FARMINGTON – Happily ever after?

Not this time.

The Mt. Blue High School Music Boosters will present the Tony Award-winning musical “Into the Woods,” a fractured fairy tale by Steven Sondheim, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 8-10.

Unlike traditional fairy tales, “Into the Woods” explores the oft-ignored consequences of what happens after “happily ever after.” Instead of deceptively simple moral lessons, “Into the Woods” leaves viewers with stronger and more realistic ideals.

The Narrator (Sam Cohen) introduces the characters: a young maiden (Cinderella, played by Hannah Sloane-Barton), a sad young lad (Jack, played by Matt West), and a childless baker (Ben Swain) and his wife (Ally West). Soon, other characters enter, including Little Red Ridinghood (Emily Pottle) and two princes (Erik Mason and James Rossi).

The star of the show arrives with a literal bang. The Witch (Caitlin O’Reilly) is the show’s most complex character, at once an old enchantress and a caring mother. She sends the baker into the woods to find four items that will enable him to have children, and so the adventure begins.

While Act I is lighthearted and ends on a positive note, Act II is significantly more somber. Only a couple minutes into the act, the baker’s house is destroyed by a giant (Courteny Orcutt). The characters must head back into the woods to find the giant, but this time their adventures have disastrous results. Numerous characters fall victim to the giant, relationships deteriorate and a steamy adulterous affair ensues.

Act II contains several stirring musical numbers, including “No One is Alone” and “Children Will Listen.” By the end of the play, the characters have learned something about themselves and the world around them.

The show will be presented under the combined talents of MBHS English teacher Debby Muise and music teacher Steve Muise, and Cascade Brook School music teacher Jane Parker. It will begin at 7 p.m. in the MBHS Auditorium. Tickets are $7.50 for adults, $4.50 for students.