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Stage Production Notes
Into the Woods is a fairytale musical combining several different children’s stories into one intricate and grown-up world. Written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, the musical has become a theatre favorite, performed around the world at amateur and professional levels.
The musical received its world premier at the Old Globe Theatre in San Francisco in December 1986.
A little under a year later, the production transferred to Broadway where it opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on November 5, 1987.
Into the Woods received mixed, though generally positive reviews. While praising the performances and technical elements, the critics felt the show was too long, complex, and lacking a clear message.
Despite the opinions of the critics, Into the Woods was nominated multiple awards, including for 10 Tony Awards. It won three Tonys, including Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason). It also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Book of a Musical, Outstanding Lyrics, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Robert Westenberg), and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason).
The original Broadway production ran for 765 performances before closing on September 3, 1989. To date, it is the longest running of Sondheim’s musicals.
Into the Woods was first revived on Broadway in 1997 at the Broadway Theatre for a special one-night-only 10th anniversary gala.
The first major revival opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 13, 2002. Starring Vanessa Williams, John McMartin, Laura Benanti, and Gregg Edelman, the revival was nominated for multiple awards, winning the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design, Outstanding Sound Design, and Best Musical Revival. It also won two Tony Awards, for Best Lighting Design and Best Musical Revival.
The Broadway revival played for 279 performances, closing on December 29, 2002.
Into the Woods premiered in London in 1990 under the direction of Richard Jones. While critically praised and nominated for seven Olivier Awards, the show did not do well at the box office.
A successful and well-received revival in London at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre was filmed and made available on the UK site Digital Theatre.
A film version directed by Rob Marshall was released by Disney in 2014.
The original cast gathered for a special reunion and talk, moderated by Mo Rocca, in Los Angeles in November 2014. The sold-out event was repeated at BAM in New York in June 2015.
Into the Woods is available for licensing through Music Theatre International (MTI). A Junior edition, with an adapted score for younger performers, is also available through MTI.
Into the Woods is a fairytale musical combining several different children’s stories into one intricate and grown-up world. Written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, the musical has become a theatre favorite, performed around the world at amateur and professional levels.
The musical received its world premier at the Old Globe Theatre in San Francisco in December 1986.
A little under a year later, the production transferred to Broadway where it opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on November 5, 1987.
Into the Woods received mixed, though generally positive reviews. While praising the performances and technical elements, the critics felt the show was too long, complex, and lacking a clear message.
Despite the opinions of the critics, Into the Woods was nominated multiple awards, including for 10 Tony Awards. It won three Tonys, including Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason). It also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Book of a Musical, Outstanding Lyrics, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Robert Westenberg), and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason).
The original Broadway production ran for 765 performances before closing on September 3, 1989. To date, it is the longest running of Sondheim’s musicals.
Into the Woods was first revived on Broadway in 1997 at the Broadway Theatre for a special one-night-only 10th anniversary gala.
The first major revival opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 13, 2002. Starring Vanessa Williams, John McMartin, Laura Benanti, and Gregg Edelman, the revival was nominated for multiple awards, winning the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design, Outstanding Sound Design, and Best Musical Revival. It also won two Tony Awards, for Best Lighting Design and Best Musical Revival.
The Broadway revival played for 279 performances, closing on December 29, 2002.
Into the Woods premiered in London in 1990 under the direction of Richard Jones. While critically praised and nominated for seven Olivier Awards, the show did not do well at the box office.
A successful and well-received revival in London at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre was filmed and made available on the UK site Digital Theatre.
A film version directed by Rob Marshall was released by Disney in 2014.
The original cast gathered for a special reunion and talk, moderated by Mo Rocca, in Los Angeles in November 2014. The sold-out event was repeated at BAM in New York in June 2015.
Into the Woods is available for licensing through Music Theatre International (MTI). A Junior edition, with an adapted score for younger performers, is also available through MTI.
Filmed Production Notes
The original Broadway production was taped in 1989 and aired on PBS’ American Playhouse on March 15, 1991. The Oxford Companion to the American Musical states that the film is “an excellent record of musical and invaluable for archival and entertainment purposes.”
Image Entertainment released the Into the Woods on VHS in 1997. The DVD was released in August 1997. The DVD was re-released in 2014 to coincide with the Disney movie release. A Blu-ray edition was also released in 2014. It was discovered that a mono soundtrack had been used, and so the Blu-ray was remastered in 2015 to include a stereo soundtrack.
Into the Woods was briefly available on Netflix. It is now available on Blu-Ray, DVD, and to stream via Amazon and Apple TV.
The original Broadway production was taped in 1989 and aired on PBS’ American Playhouse on March 15, 1991. The Oxford Companion to the American Musical states that the film is “an excellent record of musical and invaluable for archival and entertainment purposes.”
Image Entertainment released the Into the Woods on VHS in 1997. The DVD was released in August 1997. The DVD was re-released in 2014 to coincide with the Disney movie release. A Blu-ray edition was also released in 2014. It was discovered that a mono soundtrack had been used, and so the Blu-ray was remastered in 2015 to include a stereo soundtrack.
Into the Woods was briefly available on Netflix. It is now available on Blu-Ray, DVD, and to stream via Amazon and Apple TV.
