Into the Woods intertwines the plots of several fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. The main storyline focuses on a childless baker and his wife as they go into the woods to break a spell set upon them by a witch. There they run into various classic fairy tale characters. All before exploring what happens after 'happily ever after'.
The original cast included Chip Zien as The Baker, Joanna Gleason as The Baker’s Wife, Bernadette Peters as The Witch, Tom Aldredge as The Narrator/Mysterious Man, Kim Crosby as Cinderella, Robert Westenberg as Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf, Ben Wright as Jack, Danielle Ferland as Little Red Ridinghood, Pamela Winslow as Rapunzel, Chuck Wagner as Rapunzel's Prince, Barbara Bryne as Jack’s Mother, Philip Hoffman (Not to be confused with Philip Seymour Hoffman) as The Steward, Joy Franz as Cinderella’s Stepmother, Edmund Lyndeck as Cinderella’s Father, Lauren Mitchell as Lucinda, Kay McClelland as Florinda, and Merle Louise as Cinderella’s Mother/Granny/The Giant.
The production received 10 Tony Award nominations for Best Musical, Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Robert Westenberg), Best Direction of a Musical (James Lapine), Best Book of a Musical (James Lapine)*, Best Original Score (Stephen Sondheim)*, Best Choreography (Lar Lubovitch), Best Lighting Design (Richard Nelson), Best Scenic Design (Tony Straiges), and Best Costume Design (Ann Hould-Ward).
*denotes an award it won.
The original cast included Chip Zien as The Baker, Joanna Gleason as The Baker’s Wife, Bernadette Peters as The Witch, Tom Aldredge as The Narrator/Mysterious Man, Kim Crosby as Cinderella, Robert Westenberg as Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf, Ben Wright as Jack, Danielle Ferland as Little Red Ridinghood, Pamela Winslow as Rapunzel, Chuck Wagner as Rapunzel's Prince, Barbara Bryne as Jack’s Mother, Philip Hoffman (Not to be confused with Philip Seymour Hoffman) as The Steward, Joy Franz as Cinderella’s Stepmother, Edmund Lyndeck as Cinderella’s Father, Lauren Mitchell as Lucinda, Kay McClelland as Florinda, and Merle Louise as Cinderella’s Mother/Granny/The Giant.
The production received 10 Tony Award nominations for Best Musical, Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Robert Westenberg), Best Direction of a Musical (James Lapine), Best Book of a Musical (James Lapine)*, Best Original Score (Stephen Sondheim)*, Best Choreography (Lar Lubovitch), Best Lighting Design (Richard Nelson), Best Scenic Design (Tony Straiges), and Best Costume Design (Ann Hould-Ward).
*denotes an award it won.
Why Didn't Into the Woods Win?: a
The Phantom of the Opera won 7 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Lead Actor in a Musical (Michael Crawford), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Judy Kaye), Best Direction of a Musical (Harold Prince), Best Lighting Design (Andrew Bridge), Best Scenic Design (Maria Björnson), and Best Costume Design (Maria Björnson).
The Phantom of the Opera won 7 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Lead Actor in a Musical (Michael Crawford), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Judy Kaye), Best Direction of a Musical (Harold Prince), Best Lighting Design (Andrew Bridge), Best Scenic Design (Maria Björnson), and Best Costume Design (Maria Björnson).