Into the Woods
| Into the Woods | |
|---|---|
 Poster for the original Broadway production | |
| Music | Stephen Sondheim |
| Lyrics | Stephen Sondheim |
| Book | James Lapine |
| Basis | Inspired by Bruno Bettelheim's The Uses of Enchantment |
| Productions | 1987 Broadway 1988 United States National Tour 1990 West End 1998 West End revival 2002 Broadway revival 2010 London revival 2011 Province of Quebec |
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Score Tony Award for Best Book Drama Desk for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Revival |
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim to the production during its original Broadway run. Into the Woods won several Tony Awards, including Best Score, Best Book, and Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason), in a year dominated by The Phantom of the Opera. The musical has been produced many times, with a 1988 national tour, a 1990 West End production, a 1991 television production, a 1997 tenth anniversary concert, a 2002 Broadway revival and a 2010 London revival.[1] It was later loosely adapted into the hip-hop dance musical, Into the Hoods.
The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales and follows them further to explore the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. The main characters are taken from the stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Cinderella, tied together by a more original story involving a baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family, most likely taken from the original story of Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm. It also includes references to several other well-known tales.
Plot
 | This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (August 2010) |
Act I
The Narrator introduces four characters who each have a wish: Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King's festival; Jack, a simple young man who wishes that his cow, Milky-White, would give milk; and the Baker and his Wife, who wish they could have a child. While Little Red Ridinghood[2] buys bread from the Baker to take to her grandmother's house, Jack's weary mother nags him into selling the cow, and Cinderella's stepmother and sisters tease her about wanting to attend the King's festival.
The Baker's neighbor, an ugly old Witch, reveals the source of the couple's infertility is a curse she placed on the Baker's line, after catching the Baker's father in her garden stealing "magic" beans. In addition to the curse, the Witch took the Baker's father's newborn child, Rapunzel ("Witch's Entrance"). The curse will be lifted if the Baker and his Wife can find the four ingredients that the Witch needs for a certain potion — "the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold", all before the chime of Midnight in three days' time. After the witch leaves, the Baker finds six of the "magic" beans in his father's old hunting jacket and endeavors to take them on his quest. All begin their journeys into the woods — Jack to sell his cow at Market, Cinderella's family to the Festival, Cinderella to her mother's grave to ask for guidance, Red Ridinghood to her Grandmother's house, and the Baker, refusing his wife's help, to find the ingredients ("Prologue").
Cinderella visits her mother's grave and receives a beautiful gown and shoes from her mother's spirit ("Cinderella at the Grave"). Little Red Ridinghood meets a hungry wolf ("Hello, Little Girl"). The Baker meets his wife, who has followed him into the forest. The pair con Jack into selling Milky-White ("I Guess This Is Goodbye") for five of the beans, telling Jack that they're magic. The Baker, who does not realize the beans' power, has qualms about being so dishonest, but his wife reasons that "Maybe They're Magic". When Little Red Ridinghood arrives at her grandmother's house, she is swallowed by the Wolf. The Baker slays the Wolf, pulling Little Red Ridinghood and her grandmother from the beast's innards, and Red rewards him with the red cape, boasting of her new experiences ("I Know Things Now"). Jack's mother angrily tosses the beans aside; they grow into a very high beanstalk. As Cinderella flees the festival, pursued by a prince and his steward, the Wife quizzes Cinderella on her time at the ball. Cinderella explains that it was a nice ball with "A Very Nice Prince". The Wife spots Cinderella's pure gold slippers as Cinderella starts to leave. The Wife turns her back to chase after Cinderella, inadvertently allowing Milky-White to run off, leaving the Wife both slipper-less and cow-less. The characters each state morals and credos as the First Midnight chimes ("First Midnight").
Jack describes his thrilling adventure after he returns from climbing the beanstalk ("Giants in the Sky"). He gives the Baker five gold pieces he stole from the giants to buy back his cow, and when the Baker hesitates, Jack climbs back up the beanstalk to find more. The Mysterious Man emerges and taunts the Baker, stealing the money. The Baker's wife confesses she has lost the cow, and she and the Baker split up to look for it. Cinderella's and Rapunzel's Princes, who are brothers, brag about their new-found loves ("Agony"). The Baker's wife takes note when Rapunzel's prince mentions that he is in love with a girl in a tower with hair as "yellow as corn." The Baker's Wife fools Rapunzel into letting down her hair and yanks out pieces. Meanwhile, The Mysterious Man gives Milky-White back to the Baker.
