Why was the Into the Woods revival..- Page 3

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 6/21/08 at 12:54pm

On a whole, the OBCR to me, has low energy. Great recording, low energy.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/21/08 at 1:09pm

I actually thoroughly enjoyed the revival. I thought it was more slickly designed with a more "fun" and "twisted" look to it whereas the original production, I thought, took itself a bit too seriously. I thought Vanessa Williams was excellent (again not as good as Bernadette but great in her own right) and Laura Benanti was stunning...

I had issues with it as it wasn't a perfect production, but it was highly entertaining, and featured some really sharp performances. I liked it very much. (PS: I've always had many issues with the material, which I think has some moments of sheer brilliance but is way too long and at times a bit plodding.)

[Brick]

Posted: 6/21/08 at 1:12pm

I enjoyed the revival and I loved Williams' "Last Midnight", including the lyric change,

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 6/21/08 at 1:42pm

i saw the revival when it tryed out in LA first... were there any differences when it made it to broadway?

anyways.. i enjoyed the revival... vanessa williams didn't try to be bernadette and she's her own witch... and i liked it very much... and the lyric change was weird at first but makes sense in the context of the show and what they were trying to convey with the change... so it didn't bug me

things that did bug me- now that i think back, i hated jack's mom... good actress but horrible in the show... little red was not all that great... her singing voice bugged me... and the worst thing about the show (in my opinion) was the adding of the second wolf and the three little pigs... the two wolves were just odd and felt forced as well as the pigs... and i just didn't get what they were trying to do besides giving chris sieber more to do... ugh!

oh and i LOVE the projection they had for cinderella's mom and the giant...

[gypsy4]

Posted: 6/21/08 at 2:55pm

I did think the whole scenic design for the revival was cool though the popup book thing was cool.oh by the way I'm only 14
Updated On: 6/21/08 at 02:55 PM

[jv92]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 9:39pm

That's what I meant to say. My appologies.

[mr.scribble]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 9:46pm

Well Williams wasn't bad but no one can top Bernadette especially when she's doing Sondheim

[Mike3]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 12:15am

I saw this in LA at the Ahmanson, then after it transfered to Broadway. In my opinion, this is an example of a show that did not benefit from its out of town tryout. I thought it was better in LA than on Broadway.

[ToplessCocoWantsFame]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 12:29am

i grew up on the musicals.net forums... and i remember endless strings of "WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WITCH?"

THEN when the new lyrics arrived... the question finally has some sort of 'answer'.
we can respect the original as more of a 'standard'... and the revival as a "sondheim song that can't stand alone and completes the story"... ok?? chill people....

we all know it should have been billy porter as originally planned... but then freakin 9/11 hits and the producers wanted more of a "name" to lure tourists back to nyc.

its all politics people.
with a sprinkle of terror.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 12:33am

Billy Porter as the Witch (Warlock) was a horrendous idea. I'm glad they scrapped it.

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 3:19am

INTO THE WOODS has been one of my favorite shows since they showed it on PBS in 1990. I've been in it and seen many different productions over the years. It was with great anticipation I went to see the revival when it opened on Broadway. I even got to work the show (as an usher) and so got to see it multiple times. I was not happy with what I saw.

A lot of the changes made to the revival seemed so forced, as if Lapine was only making them to be able to say, "See, it's different. I didn't just repeat myself." Examples: the addition of the extra wolf and three little pigs, tacking Little Red and Jack onto the end of Cinderella's "Steps On the Palace." I am a firm believer of - If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

The casting was also bad with limited exceptions. To see Vanessa Williams live in the show was to watch one of the most over the top, hammy, bad, community theaterish performances ever to hit a Broadway stage. I didn't care for John McMartin at all in this show. Stephen DeRosa and Kerry O'Malley (I think) were boring and forgettable. Adam Wylie and Molly Ephraim didn't sing well and were more annoying than anything. The only performers who stood out were (as mentioned) Benanti, and the princes - Greg Edelman and Chris Seiber, both of whom were good but certainly no better than Robert Westenberg and Chuck Wagner of the original.

The show seemed to be played a little broader and a little more lightly to appeal to a family audience (which then distubed me when they added in unnecessary dick jokes - one for the Baker [a reaction when his Wife sings, "What's important, really, is the size."] and one for the Narrator [holding the witches limp snake staff].)

The design elements were good, epecially the special effects - the witch's transformation, Little Red and Granny coming out of the Wolf's belly, the giant's projection (remember this was before projections were all the rage).

Really, though, it all boils down to this. It's very telling about a production when the frikkin' COW steals the entire show and runs off with the best reviews (even from the Times.)