05/12/2023
HELLO, BROADWAY FANS!!! We got more show stopping performances from the Great White Way coming up on our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN. We are only 30 DAYS AWAY till The 76th Annual Tony Awards. It’s time once again for another legendary smash hit.
At # 30 on our countdown, we take you to the magical kingdom of ONCE UPON A TIME. There, we really get to know some of your favorite Brothers Grimm fairy tale character’s wishes and journeys. To really know about them, there’s one way to find out how. You take the journey…….. Into The Woods. The show features a beloved score by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine.
From the 1988 telecast, Phylicia Rashad as “The Witch”, Chip Zien as “The Baker”, Joanna Gleason as “The Baker’s Wife”, and the cast of the original production perform a medley of some of the show’s beloved songs consisting of the Opening PROLOGUE title song and the show’s signature song CHILDREN WILL LISTEN.
Into The Woods had its Pre-Broadway world premiere run at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California in 1986. During the time, several songs were changed (including the adding of another of one of the musical’s signature songs NO ONE IS ALONE) and numerous of the main roles were re-cast including the role of “The Witch”.
Once the company got the green light, the show officially arrived on Broadway a year later in 1987 at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld Theatre) running for a complete total of 808 performances. Under the direction of James Lapine, the cast starred….
Tony winner Bernadette Peters (later Betsy Joslyn, Nancy Dussault, Ellen Foley, and as seen in the video Phylicia Rashad) as “The Witch”,
Tony nominee and Emmy winner Tom Aldredge (later Dick Cavett) as “The Narrator”,
Chip Zien as “The Baker”,
Tony winner Joanna Gleason (later Kay McClelland, Lauren Mitchell, and Mary Gordan Murray) as “The Baker’s Wife”,
Kim Crosby (later Patricia Ben Peterson) as “Cinderella”,
Pamela Winslow (later Marin Mazzie) as “Rapunzel”,
Ben Wright (later Jeff Blumenkrantz) as “Jack”,
Danielle Ferland (later LuAnne Ponce) as “Little Red Riding Hood”,
and more.
The musical was a huge smash hit earning 10 Tony Award nominees in 1988. It took home 3 for BEST SCORE (for Stephen Sondheim), BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL (for James Lapine), and BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Joanna Gleason).
INTO THE WOODS went on to become a worldwide smash hit musical playing all over including several National Tours and London’s West End. It would later be revived numerous times in New York City.
The first ON Broadway revival of the show arrived in 2002. It played the Broadhurst Theatre for a complete total of 297 performances. With a brand-new creative team and directed once again by its book writer Jame Lapine, this cast starred…
Tony, Grammy, and Emmy nominee Vanessa Williams as “The Witch”,
The late Tony nominated John McMartin as "The Narrator”,
Stephen DeRosa as “The Baker”,
Kerry O’Malley as “The Baker’s Wife”,
Tony winner Laura Benanti (later Erin Dilly) as “Cinderella”,
Melissa Dye as “Rapunzel”,
Adam Wylie as “Jack”,
Molly Ephraim as “Little Red Riding Hood”.
and more
The revival was nominated for 10 Tony Award nominations that year winning 2 including BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL.
Along with its triumph ON Broadway, INTO THE WOODS also had a success OFF Broadway. The first Off Broadway production and 2nd New York City revival of the show happened in 2012 at Central Park’s Delacorte Theatre (part of The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park series). This production was performed outdoors and was a transfer for an acclaimed 2010 production at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London. It only ran for a strictly limited 15 performances. Under the direction of Timothy Sheader, the cast starred…
Tony winner Donna Murphy as “The Witch”,
Jack Broderick as “The Narrator” (for this production it was played by a kid),
Tony winner Denis O'Hare as “The Baker",
Oscar nominee Amy Adams as “The Baker’s Wife”,
Tony winner Jessie Mueller as “Cinderella”,
Kristine Zbornik as “Rapunzel”,
Tony nominee Gideon Glick as “Jack”,
Tony nominee Sarah Stiles as “Little Red Riding Hood”.
and more.
