INTO THE WOODS Tour — Page 2

I paid $35 for rear balcony in Chicago and bought my ticket about 5 mins before curtain. 

I went for the actors and was not disappointed. Great performances. I thought the direction - the little house above each grouping, the way the Giant is handled - to be fantastic for a concert production, but then, on the same token, I thought the blocking was downright awful. There were so many instances of actors just turning upstage and "freezing" between songs. So bad. But I'm glad I went and SJB did not disappoint. And Gavin was a highlight. 

The Into the Woods tour has arrived in San Francisco this week. Tuesday’s first night, with the help of reduced prices compared to Wednesday/Thursday and then the weekend, is basically sold out. For people who didn’t get tickets during the pre-sale, it’s paid to be patient.

Anyway, it’s been interesting following dynamic pricing up and down, as ATG works to maximize profits for the week the show is in town. They’ve done a fairly good job, as near as I can tell. Looking forward to seeing the actual show on Saturday.

I caught the first performance of Into The Woods in San Francisco tonight, and I'm happy to report that it arrived pretty gloriously intact from New York, with one glaring exception. 

I'll start with the problem. There was a foot-high board mounted to the front of the stage running the entire width of the stage. I'm guessing it was there to hide some lights? There were some wires you could see above the top of the board. I was in row G of the orchestra and I could not see below anyone's shins. When an actor (or cow) was prone on the stage, they disappeared from view entirely. I found myself wondering if it's a temporary first-night set-up that gets fixed by the second night?? It seems so incongruous with the perfection of the rest of the show. I doubt any seat in the orchestra can see the stage floor.

Other than that, the show is terrific. Stephanie Block, Sebastian Arcelus, Gavin Creel, Jason Forbach, and really the entire cast, were all great. And I could just watch Kennedy Kanagawa all night and be satisfied. I was disappointed initially that Montego Glover was out as the witch, but I was completely won over by Felicia Curry who did some magnificent work. I found myself wishing Little Red Riding Hood had a little more innocence mixed in, but that's a minor quibble, and just a personal preference, and Katy Geraghty was great in the role. And a special shout out to the magnificent orchestra, perfect in every way. 

David Patrick Kelly (excellent) as the narrator fell off the stage near the end of Act 1. When he didn't appear for several seconds, Gavin Creel broke character to go check on him, but he must have signaled he was OK, because Gavin went back to his position. David eventually crawled back up onto the stage and ran towards the center but missed his line (? "To be continued!" before the stage went dark to close the act. He seemed fine in act 2, so I guess he wasn't hurt. A stagehand came out during intermission and put white gaffers tape on the edge of the stage.

SFCowboy said: "I caught the first performance of Into The Woods in San Francisco tonight, and I'm happy to report that it arrived pretty gloriously intact from New York, with one glaring exception.

I'll start with the problem. There was a foot-high board mounted to the front of the stage running the entire width of the stage. I'm guessing it was there to hide some lights? There were some wires you could see above the top of the board. I was in row G of the orchestra and I could not see below anyone's shins. When an actor (or cow) was prone on the stage, they disappeared from view entirely. I found myself wondering if it's a temporary first-night set-up that gets fixed by the second night??It seems so incongruous with the perfection of the rest of the show. I doubt any seat in the orchestra can see the stage floor.

Other than that, the show is terrific. Stephanie Block, Sebastian Arcelus, Gavin Creel, Jason Forbach, and really the entire cast, were all great. And I could just watch Kennedy Kanagawa all night and be satisfied. I was disappointed initially that Montego Glover was out as the witch, but I was completely won over by Felicia Curry who did some magnificent work. I found myself wishing Little Red Riding Hood had a little more innocence mixed in, but that's a minor quibble, and just a personal preference, and Katy Geraghty was great in the role.And a special shout out to the magnificent orchestra, perfect in every way.

David Patrick Kelly (excellent) as the narrator fell off the stage near the end of Act 1. When he didn't appear for several seconds, Gavin Creel broke character to go check on him, but he must have signaled he was OK, because Gavin went back to his position. David eventually crawled back up onto the stage and ran towards the center but missed his line (? "To be continued!" before the stage went dark to close the act. He seemed fine in act 2, so I guess he wasn't hurt. A stagehand came out during intermission and put white gaffers tape on the edge of the stage."

