INTO THE WOODS was inspired by a book called The Uses Of
Enchantment by Bruno Bettelheim and follows a group of fairytale
characters as their stories intertwine. Many famous characters
appear such as Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and his Mother from
Jack In The Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella. They are joined by
two original characters who aim to collect items from the characters
on their journey through the woods to break a curse.
Stephen Sondheim, famous for his intricate compositions and
clever wordplay, wrote both the music and lyrics, while James
Lapine supplied the book.
The show premiered on Broadway in 1987and starred Bernadette
Peters, Chip Zien and Joanna Gleason who won a Tony for her
performance as the Baker's Wife.
In 1989, the Broadway cast
reunited to film the production which has been released on DVD.
INTO THE WOODS was revived on Broadway in 2002, with a
reworked plot, extra characters in the form of the three little pigs and
starred Vanessa Williams, Laura Benanti and John McMartin. This
production won Tony Awards for Best Lighting Design and Best
Revival Of A Musical.
From 1994 to 1997 much was made of a possible movie version
possibly starring Robin Williams and Goldie Hawn and directed by
Rob Minkoff. Unfortunately nothing came of this project.