Sara Bareilles: "Into the Woods"

"Into the Woods" was not especially well-received, in the papers, back in the eighties.

But this doesn't matter. The show is among Sondheim's most-loved works, spawning revival after revival; the other SS show that gets frequent revivals is "Sweeney Todd" (similarly divisive among critics, back in the 1970s).

SS thinks these shows keep recruiting fans because they are plot-heavy; SS has noticed that people like plot. (Observe that SS isn't actually *endorsing* any popular opinions, here.)

"Into the Woods" happened because James Lapine had a small child, or children, and he was spending quite a bit of time with fairy tales. Wouldn't it be fun to adapt a fairy tale? But Lapine quickly noticed that these tales have bizarre shifts and abrupt endings; they aren't always "rich in character." So, to fill out an evening, it would be necessary to throw several tales up onto the stage, and the tales would need to weave through, and comment on, one another.

I think Encores is right to cast Heather Headley in the upcoming production; I think the drafting of Christian Borle is also smart. Knowing Sara Bareilles is involved isn't really a comfort to me. Joanna Gleason made the Baker's Wife the main event on Broadway; Gleason was so bright, and so surprising, that she sort of made you tune out her co-stars (including Bernadette Peters). When the Broadway revival occurred, the Times reviewer basically said, "I forgot that this show isn't actually one big solo for the Baker's Wife. Now, Laura Benanti is making the show *seem* to center on Cinderella."

(Sara Bareilles has never made me think: "Gosh, that new musical-theater staple has the wit and depth of Joanna Gleason.")

We'll have to see what Encores can put together.

Comments

How to Host a Baby

-You have assumed responsibility for a mewling, puking ball of life, a yellow-lab pup. He will spit his half-digested kibble all over your shoes, all over your hard-cover edition of Jennifer Haigh's novel Faith . He will eat your tables, your chairs, your "I {Heart] Montessori" magnet, placed too low on the fridge. When you try to watch Bette Davis in Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte , on your TV, your dog will bark through the murder-prologue, for no apparent reason. He will whimper through Lena Dunham's Girls , such that you have to rewind several times to catch every nuance of Andrew Rannells's ad-libbing--and, still, you'll have a nagging suspicion you've missed something. Your dog will poop on the kitchen floor, in the hallway, between the tiny bars of his crate. He'll announce his wakefulness at 5 AM, 2 AM, or while you and another human are mid-coitus. All this, and you get outside, and it's: "Don't let him pee on my tulips!" When...

Joshie

When I was growing up, a class birthday involved Hostess cupcakes. Often, the cupcakes would come in a shoebox, so you could taste a leathery residue (during the party). Times change. You can't bring a treat into a public school, in 2024, because heaven knows what kind of allergies might lurk, in unseen corners, in the classroom. But Joshua's teacher will allow: a dance party, a pajama day, or a guest reader. I chose to bring a story for Joshua's birthday (observed), but I didn't think through the role that anxiety might play in this interaction. We talk, in this house, quite a bit about anxiety; one game-changer, for J, has been a daily list of activities, so that he knows exactly what to expect. He gets a look of profound satisfaction when he sees the agenda; it doesn't really matter what the specific events happen to be. It's just about knowing, "I can anticipate X, Y, and Z." Joshua struggled with his celebration. He wore his nervousness on his f...

Josh at Five

Joshie's project is "flexibility"; the goal is to see that a plan is just an idea, not a gospel, not a guarantee. This is difficult. Yesterday, we went to a restaurant--billed as "open," with unlocked doors--and the owner informed us of an "error in advertising." But Joshie couldn't accept the word "closed." He threw himself on the floor, then climbed on the furniture. I felt for the owner, until he nervously made a reference to "the glass windows." He imagined that my child might toss himself through a sealed window, like Mary Katherine Gallagher, or like Bruce Willis, in "Die Hard." Then--thank the Lord!--I was able to laugh. The thing that really has therapeutic value for Joshie is: a firetruck. If we are out in public, and he spots a parked truck, he wants to climb on each surface. He breathlessly alludes to the wheels, the door, the windows. If an actual fire station ("fire ocean," in Joshie's parla...

Liars and Saints

Search This Blog