The Wife and Cinderella meet again, and the Wife makes a desperate grab for her shoes, almost succeeding before Cinderella flees. The Baker and his wife reunite, now with three of the four items. The Baker admits that they've had to work together to fulfill the quest ("It Takes Two"). Jack arrives with a hen that lays golden eggs and attempts to buy Milky-White back, but the cow suddenly keels over dead as midnight chimes. Again, the characters exchange morals ("Second Midnight"). The Witch discovers that the Prince has been visiting Rapunzel and begs Rapunzel to stay with her ("Stay with Me"). When she refuses, the Witch angrily cuts off Rapunzel's hair and banishes her to a desert. The Mysterious Man gives the Baker the money to buy another cow, and Jack, goaded by Little Red Ridinghood, who is now sporting a wolf skin cape and a knife for protection, returns once again to the Giant's home to steal a magical harp.
Cinderella's Prince spreads pitch on the stairs of the castle to try to capture her. She escapes, but leaves one of her slippers "On the Steps of the Palace" as a clue to her identity. The Baker's Wife tries to trade her own shoes and the last bean for Cinderella's one slipper; Cinderella throws the bean aside, but trades shoes with the Baker's wife and flees. The Baker arrives with another cow, and they now have all four items. A great crash is heard and Jack's mother reports that a Giant has fallen from the beanstalk and is dead in her backyard. The Witch discovers that the new cow is not pure white — it is covered with flour. However, the Witch revives Milky-White, and the Baker and his Wife feed the items to her. Jack milks her, but no milk comes. The Baker's Wife reveals that the hair is Rapunzel's, and the Witch furiously explains that the magic will not work, because the Witch has already touched Rapunzel's hair. The Mysterious Man tells the Baker to feed the hair-like corn silk to the cow. Now Milky-White gives milk, which is the potion. The Witch reveals that the Mysterious Man is the Baker's father, but the Man dies before the Baker can talk to him. The curse is broken, and the Witch is restored to youth and beauty, which were lost when her magic beans were stolen.
Cinderella's Prince finds Cinderella, whose foot fits the slipper, and she becomes the Prince's bride. Rapunzel has borne twins, and she and her Prince are reunited. The Witch attempts to curse the couple, only to find that her powers have been lost. At Cinderella's wedding to the Prince, the stepsisters are blinded by birds as they try to win Cinderella's favor. Everyone but the Witch and the stepsisters congratulate themselves on being able to live happily "Ever After", though they fail to notice another beanstalk growing sky-high in the background.
Act II
Later all the characters seem happy but are, ironically, still wishing: The Baker and his Wife have their precious baby boy, but wish for more room; Jack and his mother are rich and well-fed, but Jack misses his kingdom in the sky; and Cinderella is living with her Prince Charming in the Palace, but is getting bored ("So Happy").
Suddenly, everyone is knocked over by an enormous crash, and enormous footprints have destroyed the Witch's garden, sparing only a few beans. The Baker and his Wife decide that they must tell the Royal Family, and they safely escort Little Red Ridinghood to her grandmother's house after her mother was killed by the Giant. Jack decides that he must slay the Giant and Cinderella learns from her bird friends that her mother's grave was disturbed and decides to investigate ("Into the Woods" Reprise). While everyone else is drawn back into the woods to deal with the new threats, the two Princes have grown bored with their marriages and now lust after two new princesses — Snow White and Sleeping Beauty ("Agony" Reprise). Rapunzel becomes hysterical and flees.
The Baker, his Wife and Little Red Ridinghood get lost in the Woods and find the Witch, who brings news that their houses have been destroyed, and the Royal Family and the Steward, who reveal that the castle was set upon by the Giant. The Giant then appears; this Giant is a woman, the widow of the Giant that Jack killed by chopping down the beanstalk. The Giant's booming voice proclaims that she wants Jack's blood in revenge. To satisfy the Giantess, everyone offers her the narrator as a sacrifice, until they realize how lost they would be without him. Nevertheless, the Witch throws him into the Giant's arms and he is killed. Jack's mother finds the group and aggressively defends her son, angering the Giant's widow, and the Steward clubs Jack's mother to make her be quiet, inadvertently killing her. The Giantess leaves to search for Jack, and Rapunzel runs underneath the Giantess and is trampled, to the horror of the Witch and her Prince ("Witch's Lament").
