Into the Woods

Into the Woods (1987), a musical play by James Lapine (book), Stephen Sondheim (music, lyrics). [Martin Beck Theatre, 764 perf.; NYDCC Award.] A handful of familiar fairy tales and an original one were combined, all of the characters and events overlapping in the same forest. The first act followed the traditional storylines, but the second half went beyond the happy endings to explore the consequences of the characters' actions. Notable songs: Children Will Listen; No One Is Alone; Agony; Giants in the Sky. Critics were divided on how effective the script was but praised the score and applauded the superior cast that included Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Robert Westenberg, and Tom Aldredge. Audience reaction was not so mixed, and the musical (produced by Rocco and Heidi Landesman and others) became one of Sondheim's longest runs and most‐produced works across the country. A beautifully staged Broadway revival in 2002 was highly commended but failed to show a profit.