Musical (1987)


Musique: Stephen Sondheim
Paroles: Stephen Sondheim
Livret: James Lapine
Production à la création:

The story of a baker and his wife who will be granted their wish for a child if they can deliver Cinderella's slipper, Red Riding Hood's cape, Rapunzel's long hair and Jack's cow to the wicked witch.

Act I
With the words "Once Upon a Time", 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 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. All begin their journeys into the woods — Jack goes to the market to sell his beloved pet Milky White, Cinderella's family goes to the Festival, Cinderella to her mother's grave to ask for guidance, Little Red 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 golden slippers from her mother's spirit (Cinderella at the Grave). Jack encounters a Mysterious Man, who mocks him for trying to sell his cow for more than a "sack of beans" and then vanishes. Little Red Ridinghood meets a hungry wolf who convinces her to take a detour on her way to Granny's, and then dashes off to consume the old woman (Hello, Little Girl). The Baker sees Little Red in the woods and when the Witch appears, screaming at him to get the red cape, she frightens him so much he forgets the ingredients he needs. Luckily his Wife, who followed him into the forest, reminds him. They are squabbling over her presence when they come across Jack with Milky-White. Not having the money necessary to buy the cow, they convince Jack that the beans the baker has found in his father's old hunting jacket are "magic", and buy the cow for five of them. Jack bids a tearful goodbye to his cow (I Guess This Is Goodbye), and the Baker orders his Wife to return to the village with the cow. He has qualms about being so dishonest, but his wife reasons that the end justifies the beans (Maybe They're Magic)
Meanwhile, it is revealed that the Witch has raised Rapunzel as her own daughter, keeping her locked away from the world in a tall tower in the middle of the woods, accessible only by climbing Rapunzel's long, golden hair (Our Little World). However, a handsome Prince spies the beautiful Rapunzel, and resolves to climb the tower himself. In another part of the wood, the Baker has tracked down Little Red Ridinghood. Following the Witch's advice, he attempts to simply steal the red cape, but her ensuing temper tantrum guilts him into returning it. When the girl arrives at her grandmother's house, she is swallowed by the Wolf. The Baker in pursuit of the cape, slays the Wolf, pulling Little Red and her grandmother from the beast's innards. Little Red rewards him with the red cape, boasting of her new experiences (I Know Things Now). Meanwhile, Jack's mother angrily tosses the beans aside and sends her son to bed without supper. As Cinderella flees the festival, pursued by another handsome prince and his steward, the Wife helps her hide and quizzes Cinderella about the ball. Cinderella explains that it was a nice ball with "A Very Nice Prince", but seems fairly ambivalent about the experience. As a giant beanstalk begins to sprout from the ground next to Jack's cottage, the Wife spots Cinderella's pure gold slippers. She tries to chase after Cinderella, inadvertently allowing Milky-White to run off, leaving the Wife without the slippers and the cow. The characters each state morals and credos as the First Midnight chimes (First Midnight) and they continue their journeys through the woods.
The next morning, 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, meet and compare the misery of their new-found and unobtainable loves (Agony). The Baker's wife, who is eavesdropping, 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 pulls out a piece of it. 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 Rapunzel 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 magic 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 slipper; Cinderella throws the bean aside, but trades shoes with the Baker's wife and flees. The Baker arrives with another cow; 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. The Witch drinks the potion and suddenly the Mysterious Man falls dead, his reparation complete. The curse is broken, and the old ugly Witch is again young and beautiful.
Cinderella's Prince searches for the girl whose foot fits the slipper; the stepsisters try but can only get it on by cutting off parts of their feet, then Cinderella appears, her foot fits the slipper, and she becomes the Prince's bride. Rapunzel has borne twins in the desert where her Prince finds her. 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 a loud 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 but first 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, Rapunzel has fled there in a hysterical fit, her treatment at the hands of the Witch having driven her into madness. Her Prince has followed her, but when he encounters his brother they each confess they have another reason for their presence in the woods: they have grown bored and frustrated with their marriages and now lust after two beautiful women asleep in the woods - Snow White and Sleeping Beauty (Agony (Reprise)).
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. Her 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 Giantess's arms and he is killed. Jack's mother finds the group and aggressively defends her son, angering the Giantess, and the Steward clubs Jack's mother to quiet her, 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 Giant, 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 easily seduces the 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 stays behind to protect the Baker's child, when her Prince appears and explains his reasons for seducing another woman. Feeling both hurt and angry, she demands that he leave her. 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 (save the Princes, the Steward, and the Royal Family) 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..."

