Sara Bareilles, Christian Borle, Ashley Park, and Heather Headley to Lead Encores Into The Woods- Page 13

[Marianne2]

Posted: 5/6/22 at 7:39pm

Emmeline Carter said: "Does anyone know if there is a dress code for attending this show? Thanks!!"

There isn't. I've gone to other things at City Center and wore jeans or other casual clothes. Just don't smell bad for the people around you. 

[broadwayboy222]

Posted: 5/6/22 at 10:56pm

Have never had the opportunity to see an Encore’s production before, and just realized that this will still be playing on my trip to the city next week, is rush/standing room/lotto offered? Would absolutely love to see this but sadly just can’t afford the insanely steep prices. 

[UWS10023]

Posted: 5/6/22 at 11:38pm

You could go 2 hours before curtain and hang around outside and see if someone is either selling or giving away a ticket. Often times people plan to go with someone and then at the last minute their guest is unable to go so they end up with an extra ticket. Just be assertive because a few more people will have the same idea.

 

 

[darquegk]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 12:57am

One thing I think is interesting about Into the Woods is that the Baker and the Baker’s Wife have become characters of their own, distinct in their own right. The sense I get from the script and from the original taping is that they were originally intended as a bit of an outlier; middle-class New York Jews of a certain age and era who happened to be living within a fairy tale forest.

No major production since the original has centered that interpretation or flavoring of the characters. I wonder if it simply didn’t feel as fresh or almost subversive in a world post Princess Bride, which takes that specific sensibility and runs with it.

[raddersons]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 2:55am

Listen, the whole cast was revelatory. So it seems bizarre for me to come out of this production clamoring: MILKY WHITE IS A STAR!

This damn cow. That sullen little face. It is just SO DAMN CUTE. She walks. She runs. She shivers. She wimpers.  I laughed. I cried. I have never felt so much for a puppet before. Just so well executed. I’m obsessed.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 10:24am

What I really find remarkable about this production (among many things I find remarkable about this production) are the choices made especially by Sara and Heather.  These characters, so closely associated with the original cast, felt entirely new. I never once thought about Bernadette or Joanne mostly because of inflection and characterization choices. 
 

I pray to the theater gods for a cast recording. This was easily one of my favorite nights in the theater and the best Encores! production I’ve seen since Follies. 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 10:36am

The show feels like a major event, which is rare these days, and the excitement of being at the hottest show in NYC ratchets the experience up even higher. It's the place to be right now.

[dan94]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 10:48am

Do you think there's any chance whatsoever that they add an evening performance on the 15th?

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 10:48am

It really is as good as everyone is saying. As iconic as the original production is, I found this Encores mounting to be both funnier and deeper than that recording. Into the Woods has always been one of my favorite Sondheim shows, but it genuinely felt like I was hearing some of these songs for the first time. Agree with everyone saying Heather and Sara were revelatory here. They both brought such fresh perspectives and voices to these roles that have always been essentially owned by Bernadette and Joanna.

There really wasn’t a weak link in the cast. Shoutouts to Denée Benton, Julia Lester, and Kennedy Kanagawa (yes, Milky White does nearly steal the whole show) for being utterly delightful in particular.

Beg, borrow, or steal to see this if you can. Truly one of my favorite nights in a theater I’ve ever had.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 10:53am

Funny how people were dumping their tickets when NPH was announced.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 10:54am

TaffyDavenport said: "Funny how people were dumping their tickets when NPH was announced."

I maintain Christian Borle would’ve been worlds better. NPH, while not bad, is still giving the least interesting performance up there.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 11:12am

I saw this last night. It was AWESOME! Praying for a cast recording.

Review:

https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2022/05/encores-into-woods-fulfills-every-wish.html

[ImAProphet]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 11:25am

EDIT: Nevermind...

FYI I was just on StubHub and saw a single mezz ticket for their closing performance for $143 including fees.

