Into the Woods Revival: Let's Try This Again — Page 2

The last revival was respectable but failed to be exciting. The textural changes did little to help the cause -- especially a bizarre revision to "Last Midnight," with the Witch singing about giving Jack to the Giantress, while cradling the Bakers' baby and threatening to steal it. It had no focus or clarity, and took a confusing song (much revised, see "Boom Crunch") and made it impossible to follow. That sort of fiddling didn't make the show deeper or more accessible, just ... well, different. Too bad, because the cast was game.

But we won't see another for a while. That one lost mony, and every middle school in America has done the show. It's not exactly must-see. I think a brilliant tv version would be wonderful, however. With magic, real and theatrical.

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I get what you're saying about Baker and Wife being played too old, but that's the way the roles have always been played. I just can't picture whippersnappers like Mara Davi or Heidi Blickenstaff in the role. Heidi definitely when she gets a little older, though.

And Susan Blackwell as Baker's Wife? REALLY? I mean, I love her and [tos] but this business of suggesting her for these roles is getting real old real fast.

Erin Davie's perfect. I stand by Melora Hardin and Matthew Broderick as perfect casting, and Madonna was fine in Evita, so I'm sure she could pull this role off.

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i hated the three pigs in the revival.. i hated having two wolves... i loved the effect of the giant... i loved OUR LITTLE WORLD... i actually liked the set design... 'm indifferent about the lyric changes in LAST MIDNIGHT... but yeah... the revival was OK...

Oh! I love the idea of Heidi playing the Baker's Wife. And Susan.


And I totally agree about Menzel playing The Witch.

Audra?
Noooooooooo....noooooo...no.

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Well, she's a teensy bit old.

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Erin Davie as Cinderella.... YES, PLEASE!!!! :)

Just have to chime in regards to the age argument, as I LOVE this show...

~ Just because something has traditionally, or 'always' been done one way does NOT make it correct or best. Now, going from there...

I use Rapunzel as a base for my argument. Rapunzel states that she has been locked in the tower for 16 years. We also establish, via the prologue, that the Baker should be AT most 2 years older than his sister, Rapunzel, since he does not remember her.

Now, had the Witch locked her away at birth, she would be 16, putting the Baker and his Wife at about 18. Illogical. However, had the Witched locked Rapunzel away at the onset of puberty, about 11, let's say, then that would put Rapunzel at 27 and the Baker and his Wife at about 29, a much more logical age and fitting for the "we are running out of time to have a child" aspect of the plot should the director set the show in a traditional "fairy tale" period. Considering how, if Rapunzel and Cinderella are about the same age and their princes are about that age as well, that would be EXTREMELY old for unmarried Prince of the period, so a happy medium would be best and most logical, placing Rapunzel and Cinderella, and their Princes at about 22 and the Baker and his Wife at 24-25, still a reasonable age to be panicked about not having kids in that period, and also making the connection between the Baker and Cinderella more plausible, as well as making Cinderella more likely to still be at home and under he stepmother's thumb. You could then place the stepsisters, convincingly, at the more "marriage worthy ages" of 16-18.

I won't go further than that, but you get the idea...

Thing that all former productions are gospel is how you never get a new vision. But honestly, look at the book and what it lays out and it dictates the ages. Because the original was so loved and well received, no one questioned the choices. However, lack of regard for the book in that way by most other people would be frowned upon and slammed, but because it is Sonheim and Lapine, and Lapine wrote and directed (making the disparity all the more surprising to me), people don't like to question....



I must add as well, that I would much prefer seeing Jessica Grove as Cinderella.

Updated On: 10/30/08 at 10:09 PM

I'm curious to know what Doyle would do with "Into the Woods." I'm sure he's been approached. I don't need to see it happen, but I'd like to know his concept. I LOVE the set for the West End revival. Talk about a beauty and an interesting and new concept!

Glen Close as the witch !!!!

I would LOVE to see Charlotte Parry ("Coram Boy") play Little Red

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Cynthia Nixon said in a recent interview with the American Theater Wing that she's been taking singing lessons (and sang "Dance: Ten, Looks: Three" at a benefit for The Public a couple years ago.)

If it was in her range, she's about as perfect for The Baker's Wife as you can get.

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