While filled with familiar fairy tale characters, settings, and motifs, Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” isn’t a typical “happily ever after” affair.

Similarly, Southwestern Michigan College’s upcoming production of the play features some radical departures from many of the shows held onstage at the Dale A. Lyons theater.

The college will debut its latest rendition of the acclaimed Broadway musical at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, with shows running through the weekend, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, all inside the Dale A. Lyons Building theater.

Tickets are $7 for general admission, and $5 for senior citizens; the show is free for SMC students and for children 18 and under.

The musical features an assortment of characters from classic Brothers Grimm stories, such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack (from “Jack and the Beanstalk”), whose paths intertwine at different points during their adventures through the titular forest. At the heart of the story are a number of original characters, the Baker and his wife, who venture into the woods to reverse an old curse placed on their family by an elderly witch.

Many of SMC’s theater students have been clamoring to put on a production the Tony-award winning musical since they sang a few songs from the score for a production last summer, said Director Paul Mow.

“A lot of the second year kids were looking for something they could really sink their teeth into,” Mow said. “And boy did they find it. This show is a beast.”

A story of such ranging scope naturally requires an equally expansive production, which has naturally presented a set of challenges for the nearly 50 cast and crew members who have been working on the play since January, Mow said. With rapid changes to scene and backdrops sprinkled throughout the musical, the crew rigged up a turntable on stage, which is rotated whenever a scene change takes place.

“I like the idea of using a turntable,” Mow said. “It’s something that has never been at SMC before.”

While solving one dilemma, the prop takes up such enormous amount of space on stage that they are unable to open the orchestra pit. To get around this, the live music will be piped in the theater remotely from the school’s music room.

One of the other changes that Mow has made for this production is by splitting the casting for the lead roles, with different performers portraying the Baker, the Baker’s Wife and Cinderella on the Friday and Sunday shows.

“It’s to offer more opportunities to the students,” Mow said. “It will allow two kids to sing the part of Cinderella, so they both will be able to put that on a résumé one day.”

With many of the actors having to perform solos, the students have worked tirelessly to prepare for Thursday’s opening curtain, Mow said.

“I’ve never seen the cast or crew work this hard before,” he said. “We want people to come out and celebrate their work.”

For tickets or additional information, contact the SMC box office at 800-456-8675, ext. 1280.