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. Granny and Cinderella's Mother, who 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. The Time Magazine reviewers 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." Stephen Holden wrote 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. 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."


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. The majority of the performers from that production appeared in the Broadway cast but John Cunningham, who played the Narrator, Wolf and Steward and George Coe, as the Mysterious Man and Cinderella's Father were replaced by Tom Aldredge, who played the Narrator and Mysterious Man. Kenneth Marshall as Cinderella's Prince was replaced by Robert Westenberg (who also played the Wolf), LuAnne Ponce, who played Little Red Ridinghood, was replaced by Danielle Ferland, Ellen Foley, the Witch, was replaced by Bernadette Peters. Kay McClelland, who played both Rapunzel and the Stepsister Florinda, stayed with the cast but only played Florinda, Rapunzel being played by Pamela Winslow.
The musical opened on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on November 5, 1987, and closed on September 3, 1989 after 765 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. The show was nominated for ten Tony Awards, and won three: Best Score (Stephen Sondheim), Best Book (James Lapine) and Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason).
Peters left the show after almost five months due to a prior commitment to film the movie Slaves of New York. The Witch was then played by: Betsy Joslyn (from March 30, 1988); Phylicia Rashād (from April 14, 1988); Betsy Joslyn (from July 5, 1988); Nancy Dussault (from December 13, 1988); and Ellen Foley (from August 1, 1989 until the closing).
Other cast replacements included Dick Cavett as the Narrator (as of July 19, 1988) (for a temporary engagement after which Tom Aldredge returned), Edmund Lyndeck as the Mysterious Man, Patricia Ben Peterson as Cinderella, LuAnne Ponce returning to the role of Little Red Ridinghood, Jeff Blumenkrantz as Jack, Marin Mazzie as Rapunzel (as of March 7, 1989) and Kay McClelland, Lauren Mitchell, Cynthia Sikes and Mary Gordon Murray as the Baker's Wife.
In May 1989, the original cast (with the exception of Jean Louisa Kelly in the minor role of Snow White) reunited for one performance, which was filmed and broadcast on U.S. public television on March 20, 1991. This version (which featured pick-up shots filmed in an empty theater) has since been released on DVD.
Tenth Anniversary benefit performances of this production were held on November 9, 1997 at The Broadway Theatre (New York), with most of original cast. Original cast understudies Chuck Wagner and Jeff Blumenkrantz played Cinderella's Prince/Wolf and The Steward in place of Robert Westenburg and Philip Hoffmann and Jonathan Dokuchitz (who joined the broadway production as an understudy in 1989) played Rapunzel's Prince in place of Mr. Wagner. This concert featured the duet "Our Little World," written for the first London production of the show.

1988 US tour
A 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 10-month tour played cities around the country, such as Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. The tour ran at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from June 1989 to July 16, 1989, with the reviewer for The Washington Post writing: "his lovely score -- poised between melody and dissonance -- is the perfect measure of our tenuous condition. The songs invariably follow the characters' thinking patterns, as they weigh their options and digest their experience. Needless to say, that doesn't make for traditional show-stoppers. But it does make for vivacity of another kind. And Sondheim's lyrics...are brilliant.... I think you'll find these cast members alert and engaging."

