Theater Review | Chicago Reader: In Look, I Made a Hat, the second volume of his lyrics and musings about his work, Stephen Sondheim notes the unlikely genesis for Into the Woods: he and book writer James Lapine had concocted an idea for a TV special mashing up characters from similar comedies (Ralph and Alice Kramden from The Honeymooners, Archie and Edith Bunker from All in the Family) with characters from various cop and medical dramas, using a car accident as the narrative pretext for bringing them all together.
1 comment:
I think it's really cool that the Writer's theatre is producing 'Into the Woods' as a round. I saw 'Into the Woods' at the Kennedy Center years ago, and was struck by how claustrophobic the set was on stage. They were trying to convey closeness to the audience with ropes tangling across the stage to make the woods. But the round concept at Writer's eliminates the claustrophobia for the actors, while still creating the closeness for the audience in a more intimate way. I love that Rapunzel's castle is with the audience. The round also helps create distance between actors, which is a vital piece for the entire story as children, lovers, and spouses are separated from each other and mashed back together. I also think it's wild that there is only a 3 piece band for the entire show. This show is a Sondheim show and requires lots of instrumentation to create the heavy atmosphere that is integral to the show. I cannot imagine how stripped down the music sounds. But I think it would be cool to listen, as it would highlight the amazing singing better. I am honestly jealous that I cannot see this production in action. There are lots of interesting ideas to explore for this musical.
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