Into The Woods — Page 2

I adore Bernadette Peters but was dumbfounded when I saw Into the Woods on Broadway. I thought she acted lost and without direction and had really no idea how to play the part. She reverted to vaudeville like shctick and ultimatley sang the role well. However, her performance, for me, was rather embarassing to watch.

Many of us who saw the original company of Into The Woods felt that Bernadette

had no idea or handle on how to play the witch.

Apparently the Tony voters thought so as well, when they decided not to even give her a nomination that year.

Thankfully, it seems Sondheim finally parted ways with Lapine. Hopefully, more people will now be able to stay awake during the first viewing of a Sondheim musical.

I love Into the Woods. But do not ever recommend it to someone not totally in love with theater. This is a work that most do not like on first viewing, hence the length of run of its recent revival.

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What's crazy talk? His whole post? Or the last comment? Because although I agree about Bernadette, I think I would give Into the Woods, as a work of the theatre a little more credit than that.

Cheers,
The Balladeer

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INTO THE WOODS is certainly one of Sondheim's most accessible shows and it is one of the most produced musicals today. I think that's one reason the revival failed. If tourists could see it for much less back home or on DVD with the original cast, why should they pay $100 to see it again?

I saw the original production and original touring company many times. I have seen several regional productions as well. I was surprised at how much I liked the revival after all the negative things I had read about it before it opened. I much preferred the sets, costumes, lighting, special effects, the choreography and staging of the revival to the original. I thought the cast was a mixed bag. Some of them were OK (McMartin, Benanti, DeRosa, O'Malley) and some were terrible (Ephraim--that is the worst performance I've ever seen on a Broadway stage). Only a few compared with the originals. I found Edelman fresh and inventive as the Prince. Pamela Myers made a lot of her small role. Vanessa was the first Witch that I liked since Bernadette. She made the role her own and had all the authority the role calls for. I first saw the original production of WOODS at the end of previews. Bernadette was wonderful then and certainly didn't overact the piece. She was funny but also menacing. Joanna Gleason was superb. She was hilarious and moving--a kid next to me started crying during her death scene at one performance I saw later in the run. I've only ever seen one other Baker's Wife I truly enjoyed and she wasn't funny at all. The revival cast recording doesn't make a good case for the production as its strength was in the visuals and in book scenes with Williams and Edelman. I do think that the moments with the entire cast singing do come across well on that recording as I think other than Ephraim, Wylie and Burke, the revival cast had better singers.

I wasn't very impressed with the revival, other than the scenery. I loved the way Bernadette sang in the original. I think what some are confusing with overacting is Bernadette being too comical at times; but that's just her take on the role. During the scenes where she had to be very serious, she was just that. Bernadette made the character likeable.

As to the original question about what Bernadette thought of it, well no one can answer that but Bernadette; however, she did go see it, and she mentioned at the Tonys that she enjoyed Vanessa's performance (I really don't think they told her to say that. She seemed sincere).

I do think it was revived way too soon though.

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as with very many Sondheim shows, I have never met anyone who liked Into the Woods when they first saw it. it plays out at a lumberous pace to anyone not familiar with the show....

that is what sent the revival to an early grave, the same thing that closed the original production, you need to know the show well to enjoy it.

sure, those of us who KNOW the score and heard it a hundred times or saw the video a few times ARE enthralled by INto the Woods...it is indeed a lush masterwork....

but don't try telling that to the unsuspecting audiences who's word of mouth shuttered the show..

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When we meet Teacher, then you'll know someone who loved WOODS on the first viewing And if I introduce you to some of my friends, you'll know a bunch of first time WOODS lovers.

My love for the show from the start was partly due to Bernadette's excellently judged performance just after the show was frozen. I was totally wrapped up the argument of whether Jack should be fed to the giant or they should protect him. When Bernadette played the scene, you could buy the Witch's side. I think the point of the second act is the relationship of the individual and the community and the needs and the balance of each. Though I have been moved by Act Two in other productions, only when Bernadette and Vanessa played the Witch do I think the action was as gripping as it can be. I agree that the change in how Last Midnight was staged for Vanessa was quite effective. The change to make that moment more menacing makes me think that Lapine/Sondheim wanted the feeling that I got from the way Bernadette played those second act scenes. I saw Betsy Joslyn as the Witch four times. I can say she never gave the same performance twice. In my opinion, she was bland once, bad twice and quite good the last time I saw her which was the next to last performance of the original tour. I also saw Joslyn in SUNDAY and she was one of best Dots I've seen (after Bernadette).

If the next Witch is going to be a man, I am the first in line to audition!

Cheers,
The Balladeer

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Molly sounded bratty enough at the time of the audition??

I audition and had several call backs for Jack. Apparently, I didn't look "goofy" enough. Should I be dissapointed or relieved that I don't have Wylie's "Lewinsky ears"

I saw the OBC on video and revival live. I think all of the actor's in the revival were trying NOT to do what the OBC actors did - which is a mistake, since nearly everything the OBC did was perfection. The revival wasn't bad, just not as good.

The cow & set were incredible, and the special effects improved, of course. What I didn't like was the whole turning into a snake thing and the Baker's Wife. The actress who played Baker's Wife tried hard not to be like the OBC Baker's Wife. She did EVERYTHING different, and all the gags were lost. She tried to do new things - but she failed.

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Anna K. was veeeeery close probably down to the two of them my friend said. (who is very close w/ Anna.)

"...or a snaaaaaake."

The transformation begins after her transformation into the beautiful witch. She reveals that her arm is beggining to turn more brown and scale-like, and her hair falls out to the point of near baldness. I read in an interview that Lapine wanted to do that this time 'round, something he wanted to do the first time.

I don't ciriticize the actors for making the part their own, though it may seem like it. What I am saying is that most of their choices just didn't work when everything was put together.

The only actress who seemed perfect was Laura Benanti.

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I was lucky to see both productions and felt that Vanessa was just as good as Bernedette. I will say that I was adsolutely embarrased by the girl who played "Little Red Riding Hood." The show as much darker this time around.

...but joanna gleason was so on when I saw her...

what a talent.