| Jeff Says... | Into the Woods |
| Direction & Choreography |
| Direction: Lear deBessonet | There is plenty of darkness in these woods, as there should be. These Woods are, however, also the funniest of any version I've ever seen. Being able to laugh at the all too human foibles embodied by these characters feels so good these days. deBessonet embraces this in all the right ways without ever pushing for more than necessary, and all without relying on over the top "big Broadway" tricks or extravagances. |
| Choreography: Lorin Latarro | Into the Woods has never been a dance-y show, but Ms. Latarro has picked fun places for a bit of footwork, all in the service of the production, and more importantly, the text itself. |
| Overall Comment: | Given the confines of its original venue and circumstance, the production is bare bones by necessity, and the directorial/choreographic choices are limited spacially. But by focusing on tone and character specificity, both deBessonet and Lotarro bring out the richness of this well-known piece in unexpected and delightful ways. |
| Technical Elements |
| Set: David Rockwell | With a full orchestra necessarily a part of the staging, Rockwell still allows for a variety of playing spaces, and, of course, trees. And the mini tableaux at the top of each act are delightful scene-setters! |
| Lights: Tyler Micoleau | They didn't interfere or make things difficult to see - not much of an impression, which is not a bad thing. |
| Costumes: Andrea Hood | I immediately thought of a box of 8 Crayola crayons, with each character assigned a color. Ms. Hood then adds layers and textures depending on the depth of the character. Is it any wonder that the vacuous princes were a single, flat color, while the not yet mature Little Red starts out almost entirely in red, but ends up with more detailed, sophisticated red variations as her life becomes more complicated. Wordlessly conveying character growth is my favorite design concept! |
| Sound: Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann | Good sound design happens when you aren't aware of it. I wasn't aware of it once, so clear and perfectly balanced it was. |
| Overall Comment: | All of the creatives have clearly worked together, creating a fairy tale world, clear, focused, and just inviting enough to allow our imagination to take over and fill in the blanks for ourselves. |
| Performances |
| Sara Bareilles | THE highlight of this revival! What a talent! I knew she could sing it, but there was some damn fine acting there. I'd go so far as to say some of her choices felt definitive. More Sara on Broadway, please. |
| Brian d'Arcy James | Easily the best singer I've seen in the role. His earnestness and vulnerability wamed my heart. And he matched Ms. Bareilles perfectly. |
| Patina Miller | She was fine in the role, especially in act two, where she brought a dark gravitas to the production. In no way is this a slight to Ms. Miller (I am a HUGE fan!), but by giving a quieter, more measured performance allowed for the Baker and his Wife to become the main focus - as I think it should be. |
| Phillipa Soo | The great thing about casting Soo in this role was how effortlessly she conveyed strength and growth, while perfectly conveying innocence and confusion. She sang the role with ease. |
| Cheyenne Jackson | Funny and sexy made Cheyenne the exact right choice for both the Wolf and Cinderella's Prince. Cocksure and slightly vacant is right in he wheelhouse, and he clearly had a grand time. |
| Joshua Henry | I don't think Mr. Henry can do anything wrong. I have yet to see him be less than amazing, including here, where he made this snack of a role feel like a full-course meal. |
| Julia Lester | Blissfully self-aware and all-in on her growing sexual feelings, Miss Lester's Little Red was a hilarious revelation. |
| Cole Thompson | At last a Jack that isn't just a dumb kid. Mr. Thompson's take on the giant killer is more complicated and nuanced than others I've seen. And, holy cow, what a singer! |
| The Ensemble | Each had a moment to shine, and none got in the way. Aymee Garcia and Annie Golden were delightful as Jack's mother and the Giant, respectively. |
| Breakout Performances | Kennedy Kanagawa as Milky White was a mesmerizing delight - a truly astonishing performance. Julia Lester needs to come back to Broadway ASAP, and Cole Thompson is going to be a huge star. Mark my words, all three are going places! |
| Overall Comment: | With Encores productions, the purpose is two-fold: to hear a classic as originally written and scored, and to see great acting bring it to life. Into the Woods does just that. The orchestra, sublime; the cast, flawless. |
| Grade: | A |
| Overall Impression |
| Broadway is all the better for this bare bones, perfect-as-it-was Encores staging. No one involved in the transfer made the mistake of pumping it up for the Main Stem. Like Chicago before it, Into the Woods is a perfect jewel, polished to its brightest potential. What a shame it won't be around longer. |
