Lyeneal Griffin and Mmachi Dimoriaku as, respectively, the Baker and the Baker’s Wife, appear to be frightened by The Witch, portrayed by Kitty Ortiz in Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre’s musical ‘Into the Woods.’
                                 Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography

Lyeneal Griffin and Mmachi Dimoriaku as, respectively, the Baker and the Baker’s Wife, appear to be frightened by The Witch, portrayed by Kitty Ortiz in Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre’s musical ‘Into the Woods.’

Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography

Sondheim musical opens at LTWB tonight

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<p>Claire Alfree appears as Cinderella, who longs to go to a festival.</p>
                                 <p>Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography</p>

Claire Alfree appears as Cinderella, who longs to go to a festival.

Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography

<p>Jovon Barnes appears as ‘Jack’ in the Jack and the Beanstalk part of the show.</p>
                                 <p>Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography</p>

Jovon Barnes appears as ‘Jack’ in the Jack and the Beanstalk part of the show.

Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography

<p>Jessica Woolnough appears as Cinderella’s stepmother, with Kayla Kay and Sidney Jacobs as stepsisters Florinda and Lucinda.</p>
                                 <p>Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography</p>

Jessica Woolnough appears as Cinderella’s stepmother, with Kayla Kay and Sidney Jacobs as stepsisters Florinda and Lucinda.

Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography

<p>Paul Rodella is The Wolf, and describes that character as not so bad. He’s just hungry.</p>
                                 <p>Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography</p>

Paul Rodella is The Wolf, and describes that character as not so bad. He’s just hungry.

Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography

<p>Lawrence Joseph is the narrator and also appears as a ‘Mysterious Man’ in Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre’s production of ‘Into the Woods.’</p>
                                 <p>Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography</p>

Lawrence Joseph is the narrator and also appears as a ‘Mysterious Man’ in Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre’s production of ‘Into the Woods.’

Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography

<p>Alicia Alaimo appears as ‘Little Red’ in Little Theatre’s production of ‘Into the Woods.’</p>
                                 <p>Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography</p>

Alicia Alaimo appears as ‘Little Red’ in Little Theatre’s production of ‘Into the Woods.’

Angel Berlane Mulcahy | On My Cue Photography

Ask Keira “Kitty” Ortiz if she has any “me time,” and the Nanticoke woman will tell you yes, she has carved some out for herself.

She spends it being a witch.

“I am a mother and in my household I am the captain of my ship. I’m always good and kind,” she said before a recent rehearsal of Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre’s production of the Tony Award-winning musical “Into the Woods.”

“This gives me a chance to be mean.”

Weeks earlier, when her youngest son was taking part in “Into the Woods Jr.,” also at Little Theatre, Ortiz heard about the full-scale production, which runs tonight through Aug. 22.

She hadn’t acted since she was in her teens — four kids, about 20 years and one stroke ago.

“But I said, ‘you know what, I’m gonna do it for me.’ I went to the audition to see if I could get up and sing in front of strangers. I figured I might get into the ensemble.”

When director Jahmeel Powers offered Ortiz the plum role of The Witch, the idea of being vicious and villainous suddenly seemed, well, downright bewitching.

“I put my phone on ‘silent,’ ” she said, “and my boys know not to call me (during rehearsals) unless it’s REALLY an emergency.”

That sounds like tough love — and The Witch has to be a tough character. But is The Witch really a villain in this Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine mash-up of many fairy tales?

“If it weren’t for (other) selfish people,” Ortiz said, “she wouldn’t be the ugly, gruesome thing she’s living as.”

Lawrence Joseph from the Poconos, who has two roles, as the narrator and The Mysterious Man, agrees with Ortiz; he wouldn’t go so far as to describe The Witch as wicked.

“I don’t want to say she is,” he said. “The things she does, she’s protecting her daughter. I know I would want to protect my kids. The question is, does she go too far?”

“I don’t think people are bad,” he said. “I think people can do bad things.”

Joseph, who has appeared in dancing roles off-Broadway, said he is a great admirer of “Into the Woods.”

“It’s brilliant the way James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim put it together,” he said. “There’s a lot going on in the show, and we have tons and tons and tons of challenging music. Luckily, we’ve got a really good crew.”

“It’s crazy the way all the plot threads interweave. I can’t imagine how long it took Sondheim to ‘crack the code’,” said Jovon Barnes of Jefferson Township, who portrays Jack from the Jack and the Beanstalk part of the story.

Barnes didn’t want to divulge too much of the plot, but said his character “grows from a precocious little boy into a man who stands up for himself and sees the difference between right and wrong.”

The story line shows the importance of compassion and acceptance, Barnes said, along with “really hearing instead of just talking to people.”

“Everyone will find something to relate to in this story,” said Scott Colin Woolnaugh, who portrays Cinderella’s Father. That unfortunate man “tries to make his wife happy, and tries to make Cinderella happy, so he’s making no one happy.”

Cinderella and her family aren’t alone in their unhappiness. So many characters have problems, from The Baker and The Baker’s Wife who wish they had a child to Jack who wishes his cow would give milk.

But real people involved in the show seem to be brimming with joy.

Among them, Paul Rodella is reveling in his two roles as the “conceited and not very sincere” Prince Charming and also The Wolf who, even if he eats Little Red, is not such a bad guy. “He’s a predator,” Rodella said with a shrug. “That’s just his nature.”

And director Jahmeel Powers, who is also a Theatre Arts Visiting Associate Professor at King’s College, is pleased that this show will give audiences a chance to “see faces we don’t always get to see.”

“I am super proud of Jahmeel,” said his wife Beth Powers, a King’s College adjunct professor of theatre arts who is serving as creative consultant for “Into the Woods.”

“This show keeps getting more intense, with so much depth,” she said. “I’m excited for people to come and see it.”

Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre will present “Into the Woods,” accompanied by an orchestra of local musicians, Aug. 12 through Aug. 21 at the theatre, 537 North Main St. Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $25 each. Reservations are available at LTWB.org or by leaving a message at the box office, 570-823-1875.