Into the Woods (1990)

            

Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical is preserved in this made-for-television film of the stage hit. Spun around several children's fairy tales, writer and director James Lapine takes Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Jack (from the beanstalk), the Wicked Witch and the Childless Baker and his wife, and intertwines their stories in the forest as they try to achieve their respective goals. In the first act, the characters are looking for things that they hope will make them happy, and in the second act, they see the consequences of setting these goals. Sondheim's music and lyrics won the Tony for "Best Musical Score."

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Review By Craig Butler 

Since its Broadway debut, Into the Woods has become a staple of regional and community theatres around the country. The video translation captures much of the magic of the original production; however, because the stage show was essentially filmed as a stage show, rather than re-imagined for film, there is an inescapable static quality to the proceedings, as well as a "distancing" effect that keeps the viewer from really getting involved with the story. That said, there is still a great deal to recommend the video, especially for theatre enthusiasts. Stephen Sondheim's glorious score is presented in full, allowing one to enjoy the witty "Agony," the lovely "Children Will Listen," the amazing "Giants in the Sky," and the touching "No One Is Alone." James Lapine's witty dialogue and intricate plotting are also preserved, though they suffer significantly from the static filming. Bernadette Peters is a delicious Witch and Joanna Gleason a stand-out as the Baker's Wife. Gleason uses her wry delivery, guarded warmth, and underlying sense of restlessness to create a fairy tale character with considerable depth. Ben Wright is a lovably befuddled Jack and Danielle Ferland an amusingly tough Red Riding Hood. Into the Woods is a valuable record of an important musical, but it's a shame that such an imaginative musical did not receive a more imaginative video production.