The Public Theatre's Shakespeare/Park presents INTO THE WOODS -- Discussion- Page 22

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 6:38pm

As for the sexualization of Little Red (and Jack), I thought it was handled rather brilliantly, especially in the direction and costuming. What kept it from being completely inappropriate was the casting of Little Red. It was very tongue-in-cheek that she was so blatantly neither “little” nor a “girl”. And her change in character after I Know Things Now made so much more sense than compared to any other production I’d seen.

I agree. I LOVE what was done with Little Red's character. I watched both the Regent's Park filming and the 1988 Broadway filming this week, and after watching the Regent's Park filming first, I was underwhelmed by Little Red's character in the 1988 version. I definitely agree about I Know Things Now making more sense.

Also, question: How do they propose to do this if it transfers to Broadway - will they cover the stage in leaves and damp moss, and have the two-level set, or will they re-imagine it for a proscenium arch staging?

I was wondering this too, but I guess it really could work in a proscenium if the proscenium is tall enough to accommodate the trees and towering structure of staircases and platforms. The one thing I noticed while watching the Regent's Park production is that the set is very far back from the audience, and a lot of the action takes place on the various levels and staircases. The audience would be able to be closer to the action in a proscenium theatre.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 7:28pm

At the show now, waiting to go in. Cooper Grodin is out tonight and Eric Williams is on for Rapunzel's Prince.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 7:48pm

^ Ohh good I was hoping for a report to see how the show is tonight!

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 12:34am

Milky White looks like something that wash up from Plum Island.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 1:17am

As of tonight, many of the changes that needed to be implemented and/or tweaked (in my opinion) have happened. From the first preview to today, it's already a much tighter show and is well on its way to finding its footing. This includes the installation of a conductor monitor for the actors and a swifter costume change for the Witch, among other things.

I was indifferent to the show on Tuesday and chose to reserve my opinion until they kept working. Seeing the amazing progress they've made in just 3 days is a very positive sign. I seriously enjoyed myself tonight and I'm excited to see how it continues to grow and improve.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 1:26am

Saw it tonight. A completely disappointing, disenchanting production of a terrific musical. Everyone involved is working their ass off and deserves high respect. But it is just not meshing. And it might be time to fire the microphone guy...

The cast desperately needs a monitor so they can see the conductor. In some cases, you can barely even hear the orchestra. A few mishaps because of it: late entrances from Zbornik, O'Hare and Adams. Some nice singing, some not so nice singing...

O'Hare can't sing the score. But can act it, for sure. Adams sounds ttsired, but confident. Her "Moments In the Woods" is terrific. And Murphy just sounds beat. But wouldn't you be lugging around that costume?

The costumes are dreadful. The set is monstrous. Pretty, but monstrous. AND THERE IS SO MUCH MOVEMENT. The "birds"? Can we shorten it? Cut SOME of them? Often, you can't even tell where to look....

Sigh. I hope they can get it together. I'm rooting for them. SO much talent involved... But it just seems to have taken a misstep somewhere.

Updated On: 7/28/12 at 01:26 AM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 1:26am

Double post, sorry.

Updated On: 7/28/12 at 01:26 AM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 1:40am

So, I'm not sure if it was the day off yesterday, or just additional time to rehearse, but the show was firing on all cylinders tonight. I absolutely loved it. Loved the concept of the production, loved all the performances (but one), and of course, loved the piece. I was hooked from that first vamp when the cast ran onstage.

First, a bit of housekeeping. There's been a large monitor installed so the actors can see the conductor. I suspect this had a lot to do with why there not really any problems with the orchestra and actors being out of sync.

The set blends in beautifully with the park, and when it gets dark out and is properly lit, it's absolutely gorgeous, but still foreboding. I loved the different levels, too. It greatly expanded the playing space. The costumes were more of a mixed bag for me. Some of them worked (I loved the green dress Murphy wears post transformation), others are just bizarre. Like, why does Little Red wear a bicycle helmet? I enjoyed Cinderella's stepmother as a dominatrix, the Wolf as a rockstar, and one of the princes as, well, Prince.

