“Into the Woods,” the Tony award-winning musical...

“Into the Woods,” the Tony award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, will be performed this afternoon at Occidental College’s Keck Theater.

The musical--which bowed on Broadway in 1986--weaves together four well-known fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm--Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel.

Cleverly intersecting the fairy tales is a fifth story, written by Lapine, about a baker and his wife doomed to a life of sterility. In order to undo the curse, the couple must find various objects--including a red cape, a gold slipper, etc. Hence, their encounters with the likes of Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and company.

This land of once-upon-a-time is a little more complex, and a great deal more bittersweet, than

the bedtime stories of childhood years.

In 1987, the Washington Post said of “Into the Woods”: “ ‘Annie’ it’s not. If Daddy Warbucks turned up in these woods, he’d probably be a pedophile. This is a fable for adults--who tend to believe more readily in vengeful witches than benevolent fairy godparents, anyway.”

John Bouchard, a theater professor at Occidental, will direct the all-student cast and crew. Tom Somerville is musical director.

Tickets for today’s 2 p.m. show are $12, $10 for senior citizens and $6 for students with identification. Performances will continue Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and at 2 p.m. on Saturday and May 31. For tickets: (213) 259-2772. Occidental College is at 1600 Campus Road in Los Angeles.