Into the Woods Set to Open June 27

VIRGINIA THEATRE FESTIVAL TO PRESENT TONY AWARD-WINNING STEPHEN SONDHEIM MASTERPIECE INTO THE WOODS

June 27-July 6 at Culbreth Theatre 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA –June 12, 2025 – The Virginia Theatre Festival will launch its 51^st season with Into the Woods, the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine Tony Award-winning musical that follows some of our favorite fairy tale characters on a journey toward, and beyond, happily ever after.

Into the Woods, directed and choreographed by UVA alum Matthew Steffens, who directed VTF’s highly acclaimed 2023 production Cabaret, will run from June 27-July 6. Tickets start at only $15, with $5 tickets available for children 12 and under.

After what Steffens called a “rigorous” casting process that had him and his longtime friend and collaborator Artistic Director Jenny Wales seeing upwards of 10,000 actors, they landed on a cast that combines the best of Broadway with the best of Charlottesville. The production’s six local actors include two UVA students, Soren Corbett and Cameron Gardner as well as 2025 “Best of C-Ville” Local Actor nominees Edward Warwick White and Xavier Taylor. The full cast for Into the Woods can be found here.

Into the Woods is, in a sense, a tale of two musicals – with a first act that captures the fairy tale characters we all know and love, and a second act that veers into more emotionally complex territory that deals with issues including death and loss. Yet, Steffens said, it remains a show that families can and do enjoy.

“Some families with younger children can come to the first act of the show,” Steffens said, “which is a complete theatrical experience in and of itself. Others can discuss these issues with their children upfront and make their decisions that way. The team at the Virginia Theatre Festival has also created a wonderful family-friendly guide that can help with this process.”

Steffens’ deep roots with the show were first planted right on the stage where this production will come to life. He appeared in a production of it as a UVA fourth year in 1998, directed by longtime VTF Artistic Director Robert Chapel, and alongside its current Artistic Director, Jenny Wales. In 2023, he was the Associate Choreographer for the Tony Award-winning Broadway production starring Sara Bareilles, and the national tour that followed.

While revisiting artistic ground is not something Steffens usually makes a habit of, this show is different. “Every time I turn the page of this script,” he said, “I discover something new. I feel like every time you revisit this piece, depending on where you are in your life, it affects you differently. I have watched it more than 100 times over the course of my lifetime, and each time there are things that speak to me in different ways, which I think is the joy of theater.”

The “why” piece of Into the Woods is unique in that the show continues to have relevance across the decades. “When I worked on the Broadway production, I became friendly with James Lapine, and he told me that the show often comes back when society needs it most.”

The show originated during the AIDS crisis, it came back after 9-11 and then again right after COVID. “I would argue,” Steffens said, “that now is a time when we need the show and its message more than ever before. We live in a world where we are not really listening to one another. We are taking in information in 15-second segments. So, to come together with all our differences, beliefs and perspectives and to go on this cool journey together is an opportunity we don’t always get in life, and I really look forward to welcoming audiences to join us.”

Into the Woods music and lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim, and book is by James Lapine. The show was originally directed on Broadway by James Lapine, and orchestrations are by Jonathan Tunick. Into the Woods is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com.

Casting by Katja Zarolinski, CSA with Associate Casting Director Nathan Francis.

The Virginia Theatre Festival is a program of the University of Virginia, with support from the Office of the Provost, Vice Provost for the Arts, The Caplin Foundation, The Thomas and Carolyn Witt Foundation, UVA Arts Council, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Department of Drama.

The 2025 Virginia Theatre Festival is also supported by a generous grant from The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation. Into the Woods is presented by ArkWise Wealth: An Ameriprise Private Wealth Advisory Practice, Woodard Properties, and Charlottesville Media Group; and supported by Virginia Cenedella.

The 51st Virginia Theatre Festival season will also include the heartwarming, and powerful new comedy The Heart Sellers (July 11-20 in the Helms Theatre) and a tribute to the songs of Judy Garland with Get Happy! – A Celebration of the World’s Greatest Entertainer with Jenna Pastuszek (July 24-27 in the Ruth Caplin Theatre). Tickets for the 2025 are on sale now at virginiatheatrefestival.org. Volunteer opportunities are also available this summer, and more information can be found here.

VTF donors provide essential support to the organization, while enjoying exclusive benefits like complimentary tickets, invitations to special events, behind-the-scenes access, and more. For more information on ways to support the upcoming season, visit virginiatheatrefestival.org/support.

For more about the Virginia Theatre Festival and its upcoming 51st season, visit virginiatheatrefestival.org.