The Witch declares she will find Jack and sacrifice him to the Giantess, and the Baker and his Wife decide they must find him first and split up to search. The Baker's Wife meets Cinderella's Prince, and he seduces the willing Wife ("Any Moment"). Meanwhile, the Baker discovers Cinderella at her mother's destroyed grave and convinces her to join their group for safety. The Prince, satisfied, leaves the Baker's Wife with a few platitudes, and she realizes her error and decides to return to her happy life with the Baker and their son ("Moments in the Woods") just moments before being accidentally crushed by the angry Giantess.
The Baker, Little Red Ridinghood, and Cinderella await the return of the Baker's Wife when The Witch drags in Jack. The Baker, grief-stricken when he learns of his wife's death, unwittingly agrees to give Jack to the Giantess, causing an argument. The characters first blame each other for their predicament, until finally they all decide to blame the Witch for growing the beans in the first place ("Your Fault"). Disgusted, the Witch curses them, throws away the rest of her magic beans, reactivating her mother's curse and making her vanish ("Last Midnight").
The grieving Baker flees but is visited by his father's spirit, who convinces him to face his responsibilities ("No More"). The Baker returns and helps plan to kill the Giantess, using Cinderella's bird friends to peck out the Giant's eyes at an area smeared with pitch, where Jack and the Baker can finally deliver a fatal blow. Cinderella confronts her unfaithful Prince, and they tearfully separate. Little Red returns with the news that her grandmother has been killed by the Giantess. The Baker tells Jack that his mother is dead. Jack vows to kill the steward in revenge, until the Baker convinces him that killing the steward will not benefit anyone. Cinderella comforts Little Red and tries to answer her qualms that killing the giant makes them no better than she is, while the Baker explains to Jack his inability to say what is really morally correct ("No One Is Alone").
The four remaining characters slay the Giant, and each of the previously deceased characters returns to describe the lesson they learned. The survivors plan to rebuild their lives together, and The Baker's Wife returns (in the form of a spirit) to give her husband one final lesson: Tell their child the story of the Woods; actions have consequences — even for future generations. The Baker begins to tell the story as the Witch appears, with the final moral: Be careful what you pass on to your children ("Children Will Listen"). All join in on a last reprise of the title song, surmising that we all must venture Into the Woods, but never to forget the past ("Finale"). Cinderella ends with: "I wish..."
Productions
Original Broadway production
Into the Woods premiered at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, on December 4, 1986 and ran for 50 performances under the direction of James Lapine.[3] Many of the performers from that production were in the Broadway cast. John Cunningham, who played the Narrator, Wolf and Steward, was replaced by Tom Aldredge, who played the Narrator and Mysterious Man. LuAnne Ponce, who played Little Red Ridinghood, was replaced by Danielle Ferland. Ellen Foley, the Witch, was replaced by Bernadette Peters.
The musical opened on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on November 5, 1987, and closed on September 3, 1989 after 764 performances. It starred Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Kim Crosby, Ben Wright, Danielle Ferland, Chuck Wagner, Merle Louise, Tom Aldredge, and Robert Westenberg. The musical was directed by James Lapine, with musical staging by Lar Lubovitch, settings by Tony Straiges, lighting by Richard Nelson, and costumes by Ann Hould-Ward (based on original concepts by Patricia Zipprodt and Ann Hould-Ward). The original production won the 1988 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award and the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical, and the original cast recording won a Grammy Award. Joanna Gleason won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and James Lapine (book) and Stephen Sondheim (original score) also won the Tony Award.
Peters left the show after five months due to prior commitments and was replaced by Phylicia Rashad, who was later replaced by Nancy Dussault. In 1989, Betsy Joslyn took over for Ms. Dussault, then left to join the national tour, and Ellen Foley returned to the role of the Witch at the end of the run.
Tenth Anniversary benefit performances of this production were held on November 9, 1997 at The Broadway Theatre (New York), with the original cast.[4]
The original production was taped in May 1989 and was broadcast on U.S. public television on March 20, 1991. This version has since been released on DVD.
