Theater Review: ‘Into the Woods’: What Happens When You Get What You Wish For?

Theater Review: ‘Into the Woods’: What Happens When You Get What You Wish For?
Gavin Creel as the Wolf and Julia Lester as the girl in red in “Into the Woods.” Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Updated:

NEW YORK—Every action has consequences, even if those consequences may not be felt until years later. This is the underlying message in the 1987 musical “Into the Woods,” as Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and James Lapine (book) examine just what happens after “happily ever after.” This latest revival is moving to Broadway after a brief run at the Encores! concert series.

Mixing the ominous with the whimsical, the story takes place in a far-off kingdom whose inhabitants include a Baker (Brian D’arcy James) and his wife (Sara Bareilles). The couple’s greatest wish is to have a child, but they have been unsuccessful due to a witch’s curse.

Judd Hollander
Judd Hollander
Author
Judd Hollander is a reviewer for stagebuzz.com and a member of the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle.
Related Topics