Into the Woods

Into the Woods is an award-winning musical featuring a score by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch, and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife, brought acclaim to the production during its original Broadway run, and in a year dominated by The Phantom of the Opera, "Into the Woods" won several Tony awards, including best score. Although not a large part, The Witch has attracted numerous "name" actresses in major productions, including Ellen Foley, Phylicia Rashad, Nancy Dussault, and Vanessa Williams.

Related Topics:
Musical - Stephen Sondheim - James Lapine - San Diego - Broadway - Bernadette Peters - Joanna Gleason - The Phantom of the Opera - Tony - Ellen Foley - Phylicia Rashad - Nancy Dussault - Vanessa Williams

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Inspired by Bruno Bettelheim's The Uses of Enchantment, the musical intertwines a collection of uncensored versions of 18th century Brothers Grimm Fairy tales. An original story involving a Baker and his Wife's quest to begin a family ties together the stories of Little Red Ridinghood, Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Cinderella.

Related Topics:
Bruno Bettelheim - Brothers Grimm - Fairy tales - Little Red Ridinghood - Jack and the Beanstalk - Rapunzel - Cinderella

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Act I opens with a wish, a witch, and a curse. Each separate tale intertwines throughout the story, each depending on a weakness or strength of another. The play's conflicts are motivated by selfish wishes, made for the betterment of individual characters.

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Act II explores what happens after "happily ever after," when these wishes have come true. The land is ravaged by a giant, whose husband was killed when Jack chopped down the beanstalk. The show explores the consequences of actions taken in the first act, and the need for community in order to survive "the Woods".

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Notable songs in the musical include "Into the Woods", "Hello, Little Girl", "Giants in the Sky", "Agony", "Moments in the Woods", "No More", "No One Is Alone", and "Children Will Listen".

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The musical makes heavy use of syncopated speech. In many instances, the characters' lines are delivered with a fixed beat that follows natural speech rhythms, but is also purposefully composed in eighth, sixteenth, and quarter note rhythms as part of a spoken song. Like many Sondheim/Lapine productions, the songs contain thought-process narrative, where characters converse or think aloud. See Lyric Examples for detail.

Related Topics:
Syncopated - Lyric Examples

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