Into the Woods PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Martin Beck Theatre
Producer: Michael Brandman, Iris Merlis
Director and Book: James Lapine
Music and Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Musical Director and Conductor: Paul Gemignani
Orchestrations: Jonathan Tunick
Choreography: Lar Lubovitch
Scenic Design: Tony Straiges
Costume Design: Ann Hould-Ward
Lighting Design: Richard Nelson, Film: Richard Nelson, Danny Franks
Hair and Wig Design: Phyllis Della Illien
Stage Manager: Frank Hartensten, Karen Armstrong, Jim Dawson, Donna Drake
Cast:
Bernadette Peters (The Witch), Chip Zien (The Baker), Joanna Gleason (The Baker’s Wife), Tom Aldredge (Old Man/Narrator), Robert Westenberg (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf), Kim Crosby (Cinderella), Danielle Ferland (Little Red Riding Hood), Ben Wright (Jack), Barbara Bryne (Jack’s Mother), Pamela Winslow (Rapunzel), Chuck Wagner (Rapunzel’s Prince), Merle Louise (Cinderella’s Mother/Grandmother/Giant), Philip Hoffman (Steward), Lauren Mitchell (Lucinda), Kay McClelland (Florinda), Edmund Lyndeck (Cinderella’s Father), Joy Franz (Cinderella’s Stepmother), Cindy Robinson (Snow White), Maureen Davis (Sleeping Beauty)
Theatre: Martin Beck Theatre
Producer: Michael Brandman, Iris Merlis
Director and Book: James Lapine
Music and Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Musical Director and Conductor: Paul Gemignani
Orchestrations: Jonathan Tunick
Choreography: Lar Lubovitch
Scenic Design: Tony Straiges
Costume Design: Ann Hould-Ward
Lighting Design: Richard Nelson, Film: Richard Nelson, Danny Franks
Hair and Wig Design: Phyllis Della Illien
Stage Manager: Frank Hartensten, Karen Armstrong, Jim Dawson, Donna Drake
Cast:
Bernadette Peters (The Witch), Chip Zien (The Baker), Joanna Gleason (The Baker’s Wife), Tom Aldredge (Old Man/Narrator), Robert Westenberg (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf), Kim Crosby (Cinderella), Danielle Ferland (Little Red Riding Hood), Ben Wright (Jack), Barbara Bryne (Jack’s Mother), Pamela Winslow (Rapunzel), Chuck Wagner (Rapunzel’s Prince), Merle Louise (Cinderella’s Mother/Grandmother/Giant), Philip Hoffman (Steward), Lauren Mitchell (Lucinda), Kay McClelland (Florinda), Edmund Lyndeck (Cinderella’s Father), Joy Franz (Cinderella’s Stepmother), Cindy Robinson (Snow White), Maureen Davis (Sleeping Beauty)
Sources
Articles
Websites
- Michael Billington, “Into the Woods,” The Guardian (Aug 17, 2010)
- Tyler Coates, “Why I Won’t Be Seeing ‘Into The Woods’ (And What I’ll Watch Instead),” Decider (Dec 9, 2014)
- Paul Couch, “NEWS: Global screening of Into the Woods with Digital Theatre,” The Reviews Hub (Sept 18, 2013)
- Richard Christiansen, “Sondheim Touches Give Hope To New Work,” Chicago Tribune (Dec 7, 1986)
- Everything Theatre, “Into The Woods Screening, Regents Park Open Air Theatre – Review,” Everything Theatre (Sept 30, 2013)
- Tyler Foster, “Into the Woods (The Original Broadway Production) (Blu-ray)” DVDTalk (Dec 2, 2014)
- Adam Hetrick, “Into the Woods, With Donna Murphy, Amy Adams, Chip Zien and Denis O'Hare, Opens in Central Park,” Playbill (Aug 9, 2012)
- Adam Hetrick, “Original Broadway Production of Into the WoodsComing to Blu-ray,” Playbill (Sept 12, 2014)
- Eve Nicol, “Review: Into the Woods,” A Younger Theatre (April 5, 2011)
- Ivan Radford, “Digital Theatre review: Into the Woods (Regent’s Park, 2010),” VODzilla Magazine (January 5, 2015)
- Michael Reuben, “Into the Woods Blu-Ray Review: A Minor Upgrade of a Sondheim Classic,” Blu-ray.com (Nov 24, 2014)
- Michael Rueben, “Into the Woods Blu-ray Review: Once Upon a Time… In Stereo,” Blu-ray.com (Feb 7, 2015)
- Frank Rich, “Stage: 'Into the Woods’” New York Times (Nov 6, 1987)
- Steve Rich, “Digital Theatre,” Theatre monkey (Nov 13, 2013)
- Mark Shenton, “New London Production of Into the Woods Opens at Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park Aug. 16,” Playbill (Aug 16, 2010)
- Michael Shulman, “WHY “INTO THE WOODS” MATTERS,” The New Yorker (Dec 24, 2014)
- Dan Sullivan, “Notes of Praise for 'Into the Woods’,” LA Times (Nov 14, 1987)
- Shelli Weinstein, “‘Into the Woods’ Original Cast Reunion: 10 Highlights from Stephen Sondheim, James Lapine and More,” Variety (Nov 10, 2014)
- Matt Wolf, “Playing Sondheim in the Woods,” New York Times (Aug 24, 2010)
Websites
- BroadwayWorld Message Board Threads: “So I finally watched Regent Park's Into the Woods…” Accessed via: http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1035349
- BAM, “Into the Woods Original Cast Reunion,” Accessed via: https://www.bam.org/talks/2015/into-the-woods-reunion
- “Into the Woods - Digital Theatre Preorder” Accessed via: http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1028806
- Internet Broadway Database, “Into the Woods,” Accessed via: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/into-the-woods-4486
- Internet Movie Database, “American Playhouse (1981-): Into the Woods,” Accessed via: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099851/
- Music Theatre International, “Into the Woods,” Accessed via: http://www.mtishows.com/into-the-woods
- The Stephen Sondheim Reference Guide, “Into the Woods,” Accessed via: http://www.sondheimguide.com/woods.html
Written by Luisa Lyons (October, 2017)