Interweaving a half-dozen Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales, the musical Into The Woods follows a familiar cast of bedtime story characters on their various quests to attain their wish: Cinderella wants to go to the King's festival and dance at the ball with a Prince. Little Red Riding Hood wants food for her bedridden grandmother. Jack wants his cow Milky White to to give milk. The Baker and his wife desperately want a child. And the Witch next door won't say what she wants, but it involves all the others.
They each begin their journey into the woods, some more directionless than others, with their eyes on their prize. But navigating the wolves, princes, giants, and other characters' competing motives proves a strange and deadly quest. And if their wishes do eventually come true, will they live happily ever after?
They each begin their journey into the woods, some more directionless than others, with their eyes on their prize. But navigating the wolves, princes, giants, and other characters' competing motives proves a strange and deadly quest. And if their wishes do eventually come true, will they live happily ever after?
WHY I LOVE IT
For me, Into The Woods is a sort of meta fairy tale. Much like The Night of the Hunter and Pan's Labyrinth, the play works within the well-established genre to question and criticize its cliches. Here, in Sondheim and Lapine's fairy tale world, childhood disobedience is not always met with the child's undoing. Well-intentioned parents can actually stifle and alienate their children from the world. And fulfilled wishes don't necessarily bring happiness ever after.
This meta-element is emphasized via the 'omniscient' narrator, who unexpectedly gets pulled into the story by the Witch. He doesn't last long, but, the cast of characters are now author-less and their lives left unframed by a god-like narrator, so they might actualize their desires; they're free to wander onto new paths into "the wrong story," in the case of the Baker's Wife who succumbs to a seductive, insincere prince. And in her husband's case, he chooses a new path that emerges. One where he can be a forgiving and protective parent and not just an absent authority like his own father.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading the musical, but probably would have enjoyed it less if I hadn't seen it performed on stage first. I also liked the 2014 Disney film starring Meryl Streep a lot. If you don't go into it knowing the melodies, it might be harder to read the lyrics, but you might prefer a blank slate. [JG]
This meta-element is emphasized via the 'omniscient' narrator, who unexpectedly gets pulled into the story by the Witch. He doesn't last long, but, the cast of characters are now author-less and their lives left unframed by a god-like narrator, so they might actualize their desires; they're free to wander onto new paths into "the wrong story," in the case of the Baker's Wife who succumbs to a seductive, insincere prince. And in her husband's case, he chooses a new path that emerges. One where he can be a forgiving and protective parent and not just an absent authority like his own father.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading the musical, but probably would have enjoyed it less if I hadn't seen it performed on stage first. I also liked the 2014 Disney film starring Meryl Streep a lot. If you don't go into it knowing the melodies, it might be harder to read the lyrics, but you might prefer a blank slate. [JG]
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine have also collaborated their music and storytelling on works such as Sunday in the Park with George, Merrily We Roll Along, and Passion. Sondheim also composed the music for Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, and Gypsy. Lapine also directed The Diary of Anne Frank which premiered in 1997.
FAVORITE QUOTES
5. "No knot unties itself." — Mysterious Man
4. "Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor." — Cinderella
3. "Near may be better than far, but it still isn't there." — Rapunzel's Prince
2. "I was raised to be charming, not sincere." — Cinderella's Prince
1. "Careful the tale you tell. That is the spell. Children will listen..." — Witch
4. "Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor." — Cinderella
3. "Near may be better than far, but it still isn't there." — Rapunzel's Prince
2. "I was raised to be charming, not sincere." — Cinderella's Prince
1. "Careful the tale you tell. That is the spell. Children will listen..." — Witch
"You must understand, these were not people familiar with making choices—"
— Narrator, Into the Woods
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