote the books for and directed Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods and Passion, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Sunday in the Park with George.

Beyond his collaboration with Sondheim, Lapine has directed a wide range of Broadway plays and musicals, employing a storytelling style that blends humor and emotional depth. He co-wrote and directed Falsettos with composer William Flinn, earning Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical.

Lapine’s talents stretch into playwriting. He has written several plays, including Luck, Pluck and Virtue, starring Neil Patrick Harris, The Moment When, featuring Mark Ruffalo and Phyllis Newman, and Fran’s Bed, starring Mia Farrow.

Director Peter Rothstein

One of the most influential voices shaping American musical theatre today, Rothstein is a director, writer and producer recognized for pushing the boundaries of musical theatre. As the co-founder of Theater Latté Da in Minneapolis, Rothstein directed 92 mainstage productions, including 14 world premieres. At Latté Da, Rothstein built a reputation as a brilliant director of Sondheim’s works.

He is the creator of All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, a work he conceived as a radio-docudrama that has since been performed and broadcast internationally, winning the 2019 New York Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. His directing work spans a wide range of institutions beyond Latté Da, including the Guthrie Theater, the Children's Theatre Company, Minnesota Opera, Ten Thousand Things, Minnesota Orchestra, Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, Boston Lyric Opera, and Asolo Repertory Theatre.

Rothstein's contributions to the field include the 2015 Artist of the Year honor from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Theater Artist of the Year from Lavender, and Best Director from City Pages, along with nine Ivey Awards and fellowships from organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts. Rothstein is the producing artistic director of Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, FL.

Music Director Wiley DeWeese

DeWeese (@neverthecoyote) returns to SCR two years after music directing the world premiere of Prelude to a Kiss, The Musical and one year after Million Dollar Quartet. His Broadway credits include The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Girl from the North Country and Amelie, which he also musically directed at Center Theatre Group and Berkeley Repertory. DeWeese also served as musical director for the national tours of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical and Girl from the North Country.

His Off-Broadway and regional credits include Prelude to a Kiss, The Musical (Milwaukee Rep), First Daughter Suite and The Fortress of Solitude (The Public Theater), Gatsby: An American Myth (American Repertory Theater) and All the World’s a Stage (Keen Company). DeWeese served as musical supervisor, orchestrator and co-producer of the Michael Friedman Recording Project, which released 10 albums of the late composer’s work.

The Cast

Into the Woods features Cooper Lee Bennett (Rapunzel’s Prince/Steward), Michael Austin Deni (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf), Christian Tyler Dorey (Jack), Chamblee Ferguson (Narrator/Mysterious Man), Becca Claire Hart (Rapunzel/Florinda), Danielle Hope (The Baker’s Wife), Amanda Naughton (Cinderella's Stepmother/Granny/Giant), Valerie Perri (The Witch), Mia Pinero (Cinderella), Dylan Saunders (The Baker), Katy Tang (Jack’s Mother/Cinderella’s Mother) and Hailey Truong (Little Red Ridinghood/Lucinda).

The understudies are Garrett Thomas Deagon (Narrator/Mysterious Man, Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf, Rapunzel’s Prince/Steward), Sierra Jimenez (Cinderella/Rapunzel), Alexandra Melrose (The Witch/Cinderella’s Stepmother /Granny, Jack’s Mother/Cinderella’s Mother), Franca Rosenblatt (The Baker’s Wife/Little Red Ridinghood/Lucinda) and Jake Stiel (Jack, The Baker).

Six of the 12 cast members – Bennet, Deni, Naughton, Perri, Saunders and Tang—are familiar faces to Southern California audiences, having appeared at East West Players, the Hollywood Bowl, Pasadena Playhouse, Musical Theatre West, The Mark Taper Forum, Boston Court, La Mirada Theatre and Laguna Playhouse.

Rosenblatt and Stiel, currently graduate students at UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts, are understudying through “The Next Stage,” a partnership between SCR and UCI. This is the second year of the partnership, which has expanded from seven apprenticeships in last winter’s Rep of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage to 15 apprenticeships across SCR’s 2026-27 season.

Bennett (Instagram handle @coopleeb) makes his SCR debut after appearing as Chao in the 2026 revival of Flower Drum Song at East West Players. He also appeared in the films Fire Me Up and Just Not Naked Enough.

Deni (@michaeldeni_) is an actor and musical theatre performer based in Los Angeles, best known for his role on Netflix's “T-Rex Ranch,” as well as appearances in Tubi's “Into the Wild Frontier” and ION Television's “Beaus of Holly.” His stage credits include Mamma Mia! at the Hollywood Bowl, Ragtime at Pasadena Playhouse, and a best supporting actor–nominated turn as Lt. Cable in South Pacific at Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, along with a record-breaking run as the Beast in Beauty and the Beast at the Moonlight Amphitheatre. His television and film work also spans Lifetime's “Crazy Love, Betrayed,” Investigation Discovery's “Murdered Among Friends,” and the indie feature Sweet Home.