1988 U.S. tour
The United States tour began on November 22, 1988 with Cleo Laine playing the Witch, replaced by Betsy Joslyn in May 1989. Rex Robbins played the Narrator and Mysterious Man, Charlotte Rae played Jack's Mother, and the Princes were played by Chuck Wagner and Douglas Sills. The tour played cities around the country, such as Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Los Angeles, California, Atlanta, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[5][6]
Original London production
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The original London production opened on September 25, 1990 at the Phoenix Theatre and closed on February 23, 1991 after 197 performances. It was directed by Richard Jones, choreographed by Anthony Van Laast, and produced by David Mirvish, with costumes by Sue Blane and orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. It starred Clive Carter (Wolf, Cinderella's Prince), who was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award, and Imelda Staunton as the Baker's Wife, who won an Olivier Award for her performance. Julia McKenzie played the Witch, and Nicholas Parsons the Narrator. Some story aspects and one song that were cut from the original production were added to the London production. The song "Our Little World" was added.[7] This song was a duet sung between the Witch and Rapunzel giving further insight into the care the Witch has for her self-proclaimed daughter and the desire Rapunzel has to see the world outside of her tower.
1998 London revival
A new intimate production of the show opened (billed as the first London revival) at the Donmar Warehouse on 16 November 1998, closing on 13 February 1999. This revival was directed by John Crowley and designed by his brother, Bob Crowley. The cast included Clare Burt as the Witch, Nick Holder as the Baker, Sophie Thompson as the Baker's Wife, Jenna Russell as Cinderella, Sheridan Smith as Little Red Ridinghood and Frank Middlemass as the Narrator/Mysterious Man.[8]Russell later appeared as the Baker's Wife in the 2010 Regent's Park production. Thompson won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance, while the production itself was nominated for Outstanding Musical Production.
2002 Broadway revival
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A revival opened at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, running from February 1, 2002 to March 24, 2002. This production was directed and choreographed, with the same principal cast, which later ran on Broadway.[9]
The 2002 Broadway revival, directed by James Lapine and choreographed by John Carrafa, began previews on April 13, 2002 and opened April 30, 2002 at the Broadhurst Theatre, closing on December 29 after a run of 18 previews and 279 regular performances. It starred Vanessa L. Williams as the Witch, the recorded voice of Judi Dench as the Giant, and cast including John McMartin (Narrator), Stephen DeRosa (the Baker), Gregg Edelman (Cinderella's Prince/Wolf), Christopher Sieber (Rapunzel's Prince/Wolf), Molly Ephraim (Little Red Ridinghood), and Laura Benanti (Cinderella).
The plot was retooled, with a subplot added involving a cameo appearance of the Three Little Pigs restored from the earlier San Diego production.[10] [11][12] Other changes included the addition of the song "Our Little World," a duet between the Witch and Rapunzel that was part of the London production; Jack's cow was a puppet with a live performer, Chad Kimball, inside who dances; "The Last Midnight" was sung by the Witch as a menacing lullaby to the Baker's baby held hostage.[12] There were two Wolves rather than only one, sung by the two performers who also play the Princes, symbolic of their insatiable appetites.[10]
The revival won the Tony Awards for the Best Revival of a Musical and Best Lighting Design.[13] This Broadway revival wardrobe is on display at the Costume World Broadway Collection in South Florida.
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, 2010
The Olivier Award winning Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production, directed by Timothy Sheader and Choreographed by Liam Steel, ran for a six week limited season from 6 August to 11 September 2010. The cast included Hannah Waddingham as the Witch, Jenna Russell as the Baker’s wife, Helen Dallimore as Cinderella, and Judi Dench as the recorded voice of the Giant. Gareth Valentine was the Musical Director.[14] The musical was performed outdoors in a wooded area. Whilst the book remained mostly unchanged, the subtext of the plot was dramatically altered by casting the role of the Narrator as a young school boy lost in the woods following a family argument – a device used to further illustrate the musical’s themes of parenting and adolescence.
The production opened to wide critical acclaim, much of the press commenting on the effectiveness of the open air setting. The Telegraph reviewer, for example, wrote: "It is an inspired idea to stage this show in the magical, sylvan surroundings of Regent’s Park, and designer Soutra Gilmour has come up with a marvellously rickety, adventure playground of a set, all ladders, stairs and elevated walkways, with Rapunzel discovered high up in a tree."[15] The New York Times reviewer commented: "The natural environment makes for something genuinely haunting and mysterious as night falls on the audience..."[16] Sondheim attended twice, reportedly extremely pleased with the production. The production also won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.
