Article by Rob Dunkelberger
“It’s very much an ensemble show with the Baker and his wife played by Robert Knight and Madeline Trumble being the closest to leads, as their characters weave in and out of all the other characters stories. Both Knight and Trumble are fantastic with great voices and performances that make you care about them. They also imbue their relationship with a genuine sense of warmth and affection for each other. Lovely to see local artists Suzie Juul as Little Red Riding Hood, Kim Kivens as Jack’s Mother, and Anna Hashizume as Rapunzel making their first appearances at the Guthrie. Juul and Kivens bring so much humor to their characters while Hashizume gets to show off her considerable vocal skills. Always great to see Sasha Andreev and Max Wojtanowicz in a show as any show is lucky to have their vocal talents. Regina Marie Williams plays the Narrator and the Mysterious Man and is perfect in both roles. For the narrator in particular, you need a strong presence and someone who commands the audience’s attention, which is Williams’ bread and butter. Trevor James plays Jack whom his mother tells us isn’t quite right in the head. Playing stupid well takes talent, and James does a great job of making his idiocy come from within the character not just on the nose one liners. We believe he’s that dumb and that his cow is his best friend. Finally, I want to mention John Yi who plays Cinderella’s Prince and more importantly Milky White, Jack’s best friend, the cow. Yi is dashing and charming as the prince, but it’s as Milky White, a silent role, that Yi gets more laughs than probably anyone in the cast.”