This year’s spring musical at Seymour High School has been no easy undertaking.

With elaborate sets and props, difficult music to learn and perform and a cast of 45 actors and actresses, “Into The Woods” has challenged the cast and crew every step of the way.

But choral director Kyle Karum knew his students could tackle the show when he chose it.

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“These students have risen to the occasion, and with their incredible talents and steadfast efforts, they have been able to produce a stunning final product,” he said. “They met and exceeded the challenge of this show with a poise and a professionalism seldom seen in high school students.”

“Into the Woods” will kick off its three-night run at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Earl D. Prout Auditorium at Seymour. Other performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and a family matinee at 1 p.m. Saturday with a character meet-and-greet afterwards.

Tickets are $6 in advance and may be purchased at the school’s main office or through the choir office. The cost at the door is $8.

“Into the Woods” is a musical fusion of many classic fairy tales, including Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood. It was written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine and premiered on Broadway in 1987.

The story begins with a witch forcing a baker and his wife to obtain magical items, such as a glass slipper, a maiden’s long golden tresses, a golden egg and a red-hooded cape, from the classic fairy tales to reverse the curse put on their family.

The musical gained in popularity when it was adapted to the big screen by Disney in 2014.

Karum said he was first introduced to “Into the Woods” when he started his career in 2013 at Prairie Heights High School.

“I quickly grew to love the show and knew I wanted to do it again someday,” he said.

Students auditioned for roles last October and began rehearsing as a group in January.

Senior Bryse Colwell stars as the baker. This is his third show at Seymour. He was in “Bye Bye Birdie” last year and “Working” in 2016.

Compared to the other shows, Colwell said “Into the Woods” has been the most difficult production.

“This is a long show, and on top of that, the music is a lot harder,” he said. “In past shows, the music has been catchy and easy to pick up. But with this one, it’s not a given. You have to really work hard and try at it or else you’ll be stuck.”

Playing the role of the baker’s wife, Kelsey Baker said she has loved all of the songs she has the opportunity to sing.

“I really think there’s not a bad piece in this whole show,” she said. “Every single one of them is just beautiful in its own way.”

Baker had seen the movie “Into the Woods” when it first came out, and then as a group, the choir went to see a performance of it at Beef and Boards in Indianapolis.

“I was pretty familiar with it,” she said.

Colwell, on the other hand, had never seen the show.

“I had no clue what it was,” he said.

Because of its complexity and degree of difficulty, a lot of high schools wouldn’t even try to take it on, Baker said.

With more than 200 lines and 11 songs to memorize for his role, Colwell said it’s hard just to keep it all straight.

“It’s a very tough task to tackle,” he said.

Baker said she hopes the audience will appreciate all of the work the cast and crew has put into the production.

“I want them to feel like our emotions are real and that we are doing this for the first time whenever they watch us, that they feel every single emotion that happens,” she said. “It’s really happy, and then it gets really dark, and there are a lot of things that unfold. I hope they are impacted by the messages hidden throughout.”

For Colwell, the emotion is the most important part of the whole performance.

“I think the best thing you can do with music is make someone feel something,” he said. “I think that’s the reason anyone does music, so I want people to leave here having felt something.”

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What: Seymour High School’s spring musical production of “Into the Woods”

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There also is a family matinee at 1 p.m. Saturday with a character meet-and-greet afterwards

Where: Earl D. Prout Auditorium at SHS

Cost: Tickets are $6 in advance and can be purchased at the school’s main office or through the choir office. The cost at the door is $8.

Cast: Bryse Colwell, Kelsey Baker, Kylee Lewis, Kaylyn Stidham, J.C. Stuart, Isaiah Pichardo, Annika Minton, Jenna O’Neal, Bailey Lewis, Dillon Polley, Auston Everman, Harrison Cottrill, Madison Brackemyre, Ella Andres, Lexi York, Brianna Valentine, Derick Sowers, Sam Schmidt, Jami Nobbe, Darrion Smith, Caroline Haag, Jenna Gray and Leah Desender

Information: seymourhschoirs.weebly.com

Other upcoming choral performances

April 21: ISSMA District Choral Festival

April 25: Spring Sing Concert

April 28: ISSMA State Qualifiers

May 17: Slices and Songs pizza and performance fundraiser at The Brooklyn Pizza Co.

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