Into the Woods is a musical play written in 1986. It was created by Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the music and lyrics, and James Lapine, who wrote the story.

The musical combines the stories of several fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm. It shows how the characters’ wishes and goals affect their lives. Main characters come from stories like Little Red Riding Hood (called Ridinghood in the official music book), Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and others. The story follows a baker and his wife who want to have a child. Their journey connects them to a witch who has cursed them and to other characters from fairy tales.

This was the second musical written by Sondheim and Lapine together, after Sunday in the Park with George (1984). Into the Woods first performed in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986. It later opened on Broadway in New York City on November 5, 1987. It won three important Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Book, and Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason). This was the same year that The Phantom of the Opera was popular on Broadway.

Since its first performance, Into the Woods has been shown many times. These include a 1988 tour in the United States, a 1990 production in London, a 1997 concert to celebrate its 10th anniversary, a 2002 revival on Broadway, a 2010 outdoor performance in London, which later moved to New York City, and a 2022 Broadway revival.

A movie version of Into the Woods was made in 2014. It was directed by Rob Marshall. The film earned more than $213 million worldwide and was nominated for three awards at both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards.

Synopsis

The Narrator introduces the main characters in the story. Cinderella wants to go to a festival the king is hosting, but her Stepmother and Stepsisters are unhappy about it. Jack wishes his cow, Milky White, would give milk, and his Mother wants Jack to sell Milky White. A Baker and his Wife want to have a child, and Little Red Riding Hood wants to bring bread to her sick Grandmother. Little Red gets bread from the Baker, who is later visited by a neighbor, an old Witch. The Witch explains that the Baker and his Wife cannot have children because the Baker’s father once stole vegetables from her garden. She cursed their family to be unable to have children and took their other child, Rapunzel. The Witch says the curse can be lifted if four items are brought to her in three days: "a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold." All characters begin their journey into the woods. Jack plans to sell Milky White, Cinderella plans to visit her mother’s grave after her family leaves for the festival without her, Little Red plans to visit her Grandmother, and the Baker refuses his Wife’s help and decides to find the items himself ("Into the Woods").

Cinderella receives a dress and golden slippers from her mother’s spirit ("Cinderella at the Grave"). A Mysterious Man teases Jack for caring more about his cow than a "sack of beans." Little Red meets a hungry Wolf who wants to eat her ("Hello, Little Girl"), which the Baker sees and notices her cape. His Wife joins him, and they meet Jack and convince him to trade Milky White for beans in the Baker’s jacket after lying and saying the beans are magic. Jack says goodbye to Milky White ("I Guess This Is Goodbye"). The Baker feels bad about lying, but his Wife tells him ("Maybe They're Magic").

The Witch raised Rapunzel in a tall tower that can only be reached by climbing her long, golden hair ("Our Little World"). A Prince sees Rapunzel and falls in love. Little Red and her Grandmother are eaten by the Wolf, but the Baker saves them and kills the Wolf. Little Red gives the Baker the cape as a thank-you ("I Know Things Now"). Jack returns to his Mother with the beans, but she throws them on the ground in anger. After the festival, Cinderella runs away from a Prince who loves her. She meets the Baker’s Wife, who helps her hide ("A Very Nice Prince"). The Baker’s Wife tries to take one of Cinderella’s slippers but loses Milky White. At the end of the day, the characters reflect on what they learned ("First Midnight").

Jack talks about climbing a beanstalk the beans grew into and meeting a giant couple ("Giants in The Sky"). He steals money from the giants but cannot buy Milky White back from the Baker. After returning to the beanstalk for more treasure, the Mysterious Man takes the money from the Baker. Cinderella’s Prince and Rapunzel’s Prince, who are brothers, compare their love interests ("Agony"). The Baker’s Wife finds Rapunzel, tricks her into letting down her hair, and takes some strands. The Mysterious Man returns Milky White to the Baker, and the Baker’s Wife fails again to take Cinderella’s slippers. The Baker realizes they must work together ("It Takes Two"). Jack brings a hen that lays golden eggs, but Milky White dies as midnight strikes ("Second Midnight").

The Witch finds out the Prince visits Rapunzel and makes her stay hidden. Rapunzel refuses and is punished by the Witch, who cuts her hair and sends her to a desert ("Stay with Me"). The Mysterious Man gives the Baker money to buy another cow. Jack meets Little Red, who now wears a cape made from the Wolf’s skin, and she tricks him into stealing more from the giants. Cinderella leaves her Prince a slipper as a clue ("On the Steps of the Palace") and trades shoes with the Baker’s Wife. The Baker buys a new cow, and the two find the Witch.