I’m curious if people at previous tour stops had that foot-high board at the front of the stage, or it’s just something they are doing at the Curran. Because that sounds irritating, not enough to ruin the show, but enough to be a distraction. And our seats will be two rows closer to the stage than yours, although it sounds like it affected everyone in the orchestra. I’ll try not to get too attached to anyone’s feet - or shins.

I wonder if the weird dynamic of the Curran not hosting shows (except for this one week) has them out of practice. That board didn’t help David Patrick Kelly, and for all I know, caused him to lose his balance. Live theater! Never a dull moment.

Good to know. For people who saw the Broadway incarnation of the revival, was there a foot-high board at the front of the stage or is this a tour thing?

I will survive without seeing the actors’ shins, but it sounds annoying if they go completely out of view - however briefly.

Fair point regarding Cinderella’s shoe.

Josh Breckenridge announced he's leaving the tour after this week for a new project. Anyone know who is replacing him?

David Patrick Kelly's recovery after fully falling off the stage was VERY impressive. It seems like he has not missed a performance since - can anyone confirm?

Felicia Curry did great as the Witch...frankly I liked her better than the clips I've seen of Montego Glover in the role. 

Poor Paul Kreppel.

Nothing. Sorry--that was unnecessarily dramatic. He's the understudy, so if DPK has never missed a performance, Kreppel's never gone on. (And least on tour. I know he did on Broadway.)

Kitsune said: "I sat in Row F Orchestra (left) tonight, and the wooden beam was there. It was barely an obstruction, even in the Cinderella's slipper scenes, but I would have been annoyed if I sat closer and had paid more.

The production itself was fantastic. As a west coaster I can only see a very limited amount of each New York theater season, and I'm so glad I got to experience this iteration of Into the Woods.

FYI, Felicia Curry was on for the Witch, Marya Grandy for Felicia Curry's track, and Ellie Fishman was on for Cinderella.

ETA: I've really missed seeing shows at the Curran and really hope ATG starts using it more. So many shows just get swallowed up by the Orpheum and the Golden Gate."

ATG is mos def considering bringing some of the touring shows into the Curran.  The one that I'm praying for the.most is the tour of Life Of Pi.  Curran is the perfect size for it.  Although I detest Kimberley Akimbo I also believe the Curran would be best for it.  And Girl From The North Country.  And Company.  Pant pant. Out of breath.

That was really fun. 

The Curran, complete with touring Broadway stars, had Broadway-level enthusiasm for Into the Woods. Most of the audience, after all, had bought tickets for the performance on the first days of pre-sale, so it was mostly fans of the show, or Stephen Sondheim, or these performers on Saturday night - and presumably all week. Yes, there's still that barrier at the front of the stage, which did make me very aware of how many times actors (or cows) are prone during the first act - especially when you're in Row E of the orchestra. But I knew what to expect and it was fine.

No one was out. Stephanie J. Block went from breaking Gavin Creel during their encounter in the woods - he tried so very hard to hold it together but finally couldn't - and then she went into "Moments into the Woods." I can't compare her to any of the other famous actresses who have played the role, in person anyway, but it was such a wonderful example of acting a song. It's one of the many times I didn't mind seeing people's feet during the first act.

I've never seen Into the Woods in person, but it's a very different experience live, and with such a high caliber of actors. Montego Glover was very good as the Witch, Block and Sebastian Arcelus had an onstage chemistry that real-life couples sometimes lack, Katy Geraghty was very funny as Little Red Riding Rood, Diane Phelan did a fine job as Cinderella, David Patrick Kelly is hilarious as the Narrator/Mysterious Man (it didn't occur to me until later that he had been Jerry Horne on Twin Peaks), and Creel and Jason Forbach were terrific in "Agony," which is one of Sondheim's funniest songs. To the extent I'm leaving anyone out, it's not because they weren't outstanding.

I will echo what others have said: the Curran is the best of the touring houses in San Francisco, and it mystifies me why ATG isn't using it except for this one week. My wife was commenting that she hadn't been there since we saw The Jungle more than four years ago.

One added bonus: I texted my younger daughter, who was in San Francisco that day, and said she could try to snag a cheaper ticket next to us (prices had dropped close to showtime). She didn't get that ticket, which was occupied by a woman who got it at 5, but she got a loge ticket instead - for free - because someone gifted it. She had one of the best seats in the house and didn't pay a dime.

I wish, indeed.

 

Updated On: 6/26/23 at 05:00 PM