Where was the live broadcast of INTO THE WOODS filmed?- Page 2

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 7/22/14 at 6:38pm

To clarify, the tower was always in the original show, just not in that one scene with the Baker's Wife. (I know this, because I did the original draftings of the Rapunzel's Tower -- to set designer Tony Straiges' brilliant instruction--that was seen in the show.)

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/22/14 at 8:07pm

The tower was always there.. Just not in that scene. The automation used for it is exactly the same as in the earlier scenes, so they just filmed that particular scene again, with the tower, in an empty theatre.

tree2, thanks for that! Would love to hear stories.. The original design is so great and that tower is wonderfully detailed.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 7/22/14 at 8:39pm

Wow, Tree! I always wondered why Straiges hasn't done more Broadway designs (I think the only other designs I've seen from him have been for ballet.)

[StageManager2]

Posted: 7/22/14 at 9:03pm

The tower was always there.. Just not in that scene. The automation used for it is exactly the same as in the earlier scenes, so they just filmed that particular scene again, with the tower, in an empty theatre.

Are you sure? There seemed to be a live audience reacting to what was going on between the Baker's Wife and Rapunzel, especially after BW kept tugging at the hair until it came off. There were even cheers.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 7/22/14 at 9:42pm

Yes, it's amazing what those people can do with editing...

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/22/14 at 9:52pm

Yes, editing in an audiences reaction has happened from the beginning. besides, would the audience have reacted differently? Both have the same effect. One just wwoeks better on film. There are several illegal videos of the original Broadway production out there with various replacements that clearly show the staging., it is also commin basic knowledge that significant portions of the show were retaped in an empty theatre. By that logic, we would never hear audience reaction before the curtain call,

[StageManager2]

Posted: 7/22/14 at 10:00pm

EricMontreal22, what people?

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 7/22/14 at 11:35pm

Tell me if my memory is failing me, but did the taping take out a few verses between the Baker's Wife and Cinderella during "He's a Nice Prince"? I remembering listening to the OBCR for the first time (after watching the video dozens of times) and telling myself "I don't remember this part" when the song came on.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:01am

^^^^
I think the OBC just has a bunch of little things that were taken out during the course of the run for time purposes.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:58am

Yes, that verse was cut after the album was recorded and the cut had nothing to do with the video production.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 2:44am

"EricMontreal22, what people?"

Those magical people with their videotape and editing machines. As was mentioned, you could just use the live audio, essentially, or at least the mix of the audience.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 2:45am

I believe the album also has a later cut bit from...Moments in the Wood, I want to say.

[Showface]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 4:00pm

I think you are referring to Any Moment. There was a line that the prince sang that had sort of the same lyrics (and I think melody?) as Hello Little Girl.

Updated On: 7/23/14 at 04:00 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 4:22pm

Yes, you are absolutely right, it's in Any Moment. thanks! It and the brief Cinderella/Wife bit mentioned are so very brief (and both are lovely) I always wondered why they were quickly cut--they would tighten the show by something like a minute total...

[Showface]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 4:34pm

You're welcome! I always thought that extra verse in Any Moment was chilling. It just really established the parallel between princes and wolves.

Also when the show was in previews and they mixed Boom Crunch and Last Midnight together, the "Here you want a bean?" section was very different. I think it went like "Well you want some beans? Find out what they mean. Giving up my beans once again.", then afterwards she has a verse or two that was replaced by "Alright mother when?.."

There's an audio recording of this online, and I cant really make out what she said.

If anybody knows please tell me !

[dreamcoat12]

Posted: 4/26/16 at 12:22am

broadwayguy2 said: 
Jon, yes. The end of the opening number as well as the Baker's Wife stealing Rapunzel's hair were also heavily changed and restaged compared to how they happened 8 times a week in the show."

 

How was the opening number changed?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 4/26/16 at 1:33am

Primarily, the end of the number. The "reveal" of the full stage did not happen in the way it is depicted on the filmed version. The reveal of the full stage comes later on due to the time that it takes to strike the three houses in the live performance, so the number, starting from when the characters set out and leave there homes, looks notably different in the actual Broadway staging. There are other moments of blocking during the number that vary based on how it would look on film in frame as opposed to how the full stage composition would look to an audience.

[dreamcoat12]

Posted: 4/26/16 at 1:59pm

Ah okay!

Also, do we know why Bernadette's wig is blonde in the taping and grey in all the production photos?

Granny's dress is different as well.

 

[Valentina3]

Posted: 4/26/16 at 2:18pm

broadwayguy2 said: "The show was filmed at the Martin Beck (now Hirschfeld) Theatre on Broadway, where the original production played. It was filmed near the end of the run, with the full original company (minus the original Snow White, I THINK) returning for several performances specifically for the filming."

 

Interesting. So, technically, there's a precedent for original cast to come back briefly for a live taping? I hate doing this (turning this post into a potential Hamilton one), but Groff could be back to do a live recording which can later be broadcast in 2027.

 

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 4/26/16 at 5:39pm

Well, I am sure what reason  you would like or why you would want to know, so I can't answer that. Only Ann Hould-Ward could do that. Costume evolve regularly and often as shows run. Production photos after often taken at the start of previews, and changes happen after that -- in Hairspray, Tracy's finally costumes had at least five iterations between first Broadway preview and Broadway closing. The filming happened near the end of the run.

As far as a change in wig color, again it may just have evolved, or it could be the exact same shade it reads differently because of how photographs are exposed and processed versus what they look like under lighting. The lighting for the show was HEAVILY redesigned for the filming because the stage lighting would not photograph.

re: Precent. Then why raise it? Clearly there is precedent, just as there has always been precedent for someone to return to a show for any purpose whatsoever. It is quite common. In fact, there was comment today in the press about the very prospect of filming that show.... And again, Into the woods was not filmed at the start of the run and placed into a vault for holding. It was extensively planned and executed at the end of the run and went through full post production for a scheduled air date as part of an anthology series.