Upcoming "Into the Woods" Revival...- Page 3

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 10:12am

LOL Growl

Seriously...if the shows weren't back every 5 or 6 years - when they did a revival there might actually be a lot of interest instead of everyone upset that it isn't making a killing at the box office because of poor attendance.

[artscallion]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 10:29am

This video of the production was posted in another thread several months ago...


ETA...old thread: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1070175#4517057


VIDEO

Updated On: 7/17/14 at 10:29 AM

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 10:32am

"As one of the producers of the 2001 42nd STREET revival once told me, “Oh, yeah, it’s sh!t. But you’ve never seen SO MUCH sh!t on a stage before!”

I LOVED that revival of 42nd STREEET, and thought it far surpassed the original 1980 production (which I saw twice). That's how a revival should be done! The Broadway revival of ITW, on the other hand?.... Not so much.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 10:35am

It just looks like INTO THE WOODS AND THE STARCATCHER.

[Brick]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 10:45am

I'm seeing it Sunday in San Diego.

I'm excited to see it and in general, I'll take an inspired minimalist staging over a uninvolving fully-staged production any day. And we get many of those.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:01am

So it's new to the NY Theatre District is what you really mean.

(Cue the "New York is the center of New York" dialogue from "Gypsy.")

Into the Woods has been around for close to 30 years now. There have been many minimalist productions ranging from high school to community theatre to professional regional and summer stock stagings. I've seen this show multiple times over the years, and some of the productions have been terrific using a "minimalist" concept.

Since "new" was mentioned in several previous posts, in regard to a "minimalist" approach, I wanted to point out that "minimalist" is anything but new for Into the Woods, even if this particular production happens to be well done.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:07am

Like Brian, I've seen every major production of ITW that has played NYC, encountering it first as a 14-year-old just starting to know that theater was going to be my life, then at 27, not long after 9/11. At 38, I saw the SITP production after becoming a widower. And now, I 'll get to see a very different production as a 40 year old. Even though the Park production wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, I was still moved because...well...it's Into the Woods. It never fails to move me. For the majority of my life, I've been encountering this work. I'm excited to see what kind of thoughts and emotions this re-imagining brings about.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:08am

You're absolutely splitting hairs at this point, besty.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:15am

Yeah, I mean, we can split every hair and say that every production of every show, with all their disparate elements taken together, is "new," since none are identical. But I don't know what the purpose of pointing that out would be.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:24am

But I don't know what the purpose of pointing that out would be.

LOL

You're the two who brought up "new" in the first place. It's on the last page, guys. How quickly you forget.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:33am

Did you really LOL?

Because I didn't say anything about "new" before objecting to your objection.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:37am

I suppose I could have found it tragic, but I laughed instead.

This is your own post from 8:40 ...

"I'd rather a production that tries something new with the material than one that tries vainly to ape the glories of the original production and ends up heartless."

Even if they’re not aping former glories (mmm… former-glory-aping), I don’t get the immediate outcry about minimalism every single time a minimalist production shows up, as though that’s ALL anyone does anymore. What’s the ratio of substantial-orchestra vs. tiny-orchestra productions of Sondheim shows? 90%-10%? *buttons top sweater button*

Were you not discussing and responding to Kad's "new" comment, which you quoted in your own post?

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:42am

I'll refrain from making a bitchy comment about reading comprehension and just repost what I posted before:

I didn't say anything about "new" before objecting to your objection.

While I quoted Kad's sentence, you can clearly see that I did not address or comment on anything relating to new-ness.

This is silly, right? Shall we keep at it all day?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:50am

I vote keep at it!

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:52am

PRS!

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:53am

I really do hope people see this production. True, the pictures make it seem much, but this is bar none the best Into the Woods I have ever seen. I've never thought the writing of the show was first rate, but this show makes the text work in a way I've never seen it done. It's really a special production, conceived and performed by a wonderful company, and is absolutely worth seeing.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:57am

Funny how those making disparaging comments are the ones who haven't seen the production. I mean, if you all want to deprive yourselves of a truly special production of a great musical then I guess that's your prerogative, but you are missing out. Personally I'm quite excited to see it again, I love Into the Woods and enjoyed this version much more than the one in the park.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 11:59am

Someone at some point in the last 30-ish years may have possibly staged Into the Woods somewhat in this manner, maybe, so now I'm not sure I want to see something that is potentially stale.

[DrowsyKaye]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 12:02pm

Seriously, this negativity is outrageous. I saw this in Princeton and it was, IMHO, the best production of Into the Woods I've seen. They take the text and truly make it their own. It's unlike any production of ITW you've seen before, or will likely see again. Give it a chance, y'all. It's something special and new and not to be missed.

[Showface]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 1:12pm

I'm just getting really tired of this.

It seems like every Sondheim show is getting this minimalist approach. I do like these productions, but in small doses.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 1:23pm

Maybe it is good, maybe it is not.
I will say this.. I detest the concept. Nothing in ANY marketing material issued has made me want to spend money on this. The press reel looked absolutely awful. The photos do not appeal to me. I love smart theatre, I do not enjoy "we are artists, aren't we clever?" theatre.
Into the Woods is one of my favorite shows and I always love the opportunity to see it and I always look forward to loving it. I am certainly not hoping to not like it. "10 actors and a piano" had me excited. Everything since has soured me.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 1:27pm

The production is fantastic and put some much needed life into this over-done show. I can't wait to see it again.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 1:35pm

"It seems like every Sondheim show is getting this minimalist approach."

Or they're getting lavish treatment by the NY Philharmonic or Encores.

[Showface]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 1:38pm

I would be more interested if this were the NextStop production...It was a different appproach to the show, and guess what? It had an orchestra and a full cast! Wow!



Updated On: 7/17/14 at 01:38 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 1:42pm

Wow! Just like the ITW revival that happened less than three years ago.