I suppose I couldn't avoid him for long, but I have to confess a love/hate relationship with Stephen Sondheim. I find his musicals smart and insightful, and good explorations of interesting themes. And I like his music, but I can't sing it worth beans.
Into the Woods is one of my favorites of Sondheim's works. I like how it uses childhood fairy-tales to explore very adult themes of risk/reward for "straying from the path", personal responsibility, sense of community, and parenting. It also marks the second appearance in my year for Bernadette Peters, now in the prime of her career and warranting applause from the audience at her first entrance (even though she is done up in the old witch make-up and costume).
I find Joanna Gleason a wonderful singing actress. I was more familiar with her television experience (West Wing) and saw her in a brief role in the Sex and the City movie, which is out right now. I'm going to need check out more of her musical background. I believe she was in a musical based on the Nick and Nora Charles stories--perhaps with Barry Bostwick.
I saw Woods live maybe a decade ago at the Marriot Lincolnshire Theater outside of Chicago. It was done in the round, or maybe 3/4 round. The proscenium version of this production seems very 2-dimensional, especially at the beginning when the three fairytales each have their own small proscenium. It's better when the storyline goes into the woods--perhaps part of the point.
Into the Woods
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book and Direction by James Lapine
Taping of performance by original Broadway cast in 1990
Cast: Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Barbara Byrne, Robert Westenberg
Into the Woods is one of my favorites of Sondheim's works. I like how it uses childhood fairy-tales to explore very adult themes of risk/reward for "straying from the path", personal responsibility, sense of community, and parenting. It also marks the second appearance in my year for Bernadette Peters, now in the prime of her career and warranting applause from the audience at her first entrance (even though she is done up in the old witch make-up and costume).
I find Joanna Gleason a wonderful singing actress. I was more familiar with her television experience (West Wing) and saw her in a brief role in the Sex and the City movie, which is out right now. I'm going to need check out more of her musical background. I believe she was in a musical based on the Nick and Nora Charles stories--perhaps with Barry Bostwick.
I saw Woods live maybe a decade ago at the Marriot Lincolnshire Theater outside of Chicago. It was done in the round, or maybe 3/4 round. The proscenium version of this production seems very 2-dimensional, especially at the beginning when the three fairytales each have their own small proscenium. It's better when the storyline goes into the woods--perhaps part of the point.
Into the Woods
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book and Direction by James Lapine
Taping of performance by original Broadway cast in 1990
Cast: Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Barbara Byrne, Robert Westenberg
No comments:
Post a Comment