Updated On: 5/7/22 at 11:25 AM

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 12:56pm

I cannot believe it took this long for Ann Harada to get to do this show. She's so perfect for the tone of it. Jack's Mom is such an underrated hilarious role that can steal the stage if you get the right person and I have long felt since Barbara Brynne they've never cast her right again. She's always too angry or bitter or one note. Barbara Brynne was a true clown and did so much with her face. I mean she's basically giving a Noises Off performance in that original production.

I think Jack's Mom has to be a driving force in the farce aspect of Into the Woods specifically cause she dies right as the entire tone of the show changes. So it's worth it to cast someone who will play it for the humor. Even her line at the end "The slotted spoon CAN catch the potato" is pretty ridiculous.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 1:35pm

Sara Bareilles' acting is IMO very strong. She really gave the Baker's Wife a lot of humor and charm. I hope she does more Broadway. I would actually love to see her as Bobbie in Company.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 1:46pm

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "I cannot believe it took this long for Ann Harada to get to do this show. "

 

Actually, it didn't! She did a semi-staged concert version of it back in 2018, playing The Witch, and she was great!

[jbroadway4]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 2:15pm

This production is one of the best pieces of theatre I have ever seen. I cannot remember a time I've been so blown away by a show! I have seen Into The Woods numerous times, but none compare to this production. It's lightning in a bottle! The whole entire cast was SPECTACULAR! Julia Lester is a star. Let's get her in more shows in NYC, please. Possibly a future Fanny Brice? Sara Barellis blew me away! As did NPH, who I was skeptical about at first. 

Would certainly not be mad at a cast recording or Broadway transfer. Wow! 1000000000/10.

Updated On: 5/7/22 at 02:15 PM

[catmandoo]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 2:51pm

.

Updated On: 5/7/22 at 02:51 PM

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 3:46pm

I have a couple of $100 mezzanine row G seats in my cart for tomorrow's matinee. If anyone on here wants them, let me know, and I'll release them.

Update: cart expired, and I couldn't get them back.

Updated On: 5/7/22 at 03:46 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 4:01pm

Minus the heavy-handed, should’ve-been-cut-in-rehearsals inclusion of the chorus during the finale, this was truly a perfect night of musical theater. 

It nails that tricky balance of honoring the original production while not existing in the shadow of it. I loved it so much. They should really preserve this production on film somehow - or at least a cast album. 

Updated On: 5/9/22 at 04:01 PM

[Marianne2]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 6:16pm

Saw the matinee today and absolutely loved it. Was the perfect thing to drag myself into the city on a horribly rainy day. 

[akhoya87]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 6:40pm

They had a lovely talkback session with James Lapine, Lear deBessonet, Rob Berman, Gavin Creel, Ann Harada, Heather Headley, and Cole Thompson today.  Someone asked "will there be a cast album?" which was met with whooping applause by the audience.  Berman jokingly asked Ann Harada if she would pay for the album, and demurred in answering the question. 

An excellent show all around.  Agree that Milky White was the true star.  Sara and Heather were phenomenal.  NPH was fine and forgettable, but at least displaced James Corden as the Baker in my mind, which is a good thing.  

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 8:09pm

I saw this today and WOW!!! I think Lear just saved her job. It was fantastic!!! I don't think there is so much that I can add because I am in complete agreement with everyone else who has been singing this production's praise. Shoutouts for really strong performances go to Julia Lester (put her in everything), Gavin Creel, and Denee Benton, although I really enjoyed every performance!

However, shoutouts for completely reinventing and elevating this material need to go to Sara Bareilles, Heather Hedley, and Kennedy Kanagawa. All three are INCREDIBLE performers who stole all of their scenes. Truly blown away by them all.

This show just made me so happy. It was so much fun to sit in an audience of 2000 Broadway fans and experience something we all loved! 

[kwoc91]

Posted: 5/7/22 at 11:21pm

Echoing everyone’s praise. What a fantastic production. I’m so thrilled I was finally able to see a Heather Headley performance in person. 
 

My friend stalked stubhub and we snagged a couple tickets to the matinee a few hrs before curtain. 

[lily carver]

Posted: 5/8/22 at 12:11am

How much did you end up paying? The prices are nuts but maybe they go down right before the show. I got mine back in Nov at the box office along with the two horrible shows so now I feel it was more than worth it.