Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

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Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/4/14 at 8:02pm

Hi all,

Who saw her in the role? What did you think? That whole production of Into the Woods seems to be a bit forgotten, unfortunately.

Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.

Updated On: 10/4/14 at 08:02 PM

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/4/14 at 8:07pm

absolutely LOVED her Last Midnight, especially when they reverted back to almost all of the original lyrics. She was very good throughout the show.

Updated On: 10/4/14 at 08:07 PM

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/4/14 at 9:39pm

It's been forgotten because it wasn't recorded, ran for a limited time, and was divisive. It also had a quality about it that makes it, at least to my mind, be remembered as neither good nor bad. There were very good things about it- Jessie Mueller, Sarah Stiles, the atmosphere and experience of seeing it outdoors. But there were bad things, or just a lot of "okay" things.

I thought Murphy was very good. Not revelatory, but very good and in very good voice.

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

Updated On: 10/5/14 at 09:39 PM

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/4/14 at 10:39pm

When they pulled her into the ground, that was pretty incredible. And the way the giant was created, but other than that there wasn't anything to merit anymore attention than it got. Amy Adams was bad. Everything else was passable. Mueller, who I love, was great, but it's not really a role that really garners attention.

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 1:13am

It was essentially the Regent's Park production directed by Timothy Sheader which you can find online. Murphy was fine if not extraordinary, as was the entire production.

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 1:36am

It could have been an amazing production but like others said, it was "meh". It was fine in parts, pretty good in others but nothing extraordinary ever happened during it.

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 3:43am

Murphy was very good. Not great, but good. A completely credible performance.

The standout in this production was the actress who played Little Red. Sarah Stiles, I believe her name was? Chip Zien was wonderful in a glorified cameo. The rest of the cast was serviceable, except for Dennis O'Hare who was terrible.

There were moments of sheer magic in this production (the aforementioned construction of the giant, for instance), but they were only brief glimpses of what this production could have been. And that was them last disappointing part- moments of theatrical brilliance overshadowed by a lot of banality.

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 7:31am

I loved Murphy. Mueller was great. And I've forgotten just about everything and everyone else with one exception: Adams, who almost always inspires me on screen, was surprisingly bland.

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 9:02am

I thought Murphy was far and away the best part of the production. She was one of the few people who had some life in her on that stage.

I wasn't impressed with Mueller's performance, especially On the Steps of the Palace. There was no sparkle to her voice, and she had the unfortunate burden of wearing the ugliest costume anyone has surely designed for Cinderella. It was a hideous creation and distracted he whenever she appeared, of course through no fault of her own.

Love Amy on film, but here she was bland, bland, bland.

Didn't Denis O'Hare step in for someone at the last moment or am I remembering that incorrecty? I cut him so slack for that reason.

What I remember most about the production is Morgan James tweeting, “HOW can you f*** up Into the Woods?? I fear musicianship is dead in musical theatre. And acting, for that matter. #horrified” after the first preview. The story was picked up in the news all over the country.

Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

#10

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 9:31am

Thought Cinderella's look and costume was one of the few witty parts of the show; and very contemporary. it reminded me of Gillian Flynn's description of Williamsburg hipster geeks in Gone Girl.

#11

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 11:19am

Put me in the "good, not great" camp. I think many of us had high expectations going in that (for me, at least) weren't met.

"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

#12

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 12:12pm

O'Hare wasn't a last-minute replacement. I believe the Public had sought Jesse Tyler Ferguson originally, who wasn't able to do it, but O'Hare was the Baker from the first day of rehearsals onward.

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

#13

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 12:27pm

Thanks, Kad. I don't know why I rewrote that story in my memory!

Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

#14

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 12:47pm

It, sadly, was just kinda there. It wasn't a complete disaster like the 2002 production [minus Laura Benanti of course], but it seemed like many cast members were miscast. Donna was pretty good, though, and I loved her exit during "Last Midnight." Very creepy.

I was surprised by how dull Amy Adams was. I love her on film, but she just didn't seem right for this part at all. She wasn't horrible, but, like the production as a whole, was just kinda...there.

#15

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 12:52pm

Wasn't Chris Fitzgerald supposed to do it? He had to drop out due to a TV commitment or something, and they brought in O'Hare instead. It wasn't a last minute choice, but he certainly wasn't their first choice.

#16

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 4:36pm

Jesse Tyler Ferguson was the first choice for The Baker, but that was mostly a non-starter. He was never going to be able to do it because of MODERN FAMILY. Chris Fitzgerald was offered and accepted, but had to withdraw because of his TV show (which I don't think ever got off the ground). O'Hare was about #12 on the list.

#17

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 5:45pm

I LOVED Donna Murphy in this! I thought she played the role amazingly. She had some diction problems in the Last Midnight when she just yelled some of the lyrics, but otherwise her portrayal was masterful in my opinion (and she was the biggest sweetheart at the stage-door)

I was actually pleasantly surprised by Amy Adams! I had relatively low expectations for her, as I had no idea she could sing at all, which is probably why I was impressed by her performance. Obviously she was no Joanna Gleason though.

#18

Donna Murphy in Into the Woods

Posted: 10/5/14 at 5:51pm

Has anyone who saw the Central Park version seen the video of the Regent's Park production on which this one was based? How does it compare?

I really loved the video of the London production. It was a very creative, original production with many interesting touches. The performances from the entire cast were also excellent.

Updated On: 10/5/14 at 05:51 PM

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