Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods puts a sometimes playful, sometimes dark spin on several Grimm fairy tales, including Cinderella, shown here, Little Red Riding Hood and more. The musical runs at Ford’s Theatre until May 22. Photo by Carol Rosegg

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It is always a treat to see a show in the intimate and history-rich Ford’s Theatre with its poignant flag-draped theatre boxes. That pleasure is enhanced by an engaging and high-energy performance like that of Into the Woods, which runs until May 22.

The award-winning musical, written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, is an ambitious and rewarding show that gazes at darker topics more than most musicals, but does not lack for laughter, catchy music and clever lyrics. It was also released as a popular film starring Meryl Streep in 2014.

A baker and his wife journey into the woods to attempt to break the spell that keeps them from having a child. Their quest intersects with the fairy tales of Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood.

At the end of the first act, the couple achieves their goal, and Cinderella, Jack and Little Red Riding Hood win their traditional endings. But there’s more to come.

Despite the play’s fairy tale roots — or perhaps because of them — this is not a musical for young children. Remember, the original Grimm folk tales are indeed quite grim.

Because of its exploration of the darkness and ambiguity of parental love, and the sometimes unexpected consequences of getting what you wish for, Into the Woods is recommended only for those 12 and above. “Happily ever after” is only half of the story…literally.

A cast of standouts

The entire cast features robust and well-matched voices fully in command of the complex songs, bursting with word play. The live orchestra adds to the atmosphere.

The audience quickly began to cheer on Jade Jones, whose voice inhabited the greedy, innocent and eager-to-learn Little Red Riding Hood. Another standout musical performance came from Awa Sel Secka as the baker’s wife, a woman who is determined, clever, and not afraid to break a few rules to get what she wants.

The cast deftly balances ambitious songs with entertaining physical performances as well, some broadly drawn and some pointed. Cinderella’s stepsisters may have been cruel, but they were also hilarious. The princely brothers were brave but bumbling in their utter lack of insight.

Jack’s milky-white cow, played here by actor Tiziano D’Affuso rather than a plastic model, was a crowd favorite. His facial expressions and movements made every audience member want him as a pet just as much as Jack did.

Rachel Zampelli played the witch with heartless, imperious elegance and, as mother to Rapunzel, with a stabbing pinch of vulnerability. Following in the footsteps of the film’s witch, Meryl Streep, is no mean task, but Zampelli casts her own spell.

Evocative set and effects

I can only hope that director Peter Flynn and the design team had as much fun crafting the trickier elements of the plot as the audience did watching them play out.

Birds, for example, are Cinderella’s guardian animal. They appear on stage directed by a silent, almost invisible human actor who causes them to bend and weave as a flock as they pluck lentils out of the ashes to allow Cinderella to attend the ball. Later, it is the expressive face of the human that conveys the birds’ thoughts and emotions to Cinderella and to us.

In another breathtaking visual effect, Little Red Riding Hood meets her temporary demise, and then the wolf his more permanent end, from behind a screen in a scene that is part Indonesian shadow play and part animation.

Cinderella’s mother appears to her as a face lighting up a tree trunk, and the witch, finally, vanishes in a fiery burst of sparks.

In fact, the scenery overall — with its colorful fuzzy-looking vines, forest lit by gloom, and Rapunzel’s narrow tower — add immensely to the mystery and magic of the show.

After the intermission, the mood of the play grows darker as the characters face the consequences of their wishes and actions — actions that were presented in Act One as justified, but we may come to see differently in Act Two.

If there’s a downside to this musical, it is that the first half abounds with life, humor and energy, while the second act, despite the attack of a towering shadowy giant, is more sluggish, a bit cluttered and quite melancholy. Maybe it’s just hard to give up the desire for a happy ending.

Ford’s Theatre, which was extensively renovated in 2009, is beautiful and classic, surrounded by updated amenities including a gift shop, concessions stand and bathrooms.

The theatre campus also includes the house where President Lincoln died and a state-of-the-art museum, exploring Lincoln, his assassination and American history. (The museum, house and theatre tours are free, but reservations are recommended because of the popularity of the site.)

Tickets for Into the Woods range from $20 to $83. Performances, which run through May 22, are Mon. through Sat. evenings at 7:30 p.m.; with matinees Fri. and Sat. at 2 p.m. Patrons 60 and over may purchase matinee tickets at a discount. Veterans’ tickets are half-price.

The theatre offers a range of enhanced performances, including a free meet-and-mingle event for audience members and performers at a nearby restaurant after a performance, and a sign-interpreted, a captioned, and a sensory-friendly performance.

For more information, visit fords.org.