Original London production
The original West End 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, and produced by David Mirvish, with choreography by Anthony Van Laast, costumes by Sue Blane and orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. The cast featured Julia McKenzie as the Witch, Ian Bartholomew as the Baker, Imelda Staunton as the Baker's Wife and Clive Carter as the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince. The show received seven Olivier Award nominations in 1991, winning for Best Actress in a Musical (Staunton) and Best Director of a Musical (Jones).
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. 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. The overall feel of the show was a lot darker to that of the original Broadway production. Critic Michael Billington wrote "But the evening's triumph belongs also to director Richard Jones, set designer Richard Hudson and costume designer Sue Blane who evoke exactly the right mood of haunted theatricality. Old-fashioned footlights give the faces a sinister glow. The woods themselves are a semi-circular, black-and-silver screen punctuated with nine doors and a crazy clock: they achieve exactly the 'agreeable terror' of Gustave Dore's children's illustrations. And the effects are terrific: doors open to reveal the rotating magnified eyeball or the admonitory finger of the predatory giant."

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. 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
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.
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, John McMartin as the Narrator, Stephen DeRosa as the Baker, Kerry O'Malley as the Baker's Wife, Gregg Edelman as Cinderella's Prince/Wolf, Christopher Sieber as Rapunzel's Prince/Wolf, Molly Ephraim as Little Red Ridinghood, Adam Wylie as Jack and Laura Benanti as Cinderella. Judi Dench provided the pre-recorded voice of the Giant.
Lapine revised the script slightly for this production, with a cameo appearance of the Three Little Pigs restored from the earlier San Diego production. Other changes, apart from numerous small dialogue changes, included the addition of the song "Our Little World," a duet for the Witch and Rapunzel written for the first London production, the addition of a second wolf in the song "Hello Little Girl" who competes for Little Red's attention with the first Wolf, the portrayal of Jack's cow by a live performer (Chad Kimball) in an intricate costume and new lyrics were written for "The Last Midnight," now sung by the Witch as a menacing lullaby to the Baker's baby.
The revival won the Tony Awards for the Best Revival of a Musical and Best Lighting Design. This Broadway revival wardrobe is on display at the Costume World Broadway Collection in South Florida.

London Royal Opera House, 2007
A revival at the Royal Opera House's Linbury Studio in Covent Garden had a limited run from June 14 through June 30, 2007 followed by a short stint at The Lowry theatre, Salford Quays, Manchester between 4–7 July. The production mixed Opera singers, Musical Theatre actors as well as Film and television actors; including Anne Reid as Jack's Mother and Gary Waldhorn as the Narrator. The production itself, directed by Will Tuckett, was met with mixed reviews; although there were clear stand out performances.
The production completey sold out three weeks before opening. As this was an 'Opera' production, the show and its performers were overlooked for the 'Musical' nominations in the 2008 Olivier Awards. This production featured Suzie Toase (Little Red), Peter Caulfield (Jack), Beverley Klein (Witch), Anna Francolini (Baker's Wife), Clive Rowe (Baker), Nicholas Garrett (wolf) and Lara Pulver (Lucinda). This was the second Sondheim musical to be staged by the Opera House, following 2003's Sweeney Todd.

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. 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." The New York Times reviewer commented: "The natural environment makes for something genuinely haunting and mysterious as night falls on the audience..." Stephen Sondheim attended twice, reportedly extremely pleased with the production. The production also won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and Michael Xavier, who played Cinderella's Prince and the Wolf, was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical.
The production was recorded in its entirety and released for public download through Digital Theatre, an online video production company.

Public Theater, New York, 2012
The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production transferred to the Public Theater's 2012 summer series of free performances Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, New York, with an American cast as well as new designers. Sheader again is the director and Steel serves as co-director and choreographer. Performances were originally to run from July 24 (delayed from July 23 due to the weather) to August 25, 2012, but the show was extended till September 1, 2012. The cast included Amy Adams as The Baker's Wife, Donna Murphy as The Witch, Denis O'Hare as The Baker, Chip Zien as the Mysterious Man/Cinderella's Father, Jack Broderick as the young Narrator, Gideon Glick as Jack, Cooper Grodin as Rapunzel’s Prince, Ivan Hernandez as Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf, Tina Johnson as Granny, Josh Lamon as the Steward, Jessie Mueller as Cinderella, Laura Shoop as Cinderella’s Mother, Tess Soltau as Rapunzel and Glenn Close as the Voice of the Giant. The set was a "collaboration between original Open Air Theatre designer Soutra Gilmour and...John Lee Beatty, [and] rises over 50 feet in the air, with a series of tree-covered catwalks and pathways." The production was dedicated to Nora Ephron, who died earlier in 2012. In February 2012 and in May 2012, reports of a possible Broadway transfer surfaced with the production's principal actors in negotiations to reprise their roles. In January 2013, it was announced that the production will not transfer to Broadway due to scheduling conflicts.