The giant appears using a brilliant bit of stage craft that's remarkably simple, yet highly effective. It's very much like how Peter and the Starcatcher does things like this.

The performances were almost uniformly better tonight than what I had read about previously. Sarah Stiles was the most pleasant surprise- a completely unique, different, yet effective take on Little Red. She nailed the jokes and the sense of being alone in act 2. I also enjoyed the boyish performance of Gideon Glick as Jack, though he didn't knock Giants in the Sky out of the park vocally. His acting, however, particularly in the final scenes, is excellent.

The child Narrator idea really worked for me, particularly how they set up the contrast between the two acts, with act 1 being his "child's play" and act 2 turning into his nightmare. And Broderick was wonderful and nailed that final moment when he "returns" to the story.

When Chip Zien made his first entrance as the Mysterious Man, he received a warm round of entrance applause, which greatly conufused the two people in front of me, who immediately pulled out their playbills and began discussing who they thought it was. "Is he famous?" "Has he done movies?" When they read through his bio (again, all of this while the show is going on), the guy said, "I have no idea who he is." At this point someone shushed them, mercifully. In any case, it was a joy to see him onstage in this show, and No More was a highlight of the evening. When he was singing that song, all was right with the world.

Murphy's transformation didn't seem overly long tonight, so they must have rehearsed that, too. I loved how she appeared to get closer and closer to death as act 1 wore on. She appears to have gotten her timing issues down, too, as the rap was right on. Her performance is really, really strong, particularly in act 2. Vocally she's fine until Last Midnight, which was pitchy. I don't understand why she won't sing that song in the Vanessa Williams key. Her final exit could be a little more exciting.

Amy Adams is great in a role that Joanna Gleason made look easy (but is actually very hard to get right- just ask Kerry O'Malley!). A really strong Moments in the Woods, and a nice final scene.

And then there was Dennis O'Hare. I didn't think it was possible to make the Baker, the only character in the show with pure intentions, unlikeable. But O'Hare does. I have no idea what that performance was about, but it's awful. He can't handle the singing, but that's not even a huge deal. The Baker has to be likeable, that's the guy we're supposed to root for. O'Hare, with his mannerisms and nebbishness (yes, he uses his regular bag of tricks here) isn't.

Fortunately, he doesn't kill the production, which I think is outstanding. There are surely things that need fixing, but they're easy enough fixes, outside of O'Hare.

Updated On: 7/28/12 at 01:40 AM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 1:46am

I could definitely feel tonight that the show is already becoming much more finely tuned than how some of the earlier reports here portrayed it to be, but I'm sad to say I agree that something's just not clicking.

I think, fundamentally, the problem really lies in the casting. All of the principals have their own individual merits, but they're all incredibly distinct performers who feel like they're in their own individual shows. There's absolutely no sense of cohesion among them.

For example, Donna Murphy's dark, heavy handed, relentless Witch feels at odds with the lightness that Tim Sheader has found in so many of the whimsical aspects of the physical production, and her voice sounds incredibly harsh singing what is such a melodic score. I was really rather shocked by how unsuccessful I found her when it came to the comedic bits in the first act. She really scores when she gets to the character's scariest, most threatening scenes in the second act, but it all felt very flat and one note to me. She established a very particular energy from the moment she made her first entrance, and she never went beyond that, which is odd considering The Witch has such complex, rich material.

Likewise, I was initially was charmed by Denis O'Hare and Amy Adams in their early book scenes, but his singing and her physical presence are both so lacking that The Baker and The Baker's Wife tend to come off annoying more often than they are endearing. O'Hare really, really botched "No More" tonight to where it was almost physically painful to listen to. Adams is more successful, I think, particularly for someone who hasn't been on stage at all in the last ten years. She'll just never have a "big" energy, and that is sorely needed in the moments where the character really comes into her own. In terms of musicality, I felt very similarly about Gideon Glick- a quirky, cute, fun presence, but with really obvious musical difficulties in the singing department. That seems to be a big issue all around.

