Into the Woods question: "Our Little World"

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 5:43pm

I bought the Libretto for cheap at a used book sale, but it doesn't have "Our Little World". I was wondering if there is dialogue that sets up this song or if it is just inserted before or after the witch asks Rapunzel to let down her hair? Or not? How is it incorporated?

[Evan Almighty]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 8:10pm

I've never heard of this song. It's not listed on the original musical (ibdb.com), or in the reunion concert special. It's only listed in the 02 revival.

I'm guessing they added it for Vanessa Williams.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 8:13pm

I thought it was added for the London production of ITW, no?

[commasplice]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 8:13pm

"I've never heard of this song. It's not listed on the original musical (ibdb.com), or in the reunion concert special. It's only listed in the 02 revival.

I'm guessing they added it for Vanessa Williams."

It was originally in the London production.

(Alas, CATS, I can't help you, but I'd also like to know.)

[artscallion]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 8:26pm

It was definitely added for the London production. I've seen it used in three different productions, including the recent Broadway revival. So I'm pretty sure that I'm correct in my recollection that there is no dialogue lead up to the song. It is inserted after the I Guess This Is Goodbye / Maybe They're Magic sequence. At most they may have transitioned with a "as for Rapunzel..." from the narrator.

[Calvin]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 8:33pm

Yes, it was added for London. In fact, the one used in the recent Broadway revival is actually a shortened version of the song. You can hear the whole thing on the London album. Rapunzel's role is pretty puny without it. When I did the show several years ago (before the revival), the song was published in the individual cast books but not in the score.

I'm trying to remember if they used it in the production I saw in Houston with Leslie Uggams and Lenny Wolpe.
Updated On: 7/5/07 at 08:33 PM

[harris007]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 8:52pm

it's used in place of the whitch just climbing into the tower in act one, the song starts the scene .

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 7/5/07 at 9:27pm

It's a fun song that I think adds something to Rapunzel. Every other character in the show has something memorable to work with....Rapunzel, initially, did not.

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 7/6/07 at 12:25am

We did the song recently in our production of Woods...I was Rapunzel...


The scene started with teh Narrarator's dialogue, and Rapunzel's Aaahhs, which lead into the song. Her hair is lowered after the first verse. Then the rest of the song is sang...and the scene ends with the witch climbing up Rapunzel's hair and Rapunzel aaah ing in pain :)


does that help?

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 7/6/07 at 12:32am

side note:

CALVIN! it was that production that got me into musical theatre! i'm also pretty sure they did use the number. I have the playbill at home so i;ll look on monday

[Jon]

Posted: 7/6/07 at 9:21am

It's included in the licenced version as "optional material" - meaning each production can choose to do it or not.

[Calvin]

Posted: 7/6/07 at 9:26am

Woo, CQ!

I went in thinking Wolpe would be WAY too old to be the Baker, but actually, it kinda made sense to have an older Baker, which makes the whole being childless thing a little more poignant. I was thinking they used the song, too.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/6/07 at 9:39am

When we did it, I was the Witch, and we didn't use it. Honestly, I hate the song and it slows the action down for me...

OT: I would KILL to see Leslie Uggams as The Witch (I assume that's who she was)

[Calvin]

Posted: 7/6/07 at 9:41am

Indeed she was! (and one of her daughters was a stepsister)

[kyle.]

Posted: 7/6/07 at 12:15pm

Here is a photo of Our Little World from the beautiful production of Into the Woods I saw at the Stratford Festival last year or the year before.

[raphael06]

Posted: 7/6/07 at 12:18pm

Wow Kyle! That's an awesome photo! Do you have anymore?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/23/09 at 9:25pm

I dunno how I stumbled on this old thread by chance, but here are more pics from that stunning Stratford production on a web page for the designer (she';s from Montreal...) Dany Lyne

http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Lyne%2C%20Dany

[laura is broadway]

Posted: 2/23/09 at 10:15pm

Wow, that production looks beautiful.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 2/23/09 at 10:17pm

What an interesting, beautiful production.

[MrSweetNAwful]

Posted: 2/23/09 at 11:10pm

...wow, that design (set and costume) is so bizzare. It is gorgeous, but it's jarring for me since I have the original production carved into my memory. Big kudos for them for doing something completely original though, looks like they pulled it off!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/23/09 at 11:28pm

Oh I'm definetly a traditonalist with these things and love the original designs but as an alternative I agree it's pretty striking.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 2/23/09 at 11:40pm

"I went in thinking Wolpe would be WAY too old to be the Baker, but actually, it kinda made sense to have an older Baker, which makes the whole being childless thing a little more poignant. I was thinking they used the song, too."

It makes sense emotionally, but not when you think about the fact that Rapunzel is supposed to be a teenager and the Baker was supposed to have been "no more than a babe" when the events recounted by the Witch occurred. The Baker should probably be around 18 given Rapunzel's age (increased to 16-17 in the revival), but that doesn't make any sense either. It's one of those plot holes.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 6:00pm

"It's one of those plot holes."

The bit where Little Red Riding Hood slices open the wolf and retrieves Granny alive from inside his stomach is another.