INTO THE WOODS Reviews — Page 17

Heather Headley had a commitment to her Netflix series Sweet Magnolias, which she should be filming until sometime in October. After that, maybe she'd be free to come back?

Heather was heavenly. I just find her voice so soothing. I hope she comes back to the wood but I am glad I grabbed a ticket for her Carnegie Hall show. It is probably the one show I am looking forward to most this winter.

That sounds cool. I wish I could have seen Rashad, too.

I was there on Tuesday and I agree with all of this. The show was awesome, AND totally different than the original cast.

Brian is a better singer, but Sebastian is my favorite baker out of the three casts. It makes such a huge difference to have that natural chemistry between the Baker and the Wife.
SJB's Moments really deepened my understanding of that song, too - the wedding ring look! - incredible. (And Andy Karl and SJB in the Moments scene - priceless.)

Pippa is also a better singer but I LOVED Krysta as Cinderella; her acting is top-notch and as the previous commenter said, really brings the scrappiness out of that character, who can seem so sacchrine.

I didn't hate Montego but I didn't love her either. Her singing was great. But she didn't have the same comedic charisma that Patina has, nor did she have the emotional depth that Heather did.

Katy Gerahaty was hysterical as Little Red - her performance leans more into the cartoony aspect of the role but that totally works.

Cole Thompson's performance seemed super manic and agitated on Tuesday, so bizarre.

Andy Karl's performance was very different than Gavin's - much more similar to Cheyenne, more debonair. I didn't like him as the wolf but his delivery "I was raised to be charming not sincere" was a masterpiece. I would LOVE to see others in this role.

I was orchestra left (which I would recommend over orchestra right, where I have also sat) and the audience was awful. people checking instagram constantly, talking loudly, crinkling wrappers.

One tip - use code ITWNWPO to check for last minute lottery loser seats (20 percent off). There aren't many of them for each performance but they tend to be good seats and better than standing in line at TKTS.



quizking101 said: "Caught this yesterday afternoon and what I got was an entirely different show from previous visits, having seen (more or less) three distinct casts.

Stephanie and Sebastian are a pleasure to this production in the same way Marin and Jason were to Next to Normal. The built-in chemistry and the knowledge that the love will prevail even in the worst of circumstances was a fantastic driving force for the audience to root for them. The production is still great and in their very capable hands.

Krysta as Cinderella was a bit of a departure in that her notes definitely were not at high and she didn’t always have that “princess” vibe, but I very much enjoyed her more scrappy take on the non-Royal aspects of the character, because I believed with her (more than Phillipa) that she’s definitely been through it.

People were hating on Montego as the Witch, but I honestly thought she did a great job. I saw more softness bubbling beneath the surface to come out and I felt more convinced of her sadness when Rapunzel was killed in Act II. Patina tended to play it with a more menacing and cynical edge from start to finish. I do give the comic edge to Patina though because that snarky facade made some otherwise throwaway lines land like “Of course you have no bread” funny."

I just got back, just a few hours ago, from seeing Into the Woods for the first time I ever got to see it live on Broadway. And it. Was. Magical. It was amazing! I got Orchestra seats, because it’s one of my very favorite shows and I really wanted to see the costumes and emotion on the faces up close. And I’m so glad I did. From seeing Joshua’s fluttering eyes to Stephanie’s pained sadness, I am so thankful. I live with roommates so that’s why I can afford such things, but I really can’t do it often. I splurged this time, even treating my friends because they didn’t have the funds themselves. Enough about money.

The direction and performances of this production are out of this world good. I had seen the Encores production, and saw Sara, and really wanted to see her again with Brian, but I am actually now more glad I saw this new cast! Sara was perfection, she really was…but Stephanie? By some magic she did the impossible and was even better! Maybe I liked Sara’s overall warm and funnier characterization more, but Stephanie’s upset and “I’m a middle-aged woman but I still can get it” performance crescendoing into the very best, most emotional, sad and meaningful “Moments In the Woods” I ever saw was so, well, magical! Emotional magic. That’s what we’re all after, aren’t we, when we see theatre? She was perfect

Her Baker, Sebastian, was also fantastic. He was like a dweeb who tried to be cool and it made his wife love him more when he did that in “It Takes Too”, finally a time when I thought the song really had it’s meaning brought about. He was very emotional during “No More”, and was probably the best Baker I have ever seen.