Jack’s Mother runs in screaming about a dead giant in her yard, but the group ignores her. The Witch realizes the cow is not Milky White but an ordinary cow covered in flour. She brings Milky White back to life but is angry when she finds out the hair is Rapunzel’s. The Mysterious Man suggests using corn silk instead, which works. The Witch reveals the Mysterious Man is the Baker’s father, and he drinks the potion. The curse is broken, the Mysterious Man dies, and the Witch becomes young and beautiful again.

Cinderella’s Prince searches for her. Her Stepmother makes her Stepsisters hurt their feet to fit the slipper, then lets Cinderella try it. The slipper fits, and they are reunited ("Careful My Toe"). Rapunzel has twins and finds her Prince in the desert. When Rapunzel refuses to return, the Witch loses her powers after the curse is broken. At Cinderella’s wedding, the Baker’s Wife thanks Cinderella for helping her. As everyone celebrates "happily ever after," they notice a new beanstalk growing ("Ever After").

The Narrator returns, introducing the characters again. The Baker’s Wife wants a bigger house, but the Baker refuses to leave his father’s home. Jack misses the sky kingdom, and Cinderella is bored with her new life. The Baker’s house and the Witch’s garden are destroyed ("So Happy"). The Baker goes to warn Cinderella but is sent away by the Steward. Little Red’s house is also destroyed, and the Baker and his Wife offer to help her visit her Grandmother. Jack, hearing about the destruction, goes to the woods to fight a giant, and Cinderella investigates the damage to her mother’s grave ("Into the Woods (Reprise)").

Rapunzel, upset from being locked away, runs to the woods. Her Prince finds her and meets his brother, who admits he wants to be with Snow White and Sleeping Beauty ("Agony (Reprise)"). The group meets a Giantess who says Jack killed her husband. The Narrator is captured by the Giantess, but the Witch offers herself instead. The Giantess drops the Witch and kills her. Jack’s Mother arrives and defends him, but the Steward kills her by mistake. Rapunzel runs from the Witch but is trampled by the Giantess. The Witch mourns Rapunzel ("Witch’s Lament").

The Royal Family and Steward flee. The Witch vows to find Jack and give

Development

The musical Into the Woods began when James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim worked together on their second project after Sunday in the Park with George. They wanted to create a musical based on fairy tales. At first, they tried writing their own story about a quest, but this idea was discarded. Lapine then suggested combining several folktales into one musical. They considered using stories from One Thousand and One Nights or making the production resemble a fantasy computer game.

The first version of Into the Woods was performed as a workshop at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, on December 4, 1986. This early version lasted for 50 shows and was directed by Lapine. Many actors who performed in the San Diego version later joined the Broadway cast. For example, Kay McClelland, who played Rapunzel and Florinda in San Diego, also played Florinda on Broadway.

During the run, changes were made to the dialogue, story, and songs. For instance, in the Old Globe production, the Baker’s Wife was not crushed by a giant. Instead, she ate a poisoned apple, similar to the story of Snow White. A reference to The Three Little Pigs from the San Diego version later appeared in the 2002 Broadway revival. The song “Giants in the Sky” had different lyrics, and “So Happy,” “Lament,” and “Second Midnight” included extra lines. Some longer versions of songs were cut for the Broadway production, but the longer version of “Lament” was kept in the Broadway cast recording and used in later performances.

Productions

Into the Woods opened on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on November 5, 1987, and closed on September 3, 1989, after 765 performances. Bernadette Peters played the Witch, Joanna Gleason played the Baker's Wife, Chip Zien played the Baker, Robert Westenberg played the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince, Tom Aldredge played the Narrator/Mysterious Man, Kim Crosby played Cinderella, Danielle Ferland played Little Red Ridinghood, Ben Wright played Jack, Chuck Wagner played Rapunzel's Prince, Barbara Bryne played Jack's Mother, Pamela Winslow played Rapunzel, Merle Louise played Cinderella's Mother/Granny/Giantess, Edmund Lyndeck played Cinderella's father, Joy Franz played Cinderella's Stepmother, Philip Hoffman played the Steward, Lauren Mitchell played Lucinda, Kay McClelland played Florinda, Jean Kelly played Snow White, and Maureen Davis played Sleeping Beauty. Lapine directed the production, with musical staging by Lar Lubovitch, sets by Tony Straiges, lighting by Richard Nelson, and costumes by Ann Hould-Ward (based on original concepts by Patricia Zipprodt and Ann Hould-Ward). The production won the 1988 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical. The original cast recording won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards. The show was nominated for ten Tony Awards at the 42nd Tony Awards and won three: Best Original Score (Sondheim), Best Book (Lapine), and Best Actress in a Musical (Gleason).

