Into The Woods- Page 2

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 9:39am

I adore Bernadette Peters but was dumbfounded when I saw Into the Woods on Broadway. I thought she acted lost and without direction and had really no idea how to play the part. She reverted to vaudeville like shctick and ultimatley sang the role well. However, her performance, for me, was rather embarassing to watch.

Many of us who saw the original company of Into The Woods felt that Bernadette

had no idea or handle on how to play the witch.

Apparently the Tony voters thought so as well, when they decided not to even give her a nomination that year.

Thankfully, it seems Sondheim finally parted ways with Lapine. Hopefully, more people will now be able to stay awake during the first viewing of a Sondheim musical.

I love Into the Woods. But do not ever recommend it to someone not totally in love with theater. This is a work that most do not like on first viewing, hence the length of run of its recent revival.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 9:42am

That's just crazy talk, really it is.

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 10:38am

What's crazy talk? His whole post? Or the last comment? Because although I agree about Bernadette, I think I would give Into the Woods, as a work of the theatre a little more credit than that.

Cheers,
The Balladeer

[skingdom]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 11:57am

That was hilarious Namo! But seriously, were you joking about Kerry?

[tpdc]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 1:02pm

INTO THE WOODS is certainly one of Sondheim's most accessible shows and it is one of the most produced musicals today. I think that's one reason the revival failed. If tourists could see it for much less back home or on DVD with the original cast, why should they pay $100 to see it again?

I saw the original production and original touring company many times. I have seen several regional productions as well. I was surprised at how much I liked the revival after all the negative things I had read about it before it opened. I much preferred the sets, costumes, lighting, special effects, the choreography and staging of the revival to the original. I thought the cast was a mixed bag. Some of them were OK (McMartin, Benanti, DeRosa, O'Malley) and some were terrible (Ephraim--that is the worst performance I've ever seen on a Broadway stage). Only a few compared with the originals. I found Edelman fresh and inventive as the Prince. Pamela Myers made a lot of her small role. Vanessa was the first Witch that I liked since Bernadette. She made the role her own and had all the authority the role calls for. I first saw the original production of WOODS at the end of previews. Bernadette was wonderful then and certainly didn't overact the piece. She was funny but also menacing. Joanna Gleason was superb. She was hilarious and moving--a kid next to me started crying during her death scene at one performance I saw later in the run. I've only ever seen one other Baker's Wife I truly enjoyed and she wasn't funny at all. The revival cast recording doesn't make a good case for the production as its strength was in the visuals and in book scenes with Williams and Edelman. I do think that the moments with the entire cast singing do come across well on that recording as I think other than Ephraim, Wylie and Burke, the revival cast had better singers.

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 1:22pm

Tpdc....wonderful post! I am just curious, as I have only seen Bernadette's performance on the DVD, but HAVE seen Betsy Joslyn when I was very young, and don't remember much, would you say that her performance on the DVD/Video had changed from when you saw her in previews? If so, what had changed?

As for the rest of your post, I agree whole-heartedly, although I am glad the revival recording preserved Vanessa's amazing "Last Midnight". I think her interpretation of it was the best I have ever seen/heard.

Cheers,
The Balladeer

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 1:34pm

I wasn't very impressed with the revival, other than the scenery. I loved the way Bernadette sang in the original. I think what some are confusing with overacting is Bernadette being too comical at times; but that's just her take on the role. During the scenes where she had to be very serious, she was just that. Bernadette made the character likeable.

As to the original question about what Bernadette thought of it, well no one can answer that but Bernadette; however, she did go see it, and she mentioned at the Tonys that she enjoyed Vanessa's performance (I really don't think they told her to say that. She seemed sincere).

I do think it was revived way too soon though.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 1:40pm

tpdc- I agree about Ephraim. My god- how in hell did she get cast? I'd rather have a much older Danielle Ferland play the role-hehe. Just kidding. But they could have gotten someone a lot, lot better.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 1:51pm

as with very many Sondheim shows, I have never met anyone who liked Into the Woods when they first saw it. it plays out at a lumberous pace to anyone not familiar with the show....

that is what sent the revival to an early grave, the same thing that closed the original production, you need to know the show well to enjoy it.

sure, those of us who KNOW the score and heard it a hundred times or saw the video a few times ARE enthralled by INto the Woods...it is indeed a lush masterwork....

but don't try telling that to the unsuspecting audiences who's word of mouth shuttered the show..

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 3:07pm

I adored the ITW revival so much more than the original, but I agree 100% that the show was revived too soon. The original was too fresh in everyone's mind, especially because it's so readily accessible to everyone, and it's easy to see how people would go into the revival and expect to see the performances of the original.
However...
I feel that the new production was extremely innovative--from the new technology and costumes to the additional choreography (I'm sorry, I'd rather see them skip than stand there)--and that the majority of the cast was absolutely fabulous. A lot of what I would have liked to say about the amazing Kerry O'Malley and Stephen DeRosa has already been said, but other stand-out performances were Laura Benanti's Cinderella (the change the character went through between Acts I and II was so profound--she blossomed into a lady), Greg Edelman and Christopher Sieber's princes (hilarious!), and Linda Mugleston in any role she played, especially The Witch. Just like the original has left its imprint on so many others, the revival has left its imprint on me (and so many others) and I won't forget it in a hurry. It just brought so much joy to the cast as well as to the audience (I know from speaking to members of both), not to mention the fact that it introduced little four year olds to theatre for the first time.

