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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.
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