Peters left the show after almost five months, and replacements for the Witch included Betsy Joslyn, Phylicia Rashad, Nancy Dussault, and Ellen Foley. Other notable cast replacements included Dick Cavett as the Narrator, Edmund Lyndeck as the Mysterious Man, Patricia Ben Peterson as Cinderella, LuAnne Ponce as Little Red, Jeff Blumenkrantz as Jack, Marin Mazzie as Rapunzel, Dean Butler as Rapunzel's Prince, Cindy Robinson as Snow White, and Cynthia Sikes and Mary Gordon Murray as the Baker's Wife. From May 23 to 25, 1989, the original cast (except with Cindy Robinson as Snow White) reunited for three performances to tape the show for the Season 10 premiere episode of PBS's American Playhouse, which first aired on March 15, 1991. The show was filmed on the set of the Martin Beck Theatre in front of audiences, with some changes made for the recording to better fit the screen, and with lighting and minor costume differences. There were also pick-up shots not filmed in front of an audience. The video was later released on VHS and DVD and, on occasion, remastered and rereleased.

Tenth Anniversary benefit performances were held on November 9, 1997, at the Broadway Theatre in New York, with most of the original cast. Wagner played the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince, Jonathan Dokuchitz played Rapunzel's Prince, and Blumenkrantz played the Steward. This concert included the duet "Our Little World." On November 9, 2014, most of the original cast reunited for a reunion concert and discussion in Costa Mesa, California. Mo Rocca hosted and interviewed Sondheim, Lapine, and each cast member. Appearing were Peters, Gleason, Zien, Ferland, Wright, and husband and wife Westenberg and Crosby. The same group presented another discussion/concert on June 21, 2015, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City.

A U.S. tour started performances on November 22, 1988. The cast included Cleo Laine as the Witch, Rex Robbins as the Narrator and Mysterious Man, Ray Gill and Mary Gordon Murray as the Baker and his wife, Kathleen Rowe McAllen as Cinderella, Chuck Wagner as the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince, Douglas Sills as Rapunzel's Prince, Robert Duncan McNeill and Charlotte Rae as Jack and his mother, Marcus Olson as the Steward, and Susan Gordon Clark reprising her role as Florinda from the Broadway production. The set was almost completely reconstructed, and there were certain changes to the script, altering some story elements. Notable cast replacements included Joslyn as the Witch, Peter Walker as the Narrator/Mysterious Man, Olson as the Baker, Stuart Zagnit as the Steward, and Patricia Ben Peterson as Cinderella. The tour ran at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from June to July 1989, where The Washington Post review called the "lovely score – poised between melody and dissonance … the perfect measure of our tenuous condition. The songs invariably follow the characters' thinking patterns, as they weigh their options and digest their experience. Needless to say, that doesn't make for traditional show-stoppers. But it does make for vivacity of another kind. And Sondheim's lyrics … are brilliant. … I think you'll find these cast members alert and engaging."

The original West End production opened on September 25, 1990, at the Phoenix Theatre and closed on February 23, 1991, after 197 performances. It was directed by Richard Jones and produced by David Mirvish, with set design by Richard Hudson, choreography by Anthony Van Laast, costumes by Sue Blane, and orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. The cast featured Julia McKenzie as the Witch, Ian Bartholomew as the Baker, Imelda Staunton as the Baker's Wife, and Clive Carter as the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince. The show was nominated for seven Olivier Awards in 1991, winning Best Actress in a Musical (Staunton) and Best Director of a Musical (Jones).

The song "Our Little World" was added. A duet for the Witch and Rapunzel, it gives further insight into the Witch's care for her self-proclaimed daughter and the desire Rapunzel has to see the world outside her tower. The show's overall feel was darker than that of the original Broadway production. Critic Michael Billington wrote: "But the evening's triumph belongs also to director Richard Jones, set designer Richard Hudson and costume designer Sue Blane, who evoke exactly the right mood of haunted theatricality. Old-fashioned footlights give the faces a sinister glow. The woods themselves are a semi-circular, black-and-silver screen punctuated with nine doors and a crazy clock: they achieve exactly the 'agreeable terror' of Gustave Doré's children's illustrations. And the effects are terrific: doors open to reveal the rotating magnified eyeball or the admonitory finger of the predatory giant."