Dorey (@christiantdoreyofc) makes his SCR debut after appearances as Squirt in Finding Nemo and Montparnasse in Les Miserables at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Utah. His previous credits include Teen Angel in Grease, TJ in Sister Act, the Drifter in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Paul in Kiss Me, Kate, and Mookie/Mr. T in The Wedding Singer at Wagon Wheel Theatre, as well as ensemble work in Beauty and the Beast; He also appeared in The Little Mermaid as Sebastian with Top Billing Entertainment and, more recently, starred alongside Angeline Mirenda and Sean Samuels in 5-Star Theatricals' 2025 production of Cabaret at the Scherr Forum Theatre.

Best known for his film and television work in “A Scanner Darkly,” “Revolution” and “The Chase, along with recurring roles in “FBI,” “The Equalizer,” “Law & Order,” “Friday Night Lights and “Prison Break,” Ferguson makes his SCR debut with Into the Woods. He was a resident company member at the Dallas Theater Center for 23 seasons and played Nick in the first Broadway/national tour of Come From Away.

Hart (@beccahart909) is a Twin Cities-based actor and illustrator known for her stage work with companies including Guthrie Theater (A Christmas Carol, For the People), Jungle Theater (The Wolves, Ride the Cyclone, The Effect, Hells Canyon, Christmas at Pemberley), and the Children's Theatre Company (The Wizard of Oz, A Year with Frog and Toad, Go Dog Go!, An American Tail, Annie and The Hobbit).

Hope (@daniellehope26) is an English actress and singer from Manchester who won the BBC talent contest “Over the Rainbow,” going on to play Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End production of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium in 2011, and later played Éponine in Les Misérables in the West End in 2012. Her other credits include the Off-Broadway production of Kinky Boots, the documentary It's Dorothy! and the national tours of Grease (as Rizzo), Rock of Ages! (Sherrie), Grease (Sandy), The Sound of Music (Maria) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator).

Naughton returns to SCR after appearances as Countess Charlotte in A Little Night Music and at the 2019 and 2023 Pacific Playwrights Festivals. Her extensive theatre resume includes Lucinda in the 2003 Broadway revival of Into the Woods, originating a role in the world premiere of Bethany at The Old Globe, appearing in A Doll’s House and How the Grinch Stole Christmas there as well, the Broadway/national tour of The Secret Garden, the national tour of Fun Home, Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare Theatre Company of D.C.), Romance in Hard Times (The Public Theater) and Three Postcards (Circle in the Square Theatre), among others. Naughton’s film and television work includes “Remember WENN,” The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and Chappelle’s Show.”

Perri (@vperrimusic) is an award-winning singer-actress whose career launched under the direction of Harold Prince in the Broadway/national tour of Evita, followed by the Broadway/national company of Jerome Robbins' Broadway working alongside Robbins himself. Perri’s Off-Broadway credits include On the Swing Shift (Manhattan Theatre Club), Angry Housewives (Minetta Lane Theatre) and Diamonds (Circle in the Square). She played Golde in La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts’ production of Fiddler on the Roof opposite Jason Alexander's Tevye, adding to a résumé that includes Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Justice), the title role in Hello, Dolly! (3-D Theatricals) and Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd at Musical Theatre West, which earned her a Los Angeles Stage Scene Award for Best Performance of 2013—plus film credits in Grease, George of the Jungle and The Out-of-Towners.

Pinero (@miapinero) makes her SCR debut after appearing on Broadway in the revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street alongside Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford. Her Broadway debut came as Maria in Ivo van Hove’s revival of West Side Story. Pinero’s regional credits include originating the role of Jo in Ken Ludwig's gender-swapped comedy Lend Me a Soprano (Alley Theatre), West Side Story (Guthrie Theater), My Fair Lady (PlayMakers Repertory Company), In the Heights (Geva Theatre Center) and Songs for a New World (Paper Mill Playhouse), where she starred alongside Tony nominee Carolee Carmello.