The exceptions to the rule are Jessie Mueller and Sarah Stiles, who are both giving specific, lovely, multi-faceted performances that display an incredible amount of growth from beginning to end. They are far and away the shining stars of this production. I thought that was lacking too- all these characters really go on very big journeys over the course of the story, but with the exception of Mueller and Stiles, I didn't feel that anywhere else. While I usually find the end of the show incredibly poignant and moving, tonight, it just left me cold.

Things like the pacing (which was very off tonight) will improve as time goes on, but I think it's hard to ignore that the bigger problems are much more deeply rooted in how things have been conceived.

For those who are curious, upon exiting the park tonight at 11:30, there were already 15 people or so in line for tomorrow's performance.

Updated On: 7/28/12 at 01:46 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 1:52am

I'll be seeing it tomorrow night, but I can't help but feel that recasting (certain roles) will be inevitable, if it transfers.

Updated On: 7/28/12 at 01:52 AM

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 2:01am

Hopefully a new costume and set designer as well.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 2:03am

Adamgreer- monitors were indeed installed... but not utilized tonight. I guess the hookup wasn't finished, but they sat, not turned on.

The transformation and the death of the Baker's Wife were improved, extremely.

As was much of Act Two, a lot of which was reblocked. Songs like "No More", and the Cinderella/Little Red portion of "No One is Alone" now take place on the ground, as opposed to being on the upper levels of the set.

[DawsonsCreek310]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 2:06am

Saw the show with a friend on Tuesday and returned again tonight.

Morgan James' tweet was bitchy... but it came from a very real and emotional place a lot of the audience felt on Tuesday night. My friend is a professional actress, as well as James, with national tours under her belt. She also has a pretty high tolerance for mediocre material... she likes everything. I'm the critic (obviously). Tuesday night was one of the most miserable nights at the theater both of us have spent in quite a while. The production aside, seeing a two-time Tony winner not know her lyrics or lines (I'm talking about Miss Donna Murphy herself) was utterly and offensively unacceptable. Actors are required to know the material, especially in a show that has existed for 25 years now, by the first rehearsal. I don't care how many technical rehearsals they missed or how short the rehearsal process was, an actor has control over one thing and one thing alone and that is knowing the material. Actors get fined by the production for things like that.

Donna wasn't the only offender, the entire cast decided to take the unprofessional route of not knowing the material, but Denis O'Hare takes the cake for messing up at least a line or a lyric every time he was onstage. Again, these are celebrated professionals in OUR community. It was utterly disgusting. The only person I gave any leeway to was Ms. Adams because this is not her element. She was better than most though.

Despite the unprofessionalism of the actors onstage that has nothing to do with lack of rehearsal and production problems, one could be forgiving to orchestra issues. God knows how they can expect this show to work without any way of seeing the conductor. Pacing was so off it wasn't funny. But you can forgive that. They didn't have enough rehearsal.

That aside, the show was horrible. The concept doesn't work. The costumes are ugly. Sarah Stiles portrays Little Red Riding Hood as what appears to be a slightly mentally challenged little girl... wearing a red jacket adorned with buttons, ridiculous striped socks, and a red helmet that reminded me of Natalie Portman in the film Garden State. She makes it a point to do some strange grunty laugh as part of the character and also decides to "skip" like a mentally challenged person would. It was like watching the female version of Leif Coneybear onstage. Not my taste but she committed to it. No doubt the girl is talented, but this concept makes for something extremely uncomfortable when the shirtless wolf in tight pants literally rubs his penis area all over her... and later "eats" her... in a quite dirty way. Why are we watching a song and dance rendition of a pediphile taking advantage of a handicapped person? It made me and my friend both sick to our stomachs.