Act I
"Act One Prologue" – Narrator, and Company (the Act One Prologue is divided into nine parts which are often viewed as individual songs)
"Cinderella at the Grave" – Cinderella, Cinderella's Mother
"Hello, Little Girl" – Wolf and Little Red Ridinghood (with second wolf and the three little pigs in 2002 revival)
"The Spell is On My House" (Reprise) – Baker and Baker's Wife
"I Guess This is Goodbye" – Jack
"Maybe They're Magic" – Baker and Baker's Wife
"Our Little World" – Witch and Rapunzel (added during the original London production)
"Maybe They're Magic" (Reprise) – Baker
"I Know Things Now" – Little Red Ridinghood
"A Very Nice Prince" – Cinderella and Baker's Wife
"First Midnight" – Company
"Giants in the Sky" – Jack
"Agony" – Cinderella's Prince and Rapunzel's Prince
"A Very Nice Prince" (Reprise) – Cinderella and Baker's Wife
"It Takes Two" – Baker and Baker's Wife
"Second Midnight" – Company
"Stay with Me" – Rapunzel and Witch
"On the Steps of the Palace" – Cinderella (with Jack and Little Red Ridinghood in 2002 revival)
"Act One Finale" – Company (the Act One Finale is divided into four parts which are often viewed as individual songs)

Act II
"Act Two Prologue" – Narrator and Company (the Act Two Prologue is divided into nine parts which are often viewed as individual songs)
"Agony" (Reprise) – Cinderella's Prince and Rapunzel's Prince
"Witch's Lament" – Witch
"Any Moment (Part 1)" – Cinderella's Prince and Baker's Wife
"Any Moment (Part 2)" – Cinderella's Prince and Baker's Wife
"Moments in the Woods" – Baker's Wife
"Your Fault" – Jack, Baker, Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood and Witch
"Last Midnight" – Witch
"No More" – Baker and Mysterious Man
"No One is Alone (Part 1)" – Cinderella and Little Red Ridinghood
"No One is Alone (Part 2)" – Cinderella, Baker, Little Red Ridinghood and Jack
"Act Two Finale" – Company (the finale is divided into four parts which are often viewed as individual songs)

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Into the woods

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Into the woods


Version 1

Into the woods (1987-09-Martin Beck Theatre-Broadway)

Type de série: Original Broadway
Théâtre: Al Hirschfeld Theatre (Broadway - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 1 an 10 mois
Nombre : 43 previews - 765 représentations
Première Preview : 29 September 1987
Première: 05 November 1987
Dernière: 03 September 1989
Mise en scène :
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Star(s) :

Version 2

Into the woods (1990-09-Phoenix Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original London
Théâtre: Phoenix Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 5 mois
Nombre : 197 représentations
Première Preview : 25 September 1990
Première: 25 September 1990
Dernière: 23 February 1991
Mise en scène : Richard Jones
Chorégraphie : Anthony Van Laast
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Nicholas Parsons (Narrator), Julia McKenzie (Witch), Richard Dempsey (Jack), Patsy Rowlands (Jack’s Mother), Ian Bartholomew (Baker), Imelda Staunton (Baker’s Wife), Jacqueline Dankworth (Cinderella), Mary Lincoln (Rapunzel), Tessa Burbridge (Red Riding Hood), Clive Carter (Cinderella’s Prince), Mark Tinkler (Rapunzel’s Prince), Eunice Gayson
Commentaires : The original Broadway production ran for 764 performances in 1987 following a series of workshops and try-outs. The London production ran just five months, but won Olivier Awards for Best Director and Best Actress in a Musical (Imelda Staunton).