Making his SCR debut, Saunders (@dylansaunders) is an actor, producer, entrepreneur and accomplished voice talent whose credits span television, commercial animation, podcasts and video games. His stage credits include productions at Pasadena Playhouse, The Mark Taper Forum, Milwaukee Rep, Boston Court, American Conservatory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company and internationally at Theatre Apostrof in Prague and the National Theatre of London’s Connections Festival. Currently recurring on HBO's Emmy-nominated drama “Perry Mason,” his other recent television credits include “Doom Patrol” (HBO Max), “The Rookie” (ABC), “Chicago P.D.” (NBC), “Magnum P.I.” (CBS), “Turn: Washington's Spies” (AMC), “Chicago Fire (NBC), the Viola Davis-produced short-form series “American Koko” (ABC) and “Royalties” (Roku TV), directed by Amy Heckerling. He has done extensive voiceover work for Disney, Nickelodeon and Fox. Saunders is also a co-founder of the digital media company StarKid, which has drawn more than 325 million views worldwide and produced multiple Billboard-charting original cast recordings.

Tang (@gnatytak) returns to SCR after previous appearances in Sweeney Todd and She Loves Me. She is a Los Angeles–based actress and opera-trained performer whose theatre credits include Flora in Pacific Opera Project's Turn of the Screw as part of the countrywide Britten100/LA celebration, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, Anne Egerman in A Little Night Music (East West Players), Gwendolen Fairfax in The Importance of Being Earnest (Westport Country Playhouse), Phoebe in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (Laguna Playhouse) and Christine in Vox Lumiere's touring production of Phantom of the Opera. Her international credits include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Mediterranean Opera Festival in Italy, Sophie in Werther and Amour in Orphée et Eurydice at La Péniche Opera in France. She trained at UCLA and the École Normale de Musique in Paris. As Miss Culver City 2013, she went on to place as 2nd runner-up at Miss California in 2013.

This is Truong’s SCR debut. A recent graduate of Texas State University, Truong (@haileymtruong) founded and directed “Across Oceans: An AAPI Celebration,” the inaugural Asian American Pacific Islander showcase within the School of Theatre, Dance and Film—driven in part by her experience as the daughter of two refugees and her passion for amplifying underrepresented voices through the arts. She has also trained abroad at The Globe Theatre. Her other credits include Ranked (SXSW EDU) and serving as assistant music director for Waitress (ZACH Theatre).

The Creative Team

The design and creative team includes Adam Koch, scenic design; Danielle Nieves, costume design; Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz, lighting design; Noel Nichols, UptownWorks, sound design; Greg Emetaz, projection design and Michael Polak, fight and intimacy consultant. Talia Krispel is the production stage manager. Casting is by The Telsey Office, Rose Bochner, CSA and Brian Sutow, CSA.

Into the Woods. received generous support from Season Producers Apriem Advisors and Honorary Producers Sophie and Larry Cripe and John and Laura Drachman, Kenneth and Chantelle Labowe/Labowe Family Foundation and Susan Shieldkret and David Dull. US Bank is the Corporate Honorary Producer.

Tickets are now on sale and range in price from $40 to $138, with additional discounts available for educators, seniors and theatregoers ages 25 and under. Tickets may be purchased online at www.scr.org or by phone at (714) 708-5555. More information is available at www.scr.org.

Related Information for Into the Woods:

Special Events

• Post-Show Discussions:
  • Actor Talks with members of the cast: Wednesday, Sept. 23 and Thursday, Oct. 1.
  • Terrace Talk, a new feature for this season. SCR is taking our popular Actor Talks outdoors under the stars for a more casual, interactive experience: Friday, Oct. 9
  • Community Conversation, a presentation and discussion surrounding a theme specific to Into the Woods, Sunday, Sept. 27.

• Inside the Season: Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10:30 a.m.-noon.
  Led by members of SCR’s literary staff, this lively 90-minute session includes in-depth interviews with cast members and artists from the production staff, revealing secrets and offering insights into each play. Tickets are $14 and may be purchased in advance or at the door.

• ASL Interpreted Performance: Saturday, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m.

Location: South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the David Emmes/Martin Benson Theatre Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Parking is available on Park Center Drive, off Anton Boulevard.

2026-27 Upcoming Productions: Into the Woods, Sept. 12-Oct. 18, 2026; Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, Oct. 8-11, 2026; Blind Runner, Oct. 18-Nov. 8, 2026; A Christmas Carol, Nov. 28-Dec. 27, 2026; Mother Russia, Jan. 22-March 20, 2027; The Importance of Being Earnest, Jan. 23-March 20, 2027; How I Became a Pirate, Feb. 19-March 7, 2027; Three-headed Monster, April 4-May 2, 2027; The Ingenue, April 18-May 9, 2027; Hamlet, May 8-June 5, 2027; Hershey Felder’s Great American Songbook Sing-Along!, July 3, 2027; Hershey Felder, BEETHOVEN, July 6-18, 2027; Hershey Felder, Love Notes, July 21-Aug. 1, 2027.

SCR’s annual showcase of new works, the Pacific Playwrights Festival, runs April 30-May 2, 2027.