On monday night the entirety of the prologue got muffled giggles, if that. It frankly wasn't funny. You had no idea where to look. The fabulous gay kid as Hansel offensively licks candy with his sister during most of the opening stealing focus from anything we're supposed to be watching. Tonight's response wasn't much better. The entire production lacks the comedy necessary for the piece. Classic lines like "Oh, I pulled it from a maiden in a tower!" or "I need your shoe to have a baby!" don't land at all. All of the nuance of Jack's mom, including her classic scene with The Baker's Wife, is totally thrown away. I will say she fares better here than she did in 2002, though. The direction is so bad it hurts.

It's obvious this production is in the same camp as Peter and the Starcatcher. While Peter uses "found" objects to create a magical night at the theater from start to finish, there were only two moments that I truly felt this concept rose to the occasion. While done sloppily both nights I saw the show, the creation of the beanstalk with the umbrellas definitely feels magical. The creation of the giant also a moment where I feel like I was suddenly sitting watching a better show. Other than that there is nothing magical about the costumes and props that look like they were all picked up at the Good Will. Either these directors need to go sit through a performance of Starcatcher to get a better idea of how to make their misguided concept work better or they need to bring in Alex Timbers in as a consultant. I don't think this take on Into The Woods is necessary, but if you're going to do it, at least do it right. No one wants to see a show where it looks like everything came out of grandma's closets if you're not going to do anything with it. Into The Woods should feel magical. This production doesn't.

Tonight was tighter than Tuesday. The show is still not great. O'Hare is miscast. Amy Adams doesn't have a big enough range to sing this score, but she does have a very pleasant voice and strong presence when she's singing within the range she does have. She's also not The Baker's Wife. Her and Jessie Mueller should be playing each other's parts. Mueller doesn't quite feel right as Cinderella, as talented as she is.

Regardless, my friend and I both felt very similarly to the sentiments expressed by Morgan. As huge fans of the show and self-proclaimed Sondheimites, HOW can you f*ck up Into The Woods? I can possibly see how people who HATE Into The Woods might enjoy this production because there is nothing about it that is true to anything the show as anyone knows it.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 2:07am

DawsonsCreek310 welcome to the boards. You and I are going to be BEST FRIENDS because there has never been a bigger fan of the Creek than myself. (And no people, I'm not joking)

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 2:11am

ljay, I was thinking tonight that transferring the show might actually make it look worse.

The atmospheric feeling of being in the park is so lovely and so ingrained in the concept of this production that I think it leads you to forgive many of the flaws that are so apparent elsewhere. For a staging that's already incredibly problematic, moving it indoors and losing that element of magic may put a microscope on the show that creates even bigger problems than what they're already dealing with.

I also think the incredibly wide and deep sense of perspective that's so integral to the design would be very, very difficult to translate to a traditional proscenium stage, but that's only one of many specific technical elements that would need to be re-thought anywhere outside of this particular space in the park.

Updated On: 7/28/12 at 02:11 AM

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 2:20am

There are lots of reasons an actor may forget cues and lines. While it's always regrettable and frustrating for the audience, the phenomenon is not necessarily lack of preparation. Sometimes, yes; and when that's the reason I can understand a self-righteous response. But sometimes it's also distraction, a lack of feeling safe or confident physically, that can cause the mind to misfire. Unfortunate then, yes; but not due to laziness or unprofessionalism.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 2:25am

SO glad to hear the production is working out the kinks! And great that everything is better musically even without a working monitor.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 2:31am

I found this stage design actually subtracted from the outdoor experience by being very heavy handed and overly busy, isn't this the kind of show you would hope to catch a glimpse of Belvedere Castle lit by the moonlight between the branches?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 2:35am

How is the death of the Baker's wife staged? Same as Regent's Park?

[DawsonsCreek310]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 2:39am

SPOILER ALERT

I don't exactly how it was staged in the Regent's production but she sees the giant coming, all the random ensemble members scatter all over the set, all of a sudden (and never explained) she comes out of either Rapunzel's tower with eyes or the Giant's mouth (both are absurd ideas) and then gets scared and falls to the ground essentially killing herself.