Version 3

Into the woods (1996-09-Landor Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Landor Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 04 September 1996
Première: 04 September 1996
Dernière: 28 September 1996
Mise en scène : Caterina Loriggio
Chorégraphie : Maxine Braham
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: David Brett (Narrator), Alexandra Sumner (Witch), Darren Hudson (Jack), Eileen Gourlay (Jack’s Mother), David Bradshawe (Baker), Julia Howson (Baker’s Wife), Chloe Buswell (Cinderella), Heather Davies (Rapunzel), Shona White (RedRiding Hood), Jon de Ville (Cinderella’s Prince), Roland Powell (Rapunzel’s Prince), Estelle Collins
Commentaires : This was the first small-scale fringe production of this highly complex work, but even though accompanied by a few synthesisers and a flute and hardly any scenery at all, it was highly praised.

Version 4

Into the woods (1998-11-Donmar Warehouse-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Donmar Warehouse (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 2 mois 4 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 05 November 1998
Première: 16 November 1998
Dernière: 13 February 1999
Mise en scène : John Crowley
Chorégraphie : Jonathan Butterell
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Frank Middlemass (Narrator), Clare Burt (Witch), Christopher Pizzey (Jack), Sheila Reid (Jack’s Mother), Nick Holder (Baker), Sophie Thompson (Baker ’s Wife), Jenna Russell (Cinderella), Samantha Lavender (Rapunzel), Sheridan Smith (Red Riding Hood), Damian Lewis (Cinderella ’s Prince), Matt Rawle (Rapunzel''s Prince), Caroline Sheen (Florinda), Ceri Ann Gregory (Lucinda), Dilys Laye
Commentaires : The Donmar Warehouse has again produced a Stephen Sondheim show. They have had success in the past with Sondheim's "Assassins" and "Company", and now they have revived his 1987 musical "Into The Woods", which has both music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by James Lapine.

> 1999 Laurence Olivier Award: Best Actress in a Musical (Sophie Thompson)
> 1999 Laurence Olivier Award nomination: Outstanding Musical Production (Info the Woods)
Presse : NICHOLAS DE JONGH of THE EVENING STANDARD, who always seems to give Sondheim good reviews, says, "Into The Woods still emerges as a magical, psychotherapy musical, which makes adult sense of childish fairy tales."

CHARLES SPENCER of THE DAILY TELEGRAPH thought it lacked emotion and was, at times, boring. He said, "Emotional involvement, the lifeblood of all great musicals, is in desperately short supply. Only at the very end, when the bereaved baker tries to comfort his crying child, did I suddenly discover a lump in my throat."

DAVID BENEDICT of THE INDEPENDENT says, "A production whose intimacy makes you feel as if you are watching a well-acted play with music rather than being treated to a full-blown musical."

MICHAEL BILLINGTON of THE GUARDIAN says, While John Crowley's production of Sondheim and Lapine's Into The Woods offers civilised pleasure, it is also rather thinly sang. In stressing narrative rather than vocal values, it denies us much in the way of aural ecstasy."

LISA MARTLAND of THE STAGE says, It seems unlikely this interpretation of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's 'Into the Woods' is going to rate highly."

The headline in THE TIMES reads, "Bumpy woodland ride".

Version 5

Into the woods (2002-04-Broadburst Theatre-Broadway)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Broadhurst Theatre (Broadway - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 8 mois
Nombre : 18 previews - 279 représentations
Première Preview : 13 April 2002
Première: 30 April 2002
Dernière: 29 December 2002
Mise en scène :
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Star(s) :

Version 6

Into the woods (2007-06-ROH-Linbury Studio Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Royal Opera House (Londres - Angleterre)
Salle : Linbury Studio Theatre
Durée : 1 semaine
Nombre :
Première Preview : 14 June 2007
Première: 18 June 2007
Dernière: 30 June 2007
Mise en scène :
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Commentaires longs: Avec: Clive Rowe (Baker), Anna Francolini (Baker's Wife), Gary Waldhorn (Narrator), Gillian Kirkpatrick (Cinderella), Beverley Klein (Witch), Anne Reid (Jack's Mother), Peter Caulfield (Jack), Elizabeth Brice (Cinderella's stepmother), Martin Nelson (Cinderella's father/Mysterious Man), Suzanne Toase (Little Red Riding Hood), Linda Hibberd (Cinderella's Mother/Granny/Giant ), Nicholas Garrett (Wolf/Cinderella's Prince), Nic Greenshields (Rapunzel's Prince ), Byron Watson (Steward), Louise Bowden ( Florinda), Lara Pulver(Lucinda), Christina Haldane( Rapunze)