The 2nd OFF BROADWAY production and 4th New York City revival of INTO THE WOODS happened in 2015. Performed at Roundabout Theatre Company’s Laura Pels Theatre for 168 performances, this version came to New York directly from sold out runs in San Diego (at the Old Globe where the original production premiered) and then performed in New Jersey’s McCarter Theatre Center. It was concieved by The Fiasco Theatre Company with an all-new reimagined version. It featured only 10 actors playing multiple roles and one piano accompanist. The cast featured….
Jennifer Mudge as “The Witch”,
The entire Ensemble serving as “The Narrators”,
Ben Steinfeld as “The Baker”,
Jessie Austrian as “The Baker’s Wife”,
Claire Carpen as “Cinderella & others”,
Patrick Mulryan as “Jack” and “Others”
Emily Young playing both “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Rapunzel”,
and more.
Most recently, INTO THE WOODS returned to Broadway with a critically acclaimed production to celebrate the legacy of Stephen Sondheim following his passing. This production had an interesting story...... it first began as a 2-week stint at New York City Center part of its ENCORE series. It was a SOLD OUT smash, it immediately transferred to Broadway's St. James Theatre for a limited engagement of 14 previews and 209 regular performances. Under the direction of Lear deBessoner, it featured an all-star cast led by....
Tony winner Patina Miller (later Montego Glover and Joaquina Kalukango) as “The Witch”,
David Patrick Kelly as “The Narrator”,
Tony Brian d'Arcy James (later Sebastian Arcelus) as “The Baker",
Tony nominee and Grammy winner Sara Bareilles (later Stephanie J. Block) as “The Baker’s Wife”,
Tony nominee Phillipa Soo (later Krysta Rodriguez, Denée Benton, and Diane Phelan) as “Cinderella”,
Alysia Velez as “Rapunzel”,
Cole Thompson as “Jack”,
Julia Lester (later Katy Geraghty) as “Little Red Riding Hood”.
and more.
The production was well received by critics and audiences alike. Most recently, it has been nominated this year for 6 TONY AWARDS consisting of....
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL,
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Sara Bareilles),
BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for Brian D'Arcy James),
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Julia Lester),
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL (for Lear deBessoner)
and
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL (for Scott Lehrer and Alex Neuuman).
Currently, the City Center turned Broadway revival is on a limited engagement National Tour across North America.
In addition to its success on stage, INTO THE WOODS was captured on film 3 times. The first filmed version came in 1988 during the beginning of its run. Yup, a filmed performance of the original New York production that aired on PBS’ American Playhouse series. Starring the entire original cast, it is still available today to own on DVD and Blu-Ray.
The 2nd filmed version came in 2010. It was a filmed performance of the 2010 Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production (which came to Central Park in 2012). It was available to own to watch on Digital Theatre. This cast featured….
Hannah Waddingham as “The Witch”,
Mark Hadfied as “The Baker”,
Jenna Russell as “The Baker’s Witch”,
Helen Dallimore as “Cinderella”,
Alice Fearn as “Rapunzel”,
Ben Stott as “Jack”,
Beverly Rudd as “Little Red Riding Hood”,
and more.
The most recent filmed version of INTO THE WOODS came in 2014. Disney released a full length feature film adaptation that was well received by critics and grossed $213 million at the Box Office. Under the direction of Tony nominee and Oscar winner Rob Marshall, this film version featured an all-star cast including…
Oscar winner Meryl Streep as “The Witch”
Tony winner James Corden as “The Baker” and “Narrator”,
Emily Blunt. as “The Baker’s Wife”,
Tony and Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick as “Cinderella”,
Mackenzie Mauzyy as “Rapunzel”,
Daniel Huttlestone as “Jack”,
Lilla Crawford as “Little Red Riding Hood”,
and more.
The 2014 film version of INTO THE WOODS was nominated for both 3 Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards in 2015 including BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (for Meryl Streep) but lost all the categories.
Isn’t this show such a true Fairy Tale experience?
Angela Lansbury introduces Stephen Sondheim's INTO THE WOODS on the 1988 Tony Awards. With: Phylicia Rashad, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien.
