What would a fairytale be without a “happily ever after?” An upcoming musical by the Birmingham-Southern College theatre program will have a distinctive style and spin.

In “Into the Woods,” a brilliant postmodern reimagining of Grimm’s Fairy tales from Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, witches conjure curses with a groovy rap, Prince Charming’s eye roves, and great giants stalk the land. Ten student actors will perform, directed by Michael Flowers, BSC professor of theatre.

Performances will be Nov. 12-14 & 19-21 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 2:30 p.m. at the College Theatre/The Underground. Flowers will present a lecture about the musical, “Into the Woods: No One is Alone?” and the cast and crew will perform a scene on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 11 a.m. in the College Theatre/The Underground. The hour-long talk, part of BSC’s series of Provost’s Forums, is free and open to the public.

The musical follows the traditional characters of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (of beanstalk fame), along with two characters the writers created for the musical, the Baker and the Baker’s Wife.

“Their stories all intertwine as they search for their own ‘happy ever after,’ which they all discover by the end of the first act,” Flowers said. “The second act turns a bit darker as they all deal with the unintended consequences of their choices in the first act, and they come to realize that what they originally wished for may not be, in the end, what they really need or want.”

“Into the Woods” debuted in San Diego in 1986 and premiered on Broadway in 1987, winning multiple awards. It became a feature film starring Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp in 2014. BSC’s cast—several of whom will play multiple characters—includes Jacob Abbott, Jada Cato, DeCorian Cobb, Spiro Girontakis, Daniel Grimes, Lucy Gross, Melanie Hollenstein, Otis Laskey, Anna Grace Whitehead, and Zoe Wirt.

Cato, a junior theatre major from Atlanta, said being a part of the cast is an opportunity to expand her range and depth in musical theatre.

“I’m so excited to tackle this challenging piece and become a character unlike any that I’ve ever played,” she said. “I know this experience will continue to prepare me for the theatre world post-graduation.”

Tickets go on sale online for the public Oct. 22 or by calling the College Theatre Box Office at 205-226-4780. Seating is limited and reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Free parking is available near the theatre.