The Public Theatre's Shakespeare/Park presents INTO THE WOODS -- Discussion — Page 34

It's actually a pretty funny gag. Adams literally climbs up the Steward's body in an attempt to get the shoe back from him.


That picture is ridiculous, hahahaha.

Updated On: 8/7/12 at 12:58 PM

Potential spoilers below?

I noticed that when the Witch picks up one of Rapunzel's babies towards the end after Rapunzel dies, the baby seems to fall and turn to dust. Does anyone know what the deal is with that? Are both babies dust? (Also, whatever happens to Rapunzel's prince, is he ever accounted for?)

*SPOILERS*

The implications whent he Witch discovers the babies are "dust" is that they've been dead for QUITE a while. Rapunzel who is drinking and crazy has been pushing around two dead babies in a pram for months. It's quite chilling and makes the witch turn cold, bitter, and angry.

----SPOILER---

My interpretation: Now that Rapunzel is gone the twins have in essence died with her, turning to dust.

They were linked to her, when she was banished by the Witch. Now the Witch can't have them either. Spell broken.

That sort of mythical idea...

Thanks, all! Just another interesting/complex moment in this production.

I did think that once Rapunzel died, the twins died with her (although that doesnt make lots of sense), but I also like in a morbid and perverse way the idea that she had been pushing around dead babies for a while. Shows how unstable and out of it she had become. She blames the Witch for making her perpetually messed up and unhappy, which, in turn, has destroyed her ability to be a fit mother and provide "grandchildren" to the Witch. Careful the things you do, children will see and learn...

Ljay- yes, the boys are now alternating.

And it looks like someone finally told Broadway World that Paris Remillard has been playing Rapunzel's Prince.. only took them a week.

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Besty, I loved reading your thoughts on the original ITW tour. Chuck Wagner posted a short video clip of him as the Wolf in the tour on his youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PP5asj5vP8

"(Also, whatever happens to Rapunzel's prince, is he ever accounted for?)"

He loses interest in favour of Snow White (or is it Sleeping Beauty)?

i loved the little red costume, in addition to most of the costumes in this production. I thought they were inventive and full of imagination. The costume fits in perfectly with the way Sarah Stiles portrays the character, in my opinion.

Just back.

It is always sad when an actor you love fails in a great role. It is doubly sad when two such actors do it in the same show. As the Baker and his Wife, O'Hare and Adams lack warmth, charm, love, wit, comic chops, and chemistry. And even presence. Adams's singing is ok. O'Hare's is horrible. Shockingly, Adams's gestures are trite and mechanical to the point of amateurishness. The duo's insipid costumes only emphasize the blandness of their performances. To summarize, the two characters who are the heart and soul of this musical disappear on that stage, brutally outclassed by everything else around them. I couldn't begin to explain how so much went wrong with Adams's performance. But it strikes me that O'Hare may be miscast. When Adams sings "You're passionate, charming, considerate, clever," all I could think is "NOT IN THIS SHOW HE'S NOT!"

Sorry. I am sincerely not enjoying reporting any of this.

I loved everything else about this production. Murphy is nothing short of spectacular. And she looks great! The rest of the cast is uniformly wonderful. The standouts: Mueller, soulfully underplaying, sings angelically. Stiles, whom I found terribly annoying in On A Clear Day, makes Red's every moment vivid, true, witty and fascinating. Zien does everything one would expect from him and more. Glick is charming. Zbornik - a great impressionist, here she seems to be cleverly channeling Katey Sagal - is hilarious.

The framing device and use of the child narrator is compelling and makes the final scenes much richer than they were. The hot scenes do not jump the sexual shark, at all. Innuendo is kept in proper balance with the wolf's dinner, the suggestion of going down on Red - based on the position of her body beyond the sheet - may be unmistakable, but only unmistakable as a metaphorical inference, not as an actual event. As such, it remains just this side of too much. The choreography works quite well and the special scenic effects are first rate (of course one might want the Witch's transformation to be more presto chango, but it's not belabored, and, being in the park, I give them a handicap). With the notable exceptions of Adams and O"Hare, and the Steward's (which I don't really get at all), the costumes work well.

I don't know why the twins turn to dust, but I'm fascinated by it and find it thought provoking. Maybe the kids were her delusion. Maybe Rapunzel smothered them just like she was smothered. Maybe she neglected them in her madness.

One more thing. Murphy's "Last Midnight" alone is, worth the price of admission, or in this case worth standing in line for hours for.

Updated On: 8/8/12 at 12:23 AM

I saw an early preview, and I thought Adams was fabulous. Just my opinion.

I honestly think whoever plays this role will never be good enough for some people. Gleason's performance is so ingrained in all of our heads.

Updated On: 8/8/12 at 01:57 AM

IJay I admit that for me Gleason's Baker's Wife is one of the most truthful, umforgettable performances I have ever seen. But for me Adams is one of the great talents of her generation. I was thrilled when she was cast in Into the Woods and, if anything, would have bent over backwards to love her performance. I am not going to believe for a second that your finding her fabulous in the show is an illusion. I only ask in return that you believe that when I say I thought she wasn't good in it, it is not based on my devotion to Gleason's portrayal. Our opinions of Adams's work here, though opposite, can be equally genuine.

Wicked the only thing the Steward's costume vaguely suggested to me is that he spent his day on the golf course instead of ministering to the kingdom. Not a bad choice, perhaps, but, as you said, it wasn't clear and there is no reason we should be left to surmise. (And unlike the dusty twins, this particular mystery has no poetry, rather than intrigue us, it merely nonplusses.)

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Amy's hair, while not quite as bad as it appears in some stills, is horrid.

Updated On: 8/8/12 at 08:14 AM