There will be a convergence of fairy tale characters in the woods.

Shrek won’t be there, but all of the classic characters will be.

In Stephen Sondheim’s musical, “Into the Woods,” many characters are searching to fulfill their own personal goals.

Muskogee Little Theatre is opening their performance of “Into the Woods” at 8 p.m. Friday.

Clay Guiltner of Norman, guest director for the Tony Award winning musical, said the difficulties in the production are mostly with the music.

“The music is difficult to get right,” he said. “The lyrics are very wordy.”

Much like the work Sondheim did in “Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” the lyrics are not only difficult to remember but can be difficult to get out correctly, Guiltner said.

“The tempo of the music is very fast,” he said. “There are going to be challenges with anyone who does one of Sondheim’s musicals. Fortunately, our cast has a lot of experience musically that helped put us ahead of the curve.”

Mary McGrew plays the Baker’s Wife in the musical.

“This is my all-time favorite musical,” she said. “We are constantly running around. The story line is fascinating.”

McGrew said she was drawn to the role because the Baker’s wife is a complex character.

“She is every woman all rolled into one,” she said. “She is devoted to her husband but she is determined to have a child. The only problem is witches cast a spell on the couple to keep them from conceiving. The baker and his wife then have to go on a quest to retrieve four items to undo the spell.”

Guiltner, graduate student of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, is a professional director.

MLT Executive Director Coni Wetz said his work with the cast and crew is “fantastic.”