Eric Maier as the Baker and Amy Blackman as the Baker's Wife in the University of Michigan production of "Into the Woods."

photo by Peter Smith Photography | courtesy of the University of Michigan

There’s only one musical that would inspire an audience member to say, on her way out, “I was surprised by who got squished in the second half.”

“Into the Woods” — with a book by James Lapine, and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim — has stomped back into town via U-M’s musical theater program, and the nearly-three hour production’s very likely to be, well, a giant hit.

The classic musical first mashes familiar fairy tales with the story of a baker (Eric Maier) and his wife (Amy Blackman), who, because of a family curse, can’t have a child. The witch (Rachel Bahler) who cast the spell offers the couple a reprieve, provided they can attain four distinct objects: Jack’s (Cody Davis) white cow; Little Red Ridinghood’s (Nora Menken) red cape; Rapunzel’s (Allison McDowell) yellow hair; and Cinderella’s (Olivia Hernandez) golden shoe.

Of course, these various characters are fully immersed in their own narratives; and even when things look headed for “happily ever after,” a giant from the top of Jack’s magic beanstalk makes an unwelcome appearance.

Director Mark Madama, music director Cynthia Kortman Westphal, and the production’s ensemble all deserve the highest accolades for delivering Sondheim’s dense, exposition-packed lyrics with unrivaled clarity. (Oftentimes in the past, when watching other “Woods” productions, I’d struggled to grasp more than bits and pieces, particularly in the opening number.) This is no small task. And because the student performers’ voices are uniformly terrific, the polished enunciation is like icing on the cake.

Those seeking a different kind of cake — that of the beef variety — need only wait for the production's six-pack-sporting Wolf, wittily, seductively portrayed by Andy Jones (who also plays Cinderella’s hilariously self-absorbed prince). But it’s pretty difficult to single out performances in this talented crew.

Davis has loads of charm and presence, with a powerhouse voice to boot; Casey Low, playing Jack’s frustrated mother, turned in a memorable supporting performance on opening night; Hernandez makes a charming Cinderella, with a voice that could melt the hardest heart; Bahler impressed me with her abilities in the very first number; Maier and Blackman are genuine, funny, and touching as the cursed couple; McDowell and Menken seem perfectly cast and affecting; and Sam Lips, as Rapunzel’s prince, is delightfully pompous, offering up (with Jones) an irresistible take on “Agony.”

Yes, there were a couple of small opening night glitches on Thursday — a botched lighting cue, and Hernandez and Maier struggled with the (admittedly very difficult) task of singing in unison while in very different parts of the stage during “No One is Alone” — but generally, it’s hard to imagine “Woods” being done much better by anyone.

Bruce Brockman’s set design is appropriately fanciful, but still versatile enough to look menacing when necessary (with an assist from lighting designer Rob Murphy). And although I questioned a couple of costume designer Shawn McCulloch’s choices (Jack’s distracting, body-hugging leggings, the witch’s architectural silver dress), I generally considered his contributions thoughtful and fun, right down to the details (like the fussy white ribbons on the prince’s epaulettes). Westphal’s orchestra, meanwhile, provided consistently solid accompaniment.

Though “Woods” isn’t my favorite Sondheim musical, Madama — by way of his sincere engagement with the show’s nuances, both funny and dark, as well as his efforts at imbuing the show with a buoyant energy (and the aforementioned, all-important triumph of clarity) — has nudged it up higher on my list.

So if you have any chance at all to do so, I highly recommend venturing into these particular “Woods.” Bring a jacket. And some giant repellent.

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.