Krysta as Cinderella was a very different and clearly realized take on the character. She was more raw and fierce and I liked that. I wish I had seen Phillipa, because I heard she was perfection, but I rather liked Krysta, she was great, still. Her stepsisters seemed even funnier than at Encores and I liked the new Stepmother better than the one at that one, too. She was funnier and wickeder. Her father was just fine as the standoffish, weak-willed character he’s supposed to be.

Cole as Jack finally made me like his characterization this time. He was funnier, more of a convincingly dim-witted boy, showed he really loved his cow, and was more emotional, though it never seemed like he shed any real tears. I can never tell, but he seemed fake sad, not real sad. Still, better than at Encores. Aymee as his mother had kind of the same problem. Seemed fake in some crying, but other times I thought it might be real. Anyway, she was great, and I felt she was more of a presence and force this time than with Ann Harada. She really seemed like a desperate older woman who cared about her son. She was the perfect shrieking mother

I got to saw Gavin again as the Wolf and Prince because he stood in for Andy I guess, and he was even better this time! There was this really funny joke with him making a face after Little Red seems enamored with him after their encounter, that the audience clapped at for a bit. And Little Red, she was perfect! So cynical and teen jaded. I had seen Julia Lester, and honestly either she or Katy Geraughty are the perfect Little Reds! If I had to pick, I guess I pick Katy because she seemed a bit sweeter and I loved that sexual joke with the Wolf.

Now, the Witch…oh boy. I saw a bootleg of Patina as the Witch at the Hollywood Bowl. She was… better here. For one thing, when she paused, where she’s supposed to “go in a trance” as the libretto says instead of saying “snake”, she shook like she was having a seizure, which was a much more sense-making and funny choice than her staring blankly pause at The Hollywood Bowl, though it could have been the direction. She seemed more emotional here than at the Hollywood Bowl, too. So, yeah, better, but still not great acting-wise. Amazing voice though! Glad that will be on the cast album! Her “Children Will Listen” is haunting and sublime. I don't know why anyone said her demise was bad. Those giant claws are wonderful, creative stage craft!

Rapunzel was ok. She was really good when she got mad and said she was no longer a child and wanted to see the world. Joshua as Rapunzel’s Prince was phenomenal, just like Gavin! They were an equal match for each other! Absolutely hilarious, and I loved the twins stroller joke at the end! Very good direction there!

Even the Narrator and Mysterious Man were better this time around than at Encores. He got better. He got angry during “No More” and it was perfect. Even Annie Golden was better in all three of her roles. Quite funny and perfect anger where it was needed. The whole cast got better and most of the new cast was better. I wrote in my Encores review that I felt the show didn’t reach the full deep, emotional feeling it needed to by the end. But I really felt this time it did. This show is pure magic, both in the original material and now this new production, at least with this cast I saw. Worth every penny. I highly recommend you see it somehow.

Updated On: 9/18/22 at 06:42 AM

RippedMan said: "Orfeh as the Witch please."

Please put me down for a pair of premium seats if this one comes to pass!

Sara is the only one eligible for a Tony nomination for that role.

I agree with that point because that is just how the Tonys work, but this is a revival so wouldn’t the same logic apply to Bareillis because of Gleason?

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There was, some years ago, set to be an official replacement Tony category (I think it was officially called “Best Recreation of a Role” or something like that). But it didn’t get enough votes to qualify, so the nominations never came out.

As it is, the only people who qualify for a Tony nomination are actors who appeared on opening night, with the likely exception here being BDJ, who was out with COVID but otherwise was around for Tony voters to see. Will Sara get a nomination? Time will tell. But it wouldn’t be because SJB got it over her. That’s just an impossibility.

Block took this role fully aware it would not be getting her a second Tony.

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suicidalmickeymouse said: "I agree with that point because that is just how the Tonys work, but this is a revival so wouldn’t the same logic apply to Bareillis because of Gleason?



"

I mean, sure to an extent every actor is in some way feeding off of what the original actor did (presumably the writing was layered to fit Gleason in some ways), it this is a completely different production, conceived by a different director, so no. It is a fresh interpretation of everything. The place where is is admittedly weird with this production is that Patina Miller, for example, is really filling in a role created by Heather Headley, but Miller is the one eligible. I suppose that is less “fair”.