A Stripped Sondheim

Re “Into The Woods” at the Ahmanson Theatre: Has no one noticed how stripped down this touring company is?

I saw the Stephen Sondheim musical in San Diego during its pre-Broadway tryout and found it a charming, whimsical piece. The sets, lighting, costumes and cast were perfectly suited to it.

But the Ahmanson version has tacky scenery; painted drops substitute for sets, and some essential set pieces are missing.

Among many other defects in execution, the show is played almost entirely for laughs, when, in fact, there is considerable pathos in the material. What is so difficult about mounting a first-rate musical at the Music Center?

I hesitate to think what “Phantom of the Opera” will look like here. But then, with a near sell-out through September, perhaps no one cares.

DAVID KING

Cucamonga