Into the Woods Without Delay: Five Facts about Sondheim's Beloved Musical

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By A.C.T. Publications Team 

Only two more days before we go into the woods! To get you prepared for the journey, here are five fun facts about the musical.

A.C.T.'s Young Conservatory Production of Into the Woods.
1. Book writer James Lapine wrote a script that interwove several fairy tales—Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood—and sent it to composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, saying “You'll never be able to musicalize this.” Sondheim accepted his challenge.

2. An early draft of the musical featured Rumpelstiltskin and the Three Pigs. In the 2002 revival, the pigs were put back in.

3. Sondheim doesn't like actors to make lyric suggestions, but when original Baker's Wife Joanna Gleason said that she felt like her character was in the wrong story when she meets Cinderella's Prince in Act Two, he made an exception.

4. The musical was (intentionally or unintentionally) quoted by President Barack Obama in an address on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks when he said, “You are not alone. No one is alone.”

5. There have been many attempts to turn Into the Woods into a film. In the 1990s, Columbia Pictures tried to put it together with Cher playing the Witch and Robin Williams as the Baker.

Come to the Strand and see 24 super-talented Young Conservatory and M.F.A. Program actors take you through this tale of wishes, curses, and magic beans. Into the Woods runs August 8–17. To purchase tickets, click here.

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