[tpdc]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 3:10pm

When we meet Teacher, then you'll know someone who loved WOODS on the first viewing And if I introduce you to some of my friends, you'll know a bunch of first time WOODS lovers.

My love for the show from the start was partly due to Bernadette's excellently judged performance just after the show was frozen. I was totally wrapped up the argument of whether Jack should be fed to the giant or they should protect him. When Bernadette played the scene, you could buy the Witch's side. I think the point of the second act is the relationship of the individual and the community and the needs and the balance of each. Though I have been moved by Act Two in other productions, only when Bernadette and Vanessa played the Witch do I think the action was as gripping as it can be. I agree that the change in how Last Midnight was staged for Vanessa was quite effective. The change to make that moment more menacing makes me think that Lapine/Sondheim wanted the feeling that I got from the way Bernadette played those second act scenes. I saw Betsy Joslyn as the Witch four times. I can say she never gave the same performance twice. In my opinion, she was bland once, bad twice and quite good the last time I saw her which was the next to last performance of the original tour. I also saw Joslyn in SUNDAY and she was one of best Dots I've seen (after Bernadette).

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 4:12pm

Did anyone see Phylicia Rashard as the Witch? If so, comment. I was floored when I saw her name on the list of actresses who took over the Witch after Bernadette left. Mrs. Huxtable = Wicked?

Joy Franz is my favorite stepmother. No one else could have turned "The Festival..." into a taunting thing. Laura Benati's Cinderella performance was ok. I saw more of a change in Kim Crosby than Laura. I liked Molly Ephraim, but Little Red's got to have a strong voice.

In the next revival, do you think the Witch will be a man?

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 4:27pm

If the next Witch is going to be a man, I am the first in line to audition!

Cheers,
The Balladeer

[Benzy92]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 5:27pm

Anna Kendrick was up for the role of Little red. I dont know how Molly Ephraim got it over her?!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 5:30pm

Molly sounded bratty enough at the time of the audition??

I audition and had several call backs for Jack. Apparently, I didn't look "goofy" enough. Should I be dissapointed or relieved that I don't have Wylie's "Lewinsky ears"

[skingdom]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 5:30pm

I didn't think Molly Ephraim was bad. Although Anna Kendrick would have been fabulous. How far did she get?

Feel the same way as Flaemmachen.

And Laura had a lot more of a change than Kim. End of story.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 5:32pm

I saw the OBC on video and revival live. I think all of the actor's in the revival were trying NOT to do what the OBC actors did - which is a mistake, since nearly everything the OBC did was perfection. The revival wasn't bad, just not as good.

The cow & set were incredible, and the special effects improved, of course. What I didn't like was the whole turning into a snake thing and the Baker's Wife. The actress who played Baker's Wife tried hard not to be like the OBC Baker's Wife. She did EVERYTHING different, and all the gags were lost. She tried to do new things - but she failed.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 5:32pm

Anna Kendrick would have been great as well. But my vote was for Alicia Morton, who played Annie in the remake for ABC. She has A FANTASTIC voice. She would have been perfect. And what do you mean by the "turning into a snake thing"? Updated On: 8/27/03 at 05:32 PM

[Benzy92]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 5:38pm

Anna K. was veeeeery close probably down to the two of them my friend said. (who is very close w/ Anna.)

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 6:36pm

Each member of the revival made the character into their own, they didn't try "not" to be what the OBC was. That means each cast member borrowed some of the techniques the OBC actors used. For example, the princes. Bob and Chuck doing that princely pose everytime they hoped on stage? Chris and Gregg did the same. It's not in the libretto. Yet they made the princes into their own humor that was to themselves. Kerry made a very much younger version of the Bakers Wife. Laura's Cinderella was more driven in Act I (which is shown partly with her at the front of the line in the skip, for those of you who think the skip was pointless) and self-determined than Kim's.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 8:55pm

"...or a snaaaaaake."

The transformation begins after her transformation into the beautiful witch. She reveals that her arm is beggining to turn more brown and scale-like, and her hair falls out to the point of near baldness. I read in an interview that Lapine wanted to do that this time 'round, something he wanted to do the first time.

I don't ciriticize the actors for making the part their own, though it may seem like it. What I am saying is that most of their choices just didn't work when everything was put together.

The only actress who seemed perfect was Laura Benanti.

[skingdom]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 11:15pm

Don't even go insulting The Great O'Malley.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/27/03 at 11:54pm

I was lucky to see both productions and felt that Vanessa was just as good as Bernedette. I will say that I was adsolutely embarrased by the girl who played "Little Red Riding Hood." The show as much darker this time around.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/28/03 at 12:06am

As far as Molly goes, she wasn't my favorite member of the cast, but I don't get all the Molly hate. I can see hwere some might not have liked her, but to me her performance was very reflective of what her interpretation was of Little Red. I don't think it was that she was a bad actress at all. I think it was just the was she interpretted the role and was directed by Lapine. I wish I could have seen Kate Reinders in the role.

Same with Adam Wylie, personally, I don't really like him. No, it's not being bitter about not getting cast. But, yes. they wanted 'whiney' to some extent for that role. When I read for it, they asked me to be "a bit goofier and whinier". I ended up being told I didn't look goofy enough. Go figure.

I enjoyed Vanessa in part because she was so different that Bernadette. Same thing with Kerry O'Malley. Neither one was afraid to be totally different from what the original did.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/28/03 at 12:10am

...but joanna gleason was so on when I saw her...

what a talent.