An intimate production of the show opened at the Donmar Warehouse on November 16, 1998, closing on February 13, 1999. It was directed by John Crowley and designed by his brother, Bob Crowley. The cast included Clare Burt as the Witch, Nick Holder as the Baker, Sophie Thompson as the Baker's Wife, Jenna Russell as Cinderella, Sheridan Smith as Little Red, Damian Lewis as the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince, and Frank Middlemass as the

Principal casts

The main casts of major stage productions of Into the Woods include the following actors and roles:

• Witch: Nancy Dussault, Betsy Joslyn, Phylicia Rashad, Ellen Foley
• Cinderella: Patricia Ben Peterson
• Jack: Jeff Blumenkrantz
• Narrator: Dick Cavett
• Mysterious Man: Edmund Lyndeck
• Rapunzel's Prince: Dean Butler
• Rapunzel: Marin Mazzie

• Witch: Betsy Joslyn
• Cinderella: Patricia Ben Peterson
• Narrator/Mysterious Man: Peter Walker
• Cinderella's Stepmother: Joy Franz
• Steward: Stuart Zagnit

• Cinderella: Erin Dilly
• Cinderella's Stepmother: Joy Franz

• Witch: Montego Glover, Joaquina Kalukango
• Baker: Sebastian Arcelus
• Baker's Wife: Stephanie J. Block
• Cinderella: Krysta Rodriguez, Denée Benton
• Cinderella's Prince/Wolf: Cheyenne Jackson, Andy Karl
• Rapunzel's Prince: Andy Karl
• Jack's Mother: Ann Harada
• Steward: Jim Stanek

• Baker: Jason Forbach
• Cinderella: Krysta Rodriguez
• Rapunzel's Prince: Andy Karl

Adaptations

The musical has been adapted by Music Theatre International into a version that is easy for teens to perform. This version is used by schools and young theater groups. Very few changes were made to the original, but directors may choose to make adjustments based on their vision.

A child-friendly version of the musical was created for use by schools and young companies. This version removes the second act completely and cuts a large amount of material from the first act. The show is shortened from the original two and a half hours to fit within a 60-minute performance. The music has been adjusted to better suit young singers. This version is licensed through Music Theatre International's Broadway Junior program. The story in this version ends with a "happy ending," which is different from the original plot.

In 2019, a similar adaptation called Into the Woods Sr. was created for older adults in community centers and nursing homes. This version is available for performance under license.

A film version of the musical was made by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Rob Marshall and features actors such as Meryl Streep as the Witch, Emily Blunt as the Baker's Wife, James Corden as the Baker, Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince, Daniel Huttlestone as Jack, Lilla Crawford as Little Red Ridinghood, Tracey Ullman as Jack's Mother, Billy Magnussen as Rapunzel's Prince, Christine Baranski as Cinderella's Stepmother, MacKenzie Mauzy as Rapunzel, Tammy Blanchard as Florinda, and Johnny Depp as the Wolf. The film was released on December 25, 2014. It was well received by critics and audiences, earning over $213 million worldwide. Meryl Streep was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 87th Academy Awards for her role as the Witch. The film also received Academy Award nominations for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.

Analysis of book and music

In most performances of Into the Woods, including the original Broadway version, some characters are played by the same actor. For example, the Prince from Cinderella and the Wolf, both of whom struggle with controlling their desires, are often performed by one person. The Narrator and the Mysterious Man, who both observe the story without taking action, are also played by the same actor. Similarly, Granny and Cinderella’s Mother, two strong female characters, are usually played by the same person. This actor also voices the Giantess, a character who starts as kind but later becomes dangerous.

The musical explores several themes, such as growing up, the relationship between parents and children, taking responsibility, and the effects of making wishes. A Time Magazine review noted that the story highlights how many fairy tales focus on the challenges between parents and children. Problems in the story often result from failures in caring for one another, even when people try their best. Stephen Holden wrote that the show also discusses how individuals must care for their communities. The Witch is not just a mean old woman but represents someone who has mixed feelings about right and wrong. Composer Stephen Sondheim said the Witch, who is often disliked, speaks the most honest truths, while kinder characters are less truthful. The Witch says, “I’m not good; I’m not nice; I’m just right.”

The musical premiered during the 1980s, a time when the United States faced a major health crisis related to AIDS. Some people have interpreted the show as a story about this crisis. In this view, the Giantess represents a disease like HIV/AIDS, which harms people regardless of their actions. This interpretation forced characters to work together to survive and heal, similar to how communities dealt with the effects of AIDS. Sondheim said that early audiences saw the story as a metaphor for AIDS, but he did not intend it to be about the disease specifically.

The music in Into the Woods is unique because it uses small musical ideas and repeats them throughout the show. For example, the opening line “I wish” is sung using a specific musical pattern, which is then developed as the story progresses. This mirrors the story’s focus on the results of selfishness and making wishes. The dialogue often uses rhythmic speech, where characters speak in patterns that match natural speech but are also carefully composed with musical beats, such as eighth or sixteenth notes. Many songs include “thought-process narrative,” where characters speak or think aloud.

Sondheim used parts of his own difficult childhood experiences when creating the musical. In 1987, he told Time Magazine that the character of a father uncomfortable with babies was based on his own father, and the character of a mother who regrets having children was inspired by his own mother.