COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 31 practice the songs from Into the Woods as much as I could,” says Wade, who is playing Cinderella. Singing Sondheim is no small feat, says Lindley, who was cast as the Baker. “I’ve sung Sondheim before, but it is very challenging. When the Baker sets out, he has a list of things he’s trying to find and he sings, ‘a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, a slipper as pure as gold.’ The last note on each of those phrases is a half-step up each note. But then the second time you sing it, it’s the same pattern of words, but a different pattern of music.” Like others in the cast, Wade and Lindley attended a twice-weekly vocal performance class in fall, taught by the play’s vocal directors—Sarah Frook Gallo, assistant professor and director of choral activities, and Liz Olson, teaching assistant professor and associate director of choral activities. Kyle Wernke, assistant professor and director of the Lehigh Philharmonic, will direct the orchestra. The faculty say the vocal class has many benefits for cast members. “It really makes for a richer experience for the singers and actors to get to spend all of this time with the minutiae of the score and all of the technical challenges, and to have the space to process what’s on the page and how it relates to their character’s journey,” Frook Gallo says. “You could spend years studying this music and still find new things to think about and talk about. I think that’s what makes Sondheim so special.” Students’ commitment has been impressive, with groups sometimes meeting outside of class to practice complex songs like “Your Fault,” which involve several characters. “You hear them say as they’re exiting our class, ‘Do you want to practice on Thursday night?’” Olson says. Gabel says, “The reason I was so excited about it is because I think it is a play meant for this moment of great instability, politically and economically, where we’re having to deal with the fact that the way we thought the world was may not be the way that the world is….It asks us to not take people at face value, to understand that people have the ability to change, and to understand that the people around you are the people who will be with you to get through it.” Johnson concurs. “Its themes of community, consequence, and interconnectedness feel strikingly current right now. After years of cultural and social fragmentation, the core message of this musical is that ‘no one is alone,’” she notes, her last words alluding to a song near the end of the play’s second act. Singing Sondheim Into the Woods’ score displays many of the characteristics synonymous with Stephen Sondheim’s work. Months of practice were required for students to master the composer’s rapid-fire lyrics, irregular rhythms, and shifting harmonies. To ensure they would have enough time to learn the demanding score, auditions were held during the first week of classes last fall. Nearly 60 students auditioned, ready to take on months of rehearsal. Several students prepared over the summer to audition for the musical’s 20 roles. Amayah Wade ’27, a junior finance major, and Matt Lindley ’26, a senior majoring in bioengineering and computer science in the IDEAS program, both said they spent weeks practicing. “All summer, while I was doing my internship at Vanguard, I’d do whatever I needed to do at work and then come home and Amayah Wade (far left) as Cinderella in rehearsal. Behind her are (l to r) Rachel Smith, Kaitlan Prioleau, and Maddie Burns. Lyam Gabel (opposite left) directs with choreographer Jess Mitcham (above). The cast rehearses in the Diamond Theater. ALL PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE KRESCHOLLEK
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