Other productions
- 1998 Melbourne Theatre Company production
This production played from 17 January 1998 to 21 February 1998 at the Playhouse, Victorian Arts Centre. It starred Rhonda Burchmore, John McTernan, Gina Riley, Lisa McCune, Peter Carroll, Anthony Weigh, Tamsin Carroll and Robert Grubb.[17]
- 2007 Royal Opera House production
A revival at the Royal Opera House's Linbury Studio in Covent Garden had a limited run from June 14 through June 30, 2007.[18][19] This is the second Sondheim musical to be staged by the company, following 2003's Sweeney Todd. This production featured Beverley Klein (Witch), Clive Rowe (Baker), and Gary Waldhorn (Narrator).[20]
- 2007 Catalan production
Boscos endins was the Catalan adaptation by Joan Vives with the collaboration of Joan Lluís Bozzo. It was first presented by the Theatre Company Dagoll Dagom in Girona at the Festival Temporada Alta on November 22, 2007, and in January it was held at Teatre Victòria, in Avinguda del Paral·lel, Barcelona.[21]
- 2009/10 London Production
In December 2010 the show was presented at the Bloomsbury Theatre London by the UCLU Musical Theatre Society in a brand new production. Produced by Alicia Bennett and directed by Dom O'Hanlon the show was personally supported by Stephen Sondheim and praised for its new interpretation. The production was selected to be performed as part of the Sunday Times National Student Drama Festival 2010 in Scarborough, featuring the original cast and orchestra at the Spa Theatre, Scarborough in April 2010.
- 2011 Singapore production
The 2011 Singapore production presented by Dream Academy ran from 29 July to 7 August 2011.[22] Directed by Glen Goei, it featured Ria Jones (Witch), Adrian Pang (Baker), Selena Tan (Baker's Wife), Sebastian Tan (Jack), Emma Yong (Cinderella), Denise Tan (Little Red Riding Hood) and Lim Kay Siu (narrator)
- 2011 Santa Ana production
The Mysterium Theater presented the production directed by Marla Ladd ran from August 18 to September 24.[23]
Adaptations
Junior version
The musical has been adapted into a child-friendly version for use by schools, with the second act completely removed, as well as certain elements from the first. The show is shortened from the original 3-plus hours to fit in a 60 to 80 minute range, and the music transposed into keys that more easily fit young voices.[24]
Film
In October 1994, a reading of a screenplay (written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel) was held at the home of director Penny Marshall, with a cast that included Robin Williams as The Baker, Goldie Hawn as The Baker's Wife, Cher as The Witch, Danny DeVito as The Giant, Steve Martin as The Wolf,[25] and Roseanne Barr as Jack's Mother. In late 1995, Daily Variety reported that Jim Henson Prods. and Storyline Entertainment would be producing the movie, with director Rob Minkoff. In January 1997, Daily Variety reported that the projected film was put in "turnaround" by Columbia Pictures, still with director Rob Minkoff; that two new songs were written by Sondheim for the film; and that Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan and Susan Sarandon were in talks to star.[26] However, more recent information about Storyline's upcoming projects no longer count the film among them.[27][28]
Casting history
The principal casts of notable productions of Into the Woods
| Role | Original Broadway production 1987 |
London production 1990 |
Broadway revival 2002 |
London revival 2007 |
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production 2010[29] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Tom Aldredge | Nicholas Parsons | John McMartin | Gary Waldhorn | Ethan Beer, Eddie Manning, Joshua Swinney |
| Cinderella | Kim Crosby | Jacqui Dankworth | Laura Benanti | Gillian Kirkpatrick | Helen Dallimore |
| Jack | Ben Wright | Richard Dempsey | Adam Wylie | Peter Caulfield | Ben Stott |
| Baker | Chip Zien | Ian Bartholomew | Stephen DeRosa | Clive Rowe | Mark Hadfield |
| Baker's Wife | Joanna Gleason | Imelda Staunton | Kerry O'Malley | Anna Francolini | Jenna Russell |
| Cinderella's Stepmother | Joy Franz | Ann Howard | Pamela Myers | Elizabeth Brice | Gaye Brown |
