Once upon a time, 34 years ago on November 5, 1987, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's elaborate interweaving of fairy tales, Into the Woods, opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway. The production played 43 previews and 765 performances before closing September 3, 1989, earning three Tony Awards including Best Original Score.
With music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Lapine, the production tells the story of a childless baker and his wife as they endeavor to lift their family curse by journeying into the woods, encountering a host of classic fairy tale characters along the way.
Into the Woods starred Tom Aldredge as the Narrator/Mysterious Man, Joanna Gleason as the Baker’s Wife, Bernadette Peters as the Witch, Robert Westenberg as the Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince, Chip Zien as the Baker, Barbara Bryne as Jack’s Mother, Kim Crosby as Cinderella, Maureen Davis as Sleeping Beauty, Danielle Ferland as Little Red Riding Hood, Joy Franz as Cinderella’s Stepmother, Philip Hoffman as the Steward, Jean Kelly as Snow White, Merle Louise as the Grandmother/the Giant/Cinderella’s Mother, Edmund Lyndeck as Cinderella’s Father, Kay McClelland as Florinda, Lauren Mitchell as Lucinda, Chuck Wagner as Rapunzel’s Prince, Pamela Winslow as Rapunzel, and Ben Wright as Jack. Rounding out the company were Jeff Blumenkrantz, Suzzanne Douglas, Carolyn Marlow, Michael Piontek, and Colleen Fitzpatrick as understudies.
Directed by Lapine with musical staging by Lar Lubovitch, Into the Woods featured scenic design by Tony Straiges, costume design by Ann Hould-Ward, original costume concepts by Patricia Zipprodt, lighting design by Richard Nelson, sound design by Alan Stieb and James Brousseau, hair design by Phyllis Della Illien, orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, and music direction by Paul Gemignani with stage management by Frank Hartenstein, Johnna Murray, Marianne Cane, and James Dawson.
Since its original production, Into the Woods has received three major New York revivals, including one on Broadway. The musical was adapted for film in 2014, starring Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, James Corden, and more. It has become a mainstay of regional theatres, summer stock companies, community theatres, high schools, and more. The musical is set to return to New York in May 2022 in a New York City Center Encores! production starring Heather Headley, Sara Bareilles, Christian Borle, and Ashley Park.
