Review of Into the Woods (1991) by Brittany P — 01 Dec 2008

Because I am the tissue-grabbing, sentimental, overdramatic audience member, I am not ashamed to say this play had me in tears before the curtains drew. It was absolutely beautiful. I loved Kim Crosby as Cinderella and Bernadette Peters as the horrible witch next door, Johanna Gleason as the Baker's wife and Danielle Ferland as Little Red Riding Hood.

Peters was awesome, giving the performance the comical relief it needed, as much of the second act focuses on the flaws of the fairy tales we have all been told as children and the consequences the creators neglected to mention.

There are many things to dissect from this play; "the sins of the father" affecting the descendants, the benefits of community, leading by example, an inability of human beings to be content even after getting their heart's desire, the complexity of 'right' and 'wrong (how difficult it is to pin a specific definition of these when we all have varying opinions), the exasperating fact that life is not just, the list goes on.

.. This is unlike anything Sondheim has done. A great movie. I just wish I had been there to see the original Broadway cast in action!