INTO THE WOODS Tony Question

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 3:50pm

I am not sure if this has been brought up before but I did a search and came up with nothing.

At the 1988 Tony Awards the role of the witch was played by Phylicia Rashad. Why didn't Bernadette Peters perform?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 3:51pm

Yes, this has been discussed a million times.

Peters had already left the cast.

[bbabe24]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 3:56pm

I think I saw it in '88 right after Bernadette left. But the witch was played by Vanessa Williams, not Phylicia Rashad, I think?

Or perhaps I was just hallucinating. Had great seats though--5 rows back from the stage, right section, aisle seat. The actors were so close when they came onto the ramp. Ron Howard was there in the audience with his wife and kids. It was a great night.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 3:56pm

I searched INTO THE WOODS and INTO THE WOODS TONY and BERNADETTE PETERS INTO THE WOODS and nothing came up.

But thank you!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 4:02pm

Vanessa Williams only played the witch in the 2002 revival. not in the original production in the 80s, bbabe...

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 4:05pm

Vanessa Williams would have been like 24 in 1988. She did the revival in 2002

[bbabe24]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 4:06pm

Thanks CATSNY--I knew I must have been mistaken. But I do know that I did not see Phylicia Rashad cause I would have remembered that (I was a fan of the Cosby Show at the time). So I wonder who I did see playing the witch?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 4:14pm

well, in all, if you didn't see Bernadette or Phylicia you could have seen Suzzanne Douglas, Joy Franz, Nancy Dussault, Ellen Foley, Betsy Joslyn, Marin Mazzie or Lauren Velez.

[bbabe24]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 4:16pm

CATSNY- I'm impressed with you in depth Broadway knowledge. Now I feel compelled to find my Playbill and get to the bottom of this!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 4:18pm

Did Marin Mazzie ever get to go on as the Witch? It's funny that she played Rapunzel and understudied the Witch too. Her "Stay With Me" was probably heartbreaking.
I wonder how Betsy Joslyn was, I have the image of her horrible cross-eyed Johanna so it's hard to picture her in any other role.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 4:19pm

Clearly you're not familiar with www.ibdb.com. Check it out.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 4:56pm

Marin wasn't in the show then.
Ellen Folley didn't do the show until later in the run either.

Betsy Joslyn was the 3rd Witch...she took over in late May/Early June and was amazing, better than Rashad, Peters or Folley. Dussalt took over afterwards. The chances that it was Franz, are slim considering he remembered it as Vanessa Williams, and not Phylicia Rashad, and they are OBVIOUSLY of different races.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 5:00pm

Why was Bernadette in it for such a short amount of time?

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 5:02pm

As memory serves, Betty Buckley was supposed to open the show, and then something happened (Carrie maybe?) and she didn't. Phylicia was then going to open it, but I think her pregnancy prevented her from doing it, so Bernadette stepped in as a favor. Don't quote me on this, b/c I could be REALLY wrong.

[purpleprince101]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 6:42pm

i saw bernedette in her last performance which if i remember correctly, it was months before the tonys

[singtopher]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 11:42pm

In response to whoever asked about Marin playing the witch:

Yes, she did go on as the witch. In fact, she went on a week after starting her contract. Betsy Joslyn was sick, and Joy Franz was on vacation, so after only being with the show one week, she performed that monster of a role. She said she felt as if she had been "shot out of a cannon" after that performance.

I belive she also understudied Cinderella's mother in addition to the Witch and Rapunzel. One week during her run, she went on in all three roles.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 11:48pm

"Why was Bernadette in it for such a short amount of time?"

Bernadette was not originally booked to play the Witch. Betty Buckley began it. Rumor has it that Buckley was too difficult to deal with and so Bernadette was brought in to save the show.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 11:55pm

Bernadette wasn't even considered for the role. She was having lunch with Stephen Sondheim one day and he casually mentioned that they were having a hard time finding someone to play the Witch and they were close to starting rehearsals. Then Sondheim got a call from Peters asking if they had found anyone to play the role yet and the rest is history.
Buckley did play the role during workshops though. I believe the Witch's Rap was written for her.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/3/07 at 11:59pm

I believe the Witch's Rap was written for her.

- I would love to hear how Buckley would've done the rap. I believe Bernadette owns it though.

I heard a rumor Patti LuPone was considered for the 2002 revival. Is that true?

And do you guys think Patti is too old play it now? I don't really think so.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 12:05am

Patti as the Witch would be divine!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 12:05am

I think Peters owns the Witch's rap as well, I just can't see Buckley in this role but I'm sure she'd prove me wrong. (Though I have read Sondheim is not a big fan of her arrangements of his songs).
I think the Witch is kind of an ageless role. I mean, of course Elaine Stritch wouldn't be the best option for the role, but someone like LuPone is probably still in the right age for the role and she would be wonderful in it.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 12:13am

How great would it be if Ravinia did ITW with Patti as the Witch?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 12:16am

Funny, I was wondering why Ravinia hadn't tackled this Sondheim show. I figured it was because it's mostly an ensemble piece (Sondheim was surprised that Peters wanted to be part of the show since it wasn't a star turn--by 1986 she already had a TV/film career and had won her Tony).

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 12:25am

"And do you guys think Patti is too old play it now? I don't really think so."

Part of the premise of the show is that the Witch changes from ugly into beautiful or at least very sexy. IMO, Patti couldn't pull off the beautiful/sexy part. Leave it for Audra McDonald to do in a few years.

Updated On: 2/4/07 at 12:25 AM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 12:43am

I think LuPone can pull sexy alright. It's not so much that the Witch is your generic sexy girl, it's more about her been very sensual, elegant, and beautiful. All of which LuPone can be, IMO.