Version 7

Into the woods (2008-12-Upstairs at the Gatehouse-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Upstairs at the Gatehouse (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 mois 1 semaine
Nombre :
Première Preview : 20 December 2008
Première: 23 December 2008
Dernière: 01 February 2009
Mise en scène : Racky Plews
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Susan Kyd (Witch), Daniel Summers (Jack), Holly Aisbitt (Jack’s Mother), Dominic Brewer (Baker), Rachel Bingham (Baker’s Wife), Emma O’Dell (Cinderella), Lauren Appleby (Red Riding Hood), Alice Keedwell (Rapunzel/Cinderella’s Mother/Giant), Alexander Bradford (Cinderella’s Prince/Lucinda), Shimi Goodman (Rapunzel’s Prince/Wolf/Florinda), John Rogerson (Stepmother/Granny/Steward) & Paul Nicholas (Narrator on Video)
Commentaires : The four-strong band was supplemented on stage with an instrument-wielding cast; Cinderella’s sisters were played in drag (as in the pantomime tradition) and also doubled as extremely camp Princes. The Narrator was played on a video screen by a pre-recorded Paul Nicholas. With a number of innovations and a definite pantomime feel, this production was given a very mixed reception.

Version 8

Into the woods (2009-09-Landor Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Landor Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 17 September 2009
Première: 22 September 2009
Dernière: 17 October 2009
Mise en scène : Robert McWhir
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Lori Haley Fox (Witch), Leo Andrew (The Baker), Sue Appleby, Jessica Boshier, Tricia Deighton, Ian Dring, Jonathan Eio, Luke Fredericks, Sarah Head, Kellie Higgins, Ryan Ford Iosco, Andrew Keats, Judith Paris, Jenny Perry, Frank Simms, Rebecca Wicking.

Version 9

Into the woods (2009-09-Landor Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Landor Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 mois
Nombre :
Première Preview : 17 September 2009
Première: 17 September 2009
Dernière: 17 October 2009
Mise en scène : Robert McWhir
Chorégraphie : Robert O’Reilly
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Narrator/Mysterious Man - Ian Dring
Cinderella - Sue Appleby
Jack - Jonathan Eio
Jack’s Mother - Tricia Deighton
Baker - Leo Andrew
Baker’s Wife - Sarah Head
Cinderella’s Stepmother - Judith Paris
Florinda - Jessica Boshier
Lucinda - Kellie Higgins
Little Red Riding Hood - Rebecca Wicking
Witch - Orla Mullan
Cinderella’s Mother/Granny/Giantess - Sarah Dearlove
Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince - Ryan Forde Iosco
Rapunzel - Jenny Perry
Rapunzel’s Prince - Luke Fredericks
Steward - Eric Nordell
Mayhem - Andrew Keats
Mischief - Frank Simms

Version 10

Into the woods (2010-08-Open Air Theatre-Regent's Park-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 05 August 2010
Première: 16 August 2010
Dernière: 11 September 2010
Mise en scène : Timothy Sheader • Liam Steel
Chorégraphie : Liam Steel
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Hannah Waddingham (Witch), Ben Stott (Jack), Marilyn Cutts (Jack’s Mother), Mark Hadfield (Baker), Jenna Russell (Baker’s Wife), Helen Dallimore (Cinderella), Beverly Rudd (Red Riding Hood), Billy Boyle (Mysterious Man) Alice Fearn (Rapunzel) Michael Xavier (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf), Simon Thomas (Rapunzel’s Prince), Amy Griffiths (Lucinda), Ethan Beer/Eddie Manning/Joshua Swinney (Narrator), Amy Ellen Richardson (Florinda).
Giant’s voice pre-recorded by Judi Dench
Commentaires : This was framed around the idea that the first narrator is a troubled child, fleeing a parental quarrel. Sitting on the edge of a forest he conjures up a jumbled fairy-tale, and then falls asleep in his sleeping bag to experience a nightmare which is the show itself. The show attracted great praise, with many critics commenting on how well the show suited an open-air venue. It won the Olivier Award for the Best Musical Revival. It was later announced that the production would be re-created in the Open Air Theatre in New York’s Central Park during July and August 2012.
Presse : "Dazzling revival." Michael Billington for The Guardian

