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Synopsis. “Be careful what you wish for” seems to be the ongoing theme in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Brothers Grimm inspired musical, Into the Woods. The story follows The Baker and his wife who wish to have a child, Cinderella who wishes to go the King’s Festival, and Jack who wishes his cow would give some milk.
Back into the woods they go - except Cinderella's and Rapunzel's Princes who, marital bliss notwithstanding, have come across Sleeping Beauty and the equally unwakeable Snow White, two new maidens who again have them in Agony. But, for one of them, there'll be no need for a messy divorce.
- Plot
- Productions
- Adaptations
Act I
The Narrator introduces four groups of characters: Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King's festival; Jack who wishes his cow, Milky White, would give milk; a Baker and his Wife, who wish to have a child; and Little Red Ridinghood, who wishes for bread to bring for her Granny. The Baker's neighbor, an ugly old Witch, reveals the couple is infertile from a curse she cast on his father for stealing her vegetables, including magic beans. The Witch took the baker’s father’s child, Rapunzel. Sh...
Act II
The Narrator continues, "Once Upon a Time... Later." Everyone still has wishes--the Baker and his Wife face new frustrations with their infant son, newly rich Jack misses the kingdom in the sky, Cinderella is bored with life in the palace ("So Happy")--but they are relatively content. With a tremendous crash, a Giant's foot destroys the Witch's garden, and damages the Baker's home. The Baker travels to the palace, but his warning is ignored by the Prince's Steward, and by Jack's Mother. Retur...
Pre-Broadway San Diego production
Into the Woodspremiered at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, on December 4, 1986, and ran for 50 performances, under the direction of James Lapine. Many of the performers from that production appeared in the Broadway cast, except for John Cunningham as the Narrator/Wolf/Steward, George Coe as the Mysterious Man/Cinderella's Father, Kenneth Marshall as Cinderella's Prince, LuAnne Ponce as Little Red Ridinghood, and Ellen Foley as the Witch. Kay McClelland who played both Rapunzel...
Original Broadway production
Into the Woodsopened on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on November 5, 1987, and closed on September 3, 1989, after 765 performances. It starred Bernadette Peters as the Witch, Joanna Gleason as the Baker’s Wife, Chip Zien as the Baker, Robert Westenberg as the Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince, Tom Aldredge as the Narrator/Mysterious Man, Kim Crosby as Cinderella, Danielle Ferland as Little Red Ridinghood, Ben Wright as Jack, Chuck Wagner as Rapunzel’s Prince, Barbara Bryne as Jack’s Mother, Pame...
1988 US tour production
A United States tour began on November 22, 1988, with Cleo Laine playing the Witch, Rex Robbins playing the Narrator and Mysterious Man, Ray Gill and Mary Gordon Murray played the Baker and his Wife, Kathleen Rowe McAllen played Cinderella, the Princes were played by Chuck Wagner (Who also played the Wolf) and Douglas Sills, Robert Duncan McNeill and Charlotte Rae played Jack and his Mother, Marcus Olson played the Steward, and Susan Gordon Clark reprised her role as Florinda from the Broadwa...
Junior version
The musical has been adapted into a child-friendly version for use by schools and young companies, with the second act completely removed, as well as almost half the material from the first. The show is shortened from the original 2 and a half hours to fit in a 50-minute range, and the music transposed into keys that more easily fit young voices.
Film
Main article: Into the Woods (film) A theatrical film adaptation of the musical was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Rob Marshall, and starring Meryl Streep as the Witch, Emily Blunt as the Baker's Wife, James Corden as the Baker, Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince, Daniel Huttlestone as Jack, Lilla Crawford as Little Red Ridinghood, Tracey Ullman as Jack's Mother, Billy Magnussen as Rapunzel's Prince, Christine Baranski as Cinderella's Stepmother, Mac...
Into the Woods is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests.
Jun 30, 2024 · Into the Woods was performed by students from the Royal Academy of Music’s Musical Theatre Company at the Susie Sainsbury Theatre, London. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ There are giants in the sky but none left a deeper imprint on musical theatre or resonated so enduringly with aspiring young performers as Stephen Sondheim.
Into The Woods Welcome to Into The Woods. We hope that this study guide will help you further your understanding and enjoyment of one of Stephen Sondheim’s most popular musicals. The Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival has a strong belief in the relationship between the actor and the audience because, without either one, there is no theater.
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Into the Woods, witty and whimsical stage musical by composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim and playwright-director James Lapine that combines the plots of familiar fairy tales.