| Florinda | Kay McClelland | Elizabeth Brice | Tracy Nicole Chapman | Louise Bowden | Amy Ellen Richardson |
| Lucinda | Lauren Mitchell | Liza Sadovy | Amanda Naughton | Lara Pulver | Amy Griffiths |
| Jack's Mother | Barbara Bryne | Patsy Rowlands | Marylouise Burke | Anne Reid | Marilyn Cutts |
| Little Red Ridinghood | Danielle Ferland | Tessa Burbridge | Molly Ephraim | Suzanne Toase | Beverly Rudd |
| Witch | Bernadette Peters | Julia McKenzie | Vanessa L. Williams | Beverly Klein | Hannah Waddingham |
| Cinderella's Father | Edmund Lyndeck | John Rogan | Dennis Kelly | Martin Nelson | |
| Cinderella's Mother | Merle Louise | Eunice Gayson[30] | Laura Benanti[31] | Gemma Wardle | Gemma Wardle |
| Mysterious Man | Tom Aldredge | John Rogan | John McMartin | Martin Nelson | Billy Boyle |
| Wolf | Robert Westenberg | Clive Carter | Gregg Edelman & Christopher Sieber |
Nicholas Garrett | Michael Xavier |
| Rapunzel | Pamela Winslow | Mary Lincoln | Melissa Dye | Christina Haldane | Alice Fearn |
| Rapunzel's Prince | Chuck Wagner | Mark Tinkler | Christopher Sieber | Nic Greenshields | Simon Thomas |
| Grandmother | Merle Louise | Eunice Gayson | Pamela Myers | Linda Hibberd | Valda Aviks |
| Cinderella's Prince | Robert Westenberg | Clive Carter | Gregg Edelman | Nicholas Garrett | Michael Xavier |
| Steward | Philip Hoffman | Peter Ledbury | Trent Armand Kendall | Byron Watson | Mark Goldthorp |
| Giant | Merle Louise | Eunice Gayson | Judi Dench (voice) | Linda Hibberd | Judi Dench (pre-recorded voice)[32] |
| Snow White | Jean Louisa Kelly | Megan Kelly | Sophie Caton | ||
| Sleeping Beauty | Maureen Davis | Kate Arneil | Jennifer Malenke | ||
| Milky White | Chad Kimball | ||||
| Harp | Sophie Caton |
Musical numbers
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Analysis of book and music
In most productions of Into the Woods, including the original Broadway production, several parts are doubled. Cinderella's Prince and the Wolf, who share the characteristic of being unable to control their appetites, are played by the same actor. Similarly, the Narrator and the Mysterious Man, who share the characteristic of commenting on the story while avoiding any personal involvement or responsibility, are played by the same actor. Granny and Cinderella's Mother, whose characters are both matriarchal characters in the story, are also typically played by the same person, who also gives voice to the nurturing but later murderous Giant's Wife.
The show covers multiple themes: growing up, parents and children, accepting responsibility, morality, and finally, wish fulfillment and its consequences.[33] William A. Henry III wrote that the play's "basic insight ... is at heart, most fairy tales are about the loving yet embattled relationship between parents and children. Almost everything that goes wrong — which is to say, almost everything that can — arises from a failure of parental or filial duty, despite the best intentions."[34] Stephen Holden writes that the themes of the show include parent-child relationships and the individual's responsibility to the community. The witch isn't just a scowling old hag, but a key symbol of moral ambivalence. James Lapine said that the most unpleasant person (the Witch) would have the truest things to say and the "nicer" people would be less honest.[35] In the Witch's words: "I'm not good; I'm not nice; I'm just right."
The score is also notable in Sondheim's output, because of its intricate reworking and development of small musical motifs. In particular, the opening words, "I wish", are set to the interval of a rising major second and this small unit is both repeated and developed throughout the show, just as Lapine's book explores the consequences of self-interest and "wishing." The dialogue in the show is characterized by the heavy use of syncopated speech. In many instances, the characters' lines are delivered with a fixed beat that follows natural speech rhythms, but is also purposely composed in eighth, sixteenth, and quarter note rhythms as part of a spoken song. Like many Sondheim/Lapine productions, the songs contain thought-process narrative, where characters converse or think aloud.
