Into the Woods

Into the Woods
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Name	Into the Woods
Music	Stephen Sondheim
Lyrics	Stephen Sondheim
Book	James Lapine
Awards	Tony Award for Best Score, Tony Award for Best Book

Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, inspired by the Brothers Grimm's fairy tales, such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel. The musical premiered at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 1986, directed by James Lapine and starring Bernadette Peters as the Witch, Chip Zien as the Baker, and Joanna Gleason as the Baker's Wife. The show was a critical and commercial success, winning several awards, including the Tony Award for Best Score and the Tony Award for Best Book, presented at the 48th Tony Awards at the Gershwin Theatre.

Background

The idea for the musical was conceived by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, who were inspired by the Brothers Grimm's fairy tales, as well as the works of Bruno Bettelheim and Ernst Bloch. The story was developed in collaboration with Harold Prince, who was initially set to direct the show, but later dropped out due to creative differences. The musical was ultimately directed by James Lapine and premiered at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 1986, starring Bernadette Peters, Chip Zien, and Joanna Gleason, with Robert Westenberg as the Cinderella's Prince and Kim Crosby as Cinderella. The show was choreographed by Lar Lubovitch and featured sets and costumes designed by Tony Straiges and Ann Hould-Ward, respectively.

Plot

The story follows a Baker and his Baker's Wife, who wish to have a child, but are unable to due to a curse placed upon them by a Witch, played by Bernadette Peters. The Witch demands that they bring her a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold, which are the possessions of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Jack, respectively. Along the way, they encounter various characters, including Cinderella's Prince, Rapunzel's Prince, and the Big Bad Wolf, played by Robert Westenberg and Chuck Wagner. The story explores the consequences of the characters' actions and the power of wishes, as they navigate the complexities of the forest, a symbol of the unknown, inspired by the works of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud.

Music

The music for the show was written by Stephen Sondheim, who is known for his complex and nuanced compositions, as seen in his other works, such as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and A Little Night Music. The score features a range of musical styles, from the opera-inspired Witch's songs to the folk-inspired Baker's songs, and includes notable numbers such as "Giants in the Sky", "On the Path", and "Children Will Listen", which have been performed by various artists, including Barbra Streisand and Audra McDonald. The show's orchestrations were written by Jonathan Tunick, who has worked on numerous Broadway shows, including Fiddler on the Roof and A Chorus Line.

Adaptations

The musical has been adapted into several forms, including a film directed by Rob Marshall and starring Meryl Streep as the Witch, Emily Blunt as the Baker's Wife, and James Corden as the Baker. The film was released in 2014 and featured a star-studded cast, including Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince, and Johnny Depp as the Big Bad Wolf. The show has also been adapted into a television special, which aired on PBS in 1991, starring Bernadette Peters and Chip Zien, and has been performed in numerous regional theater productions, including those at the Guthrie Theater and the Seattle Repertory Theatre.

Reception

The musical has received widespread critical acclaim, with many praising its complex and nuanced storytelling, as well as its memorable characters and music, which have been influenced by the works of Leonard Bernstein and Richard Rodgers. The show has won numerous awards, including the Tony Award for Best Score and the Tony Award for Best Book, and has been nominated for several others, including the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Broadway Musical. The show has also been praised by critics, including Frank Rich of The New York Times and John Simon of New York Magazine, who have noted its clever use of fairy tale tropes and its exploration of complex themes, such as the nature of desire and the power of imagination, inspired by the works of Jean-Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger. Category:Musicals by Stephen Sondheim