Currently the vocal music director at Lakeside Middle School in California, Anthony “Tony” Atienza earned a teaching credential in music from San Diego State University, where he fulfilled a graduate assistantship in choral music. In nearly three decades of music education, Tony Atienza directed almost 20 musicals. One of the musicals Mr. Atienza conducted was Into the Woods, a play by Stephen Sondheim.
Based on the stories of the Brothers Grimm, Into the Woods blends the stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel with an additional original story. The plotline draws all of the characters into a woodland area where they interact and face unique challenges.
The play debuted on Broadway in 1987, and won three Tony awards for best score, best book, and best actress in a musical. It was produced in London in 1990, and several other productions followed in Los Angeles, Barcelona, and other locations. In 2014, a film of the musical was produced starring Meryl Streep and other well-known actors.
Tony Atienza 