Sondheim drew on parts of his troubled childhood when writing the show. In 1987, he told Time magazine that the "father uncomfortable with babies [was] his father, and [the] mother who regrets having had children [was] his mother."[36]
The music is scored for 1 Flute/Piccolo, 1 Clarinet (A and Bb), 1 Bassoon, 2 Horns, 1 Trumpet, 2 Violins, 2 violas, 1 Cello, 1 Bass, 1 Piano, 1 Synthesizer, Percussions and a Piano-Conductor.
Awards and nominations
Original Broadway production
Original London production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Director of a Musical | Richard Jones | Won | ||
| Best Actor in a Musical | Ian Bartholomew | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Imelda Staunton | Won | ||
| Julia McKenzie | Nominated | |||
| Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Clive Carter | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Sue Blane | Nominated | ||
1999 London revival
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Laurence Olivier Award | Outstanding Musical Production | Nominated | |
| Best Actress in a Musical | Sophie Thompson | Won | ||
2002 Broadway revival
2011 London revival
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Musical Revival | Won | |
| Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Michael Xavier | Nominated | ||
References
- ^ Production summary and links
- ^ The Sondheim score differs from the Brothers Grimm tale by rendering "Riding Hood" as "Ridinghood"
- ^ "Into the Woods' listing, Old Globe Theatre, 1986 sondheimguide.com, retrieved April 17, 2010
- ^ "Concert, Tenth Anniversary" sondheimguide.com
- ^ Sondheim Guide / Into the Woods
- ^ USA TODAY, David Patrick Stearns, January 26, 1989, pg. 4D
- ^ "1990 London Production" sondheimguide.com, accessed March 26, 2011
- ^ "Archive Page for 'Into the Woods'", Albemarle of London
- ^ "2002 Los Angeles Production" sondheimguide.com, accessed July 1, 2011
- ^ a b Reviving the Woods (2002)" sondheim.com, accessed March 26, 2011
- ^ O'Haire, Patricia."'Woods' Path Takes New Twists"New York Daily News, January 9, 2002
- ^ a b Pressley, Nelson. "A Spruced-Up 'Into the Woods' Grows on Broadway", The Washington Post, May 1, 2002, p. C1
- ^ "2002 revival production information" sondheimguide.com
- ^ Shenton, Mark."New London Production of Into the Woods Opens at Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park Aug. 16" playbill.com, August 2010
- ^ Spencer, Charles."'Into the Woods', Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, review" telegraph.co.uk, 17 August 2010
- ^ Wolf, Matt."Playing Sondheim in the Woods" nytimes.com, August 24, 2010
- ^ [1]
- ^ Into the Woods at the Royal Opera House
- ^ Billington, Michael (June 20, 2007). "Into the Woods". The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
- ^ Nathan, John."Francolini and Waldhorn Cast in Royal Opera House 'Into the Woods'" playbill.com, May 10, 2007
- ^ 2007 Catalan production
- ^ [2]
- ^ Mysterium Theater
- ^ "Into the Woods Junior". www.mtishows.com. Music Theatre International.
- ^ Cerasaro, Pat."Stephen Sondheim Talks Past, Present & Future" broadwayworld.com, November 3, 2010
- ^ Michael Fleming, January 23, 1997, Daily Variety
- ^ Sondheim Guide / Unproduced Projects
- ^ "Zadan and Meron Projects Include Peter Pan TV Movie and New Stage Musical", Aug. 6, 2007
- ^ 'Into the Woods' Cast, 2010 openairtheatre.org
- ^ "1990 London Production Cast". The Stephen Sondheim Reference Guide. pp. Into the Woods. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ^ Playbill News: Cinderella and Her Mother: Benanti Does Double Duty in Into the Woods ; Prepares Solo CD
- ^ Stenton, Mark.Judi Dench to Provide Voice of Giant in New London Production of Into the Woods'" playbill.com, June 18, 2010
- ^ Liner Notes, Into the Woods CD, Sheryl Flatow, 1988, RCA Victor 6796-2-RC
- ^ Time Magazine, November 16, 1987.
- ^ Holden, Stephen."A Fairy-Tale Musical Grows Up"The New York Times, November 1, 1987
- ^ Henry, William A, III (1987-12-07). "Master of the Musical; Stephen Sondheim Applies a Relentless". Time. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
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External links