[Leadingplayer]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 2:56am

"Actors are required to know the material, especially in a show that has existed for 25 years now, by the first rehearsal. I don't care how many technical rehearsals they missed or how short the rehearsal process was, an actor has control over one thing and one thing alone and that is knowing the material. Actors get fined by the production for things like that.

Donna wasn't the only offender, the entire cast decided to take the unprofessional route of not knowing the material, but Denis O'Hare takes the cake for messing up at least a line or a lyric every time he was onstage. Again, these are celebrated professionals in OUR community. It was utterly disgusting."



What crap you are spilling, dawson...Yes I'm sure Donna, Denis and the whole cast are just lazy slackers who didn't feel like bothering to memorize the material. I mean why would they care? If an entire cast of top professionals is messing up....I would dare to venture perhaps something is unnerving them and causing stress....you and your friend ("who has been in national tours!!!" Oh my!!) need to join Mogan James on a bus back to the creek.

[DawsonsCreek310]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 3:09am

No, I'm sorry, we all have jobs and are expected to do them. An actor's job is to perform the material as written and do the choreography and staging as told by the creative team. A lack of rehearsal can constitute blame on the production and not the performers regarding technical and pacing issues, but even that doesn't make it any more right to expect an audience to sit through unfinished work being billed otherwise. As for the material, it's 25 years old! The only person responsible for memorizing the text is the actor. You can say what you want about shows in the park being "free" but they are treated just the same as shows that charge here in the city. Instead of paying you wake up at an ungodly hour and sit in the sun throwing most of your day away to see the show. Just not singing part of the finale, one of the most famous songs in the musical, "Children Will Listen" was offensive for someone with two Tony Awards. It is offensive to anyone in the audience who happened to be in the industry and it was offensive to anyone else who probably will not get a second chance to watch the production.

A "preview" excuses technical and staging difficulties and adjustments. With a new show, that can also include last minute song and scene additions/deletions/rewrites... Into The Woods is not a new show by any means and nothing other than a once discarded bridge to a song has been added.
Updated On: 7/28/12 at 03:09 AM

[Leadingplayer]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 3:20am

"No, I'm sorry, we all have jobs and are expected to do them."

you are expected to do them BUT do you always do them pefectly, every time, every day, even on the first day of a new job? and what is this crap of it is 25 years old? Not to this cast. Not everybody memorizes every show that comes out and what is this SHE has Two Tony awards crap...like that makes her perfect? (and BTW she only got the second one...because...well I'm sure a know it all blowhard such as yourself knows why)

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 4:52am

Random questions -

Someone here mentioned an 11 piece orchestration, correct? the original Tunick orchestration is for 16 pieces if I recall correctly (it IS 5am, after all). Could someone please post the instrumentation as listed in the program?

Now, understudies.. Who is covering whom please?

Also, how have the people who have seen it responded to the (incredibly minor) role of Cinderella's father being cut? He has so little to do but he presence or lack thereof can very much change the dynamic of the relationship between Cinderella and her family.
Updated On: 7/28/12 at 04:52 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 7:33am

Actors flub or forget lines for a variety of reasons, not just because they are underrehearsed or didn't spend enough time in advance, learning them on their own.

Disorientation or distraction on a giant outdoor set can easily be a contributing factor. This cast has had a very limited time rehearsing in costume in the actual performance space, especially at night.

Once you realize you can't see, hear, or even find your fellow actors (as some have pointed out), it's little wonder several of them blew their lines.

I'm not giving them a free pass, though. My advice to the production: with a show of this size and complexity, you MUST allow enough rehearsal time in the actual space, or don't start your first preview.

Considering the many issues of this particular production, it's a wonder any of them got their lines right at the first preview.

Again, I'm not excusing it at all. I'm only pointing out that sitting at home with your script and a tape recorder or a buddy to run you cue-to-cue isn't going to mean squat when you get out there in the park in those clunky wigs and costumes on that gigantic anthill of a set and try to act and sing. Good luck with that.

Updated On: 7/28/12 at 07:33 AM