"Sharp, spirited revival." Paul Taylor for The Independent

"Timothy Sheader’s interpretation, while stylish and good-looking, suffers from a mixture of stridency, undercooked comedy and patchy singing...This is a show that oscillates between excellence and mediocrity." Henry Hitchings for The Evening Standard

"An inventive, witty production." Sarah Hemming for The Financial Times

"At three hours this often repetitive show would also benefit from cuts...For all its faults, the strength of the company, Sheader’s witty direction and, above all, the spectacularly-lit woodland location, ensure that this fairy-tale musical casts a pretty potent spell." Charles Spencer for The Daily Telegraph

"The most satisfying and revelatory version of this show I’ve seen since Richard Jones’ brilliant London staging in 1990." Mark Shenton for The Stage

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Into the woods (2014-04-Théâtre du Châtelet-Paris)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris - France)
Durée : 1 semaine
Nombre : 8 représentations
Première Preview : 01 April 2014
Première: 01 April 2014
Dernière: 12 April 2014
Mise en scène : Lee Blakeley
Chorégraphie : Lorena Randi
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Kimy Mc Laren (Cendrillon), Leslie Clack (Le narrateur), Nicholas Garrett (Le boulanger), Christine Buffle (La femme du boulanger), Beverley Klein (La sorcière), Pascal Charbonneau (Jack), Damian Thantrey (Le Prince de Cendrillon), David Curry (Le Prince de Rapunzel), Jonathan Gunthorpe (Le steward), Francesca Jackson (Le Petit Chaperon rouge), Rebecca de Pont Davies (La mère de Jack), Louise Alder (Rapunzel), Elisa Doughty (Florinda), Lucy Page (Lucinda), Scott Emerson (Le père de Cendrillon), Kate Combault (La mère de Cendrillon), Jasmine Roy (La belle-mère de Cendrillon), Fanny Ardant (La voix de la Géante), Dorine Cochenet (Blanche Neige), Cécilia Proteau (La Belle au bois dormant) et les marionnettistes Dorine Cochenet, Cécilia Proteau, Claire Vialon et Valentin Johner

Version 12

Into the woods (2016-07-Menier Chocolate Factory-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Menier Chocolate Factory (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 2 mois 1 semaine
Nombre :
Première Preview : 01 July 2016
Première: 12 July 2016
Dernière: 17 September 2016
Mise en scène : Noah Brody • Ben Steinfeld
Chorégraphie : Lisa Shriver
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Paul L. Coffey, Andy Grotelueschen, Liz Hayes, Harry Hepple, Claire Karpen, Steffan Lloyd-Evans, Patrick Mulryan, Evan Rees, Vanessa Reseland, Laura Tebbutt, Emily Young, James Haggie, Natasha Karp
Commentaires : Smash-hit company Fiasco Theater bring their critically acclaimed reinvention of Into the Woods to the West End. Following a hugely successful premiere in New York, the US theatre group earned rave reviews for their imaginative take on the well-known musical.
Presse : "Misgivings melted away under the double-glare of both the company’s talent and tenacity and this 30-year-old musical’s innate capacity to enchant." Dominic Maxwell for The Telegraph

"The production manages to be joyously ingenious and teasingly incongruous without seeming too pleased with itself. " Paul Taylor for The Independent

"Fiasco’s inventive, vigorous version of Stephen Sondheim’s modern fairytale doesn’t entirely mask the problems of James Lapine’s convoluted book." Michael Billington for The Guardian

"But above all — and aptly for a musical that ultimately celebrates working together — this is an ingenious ensemble show. “Careful the wish you make,” they warn as they leave. Indeed." Sarah Hemming for The Financial Times

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