Musicals & Performing Arts
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Into the Woods
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List Price: $19.98
Our Price: $11.46
You Save: $8.52 (43%)
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Product Details
- Starring: Bernadette Peters, Chip Zien, Joanna Gleason, Tom Aldredge, Robert Westenberg
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- Audience Rating: Unrated
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- Binding: VHS Tape
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- Director: James Lapine
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- EAN: 9786304681374
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- Format: Color, Original recording remastered, NTSC
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- ISBN: 6304681372
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- Label: Image Entertainment
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- Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
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- Number of Items: 1
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- Product Group: Video
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- Publisher: Image Entertainment
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- Release Date: 1997-05-07
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- Studio: Image Entertainment
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- Theatrical Release Date: 1991-03-20
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- Title: Into the Woods
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- UPC: 014381311938
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Avg Customer Rating: 
Product Description: Fractured fairy tales of a darker hue provide the remarkable context for Into the Woods, which deconstructs the Brothers Grimm by way of Rod Serling. While the faces and names are familiar, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and company inhabit a sylvan neighborhood in which witches and bakers are next-door neighbors, handsome princes from once-parallel fables are competitive (and equally vain) brothers, and all the stories intersect through unexpected new plot twists. Stephen Sondheim's Tony-winning score favors intricate ensemble numbers that present the characters' divergent, then overlapping fears and desires. And it's the latter category that provides a primary thread to James Lapine's ingenious puzzle of a book, which coheres around the inevitability--and treachery--of our innermost wishes. That theme is given farcical energy in the first act, which offers enough comic invention, tart dialogue, and witty music for a satisfying evening of theater as is. Instead, Sondheim and Lapine offer a bold, darker second act that takes a look at what happens after "happily ever after," elevating the work beyond inspired parody toward allegorical gravity. By the final scenes, with the one-two punch of the score's two most enduring songs, "No One Is Alone" and "Children Will Listen," what began as a clever diversion has touched deeper nerves and primed some tear ducts. This video production by the original Broadway cast gets its marquee shimmer from Bernadette Peters's wonderful witch, but the standout (and Tony winner as Best Actress) is Joanna Gleason, who gives the Baker's Wife a mixture of warmth, pragmatism, and sudden, poignantly romantic radiance. The DVD version is comparatively no-frills, given its American Playhouse origins, but multiformat digital audio renders the musical performances in immaculate detail. --Sam Sutherland
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Customer Reviews
Into the woods
Liked it. Familiar with story/music/etc, but enjoyed re-viewing it. Unable to see a local live performance, but this was almost as good.
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Great Broadway Show!!
I bought this DVD after my daughter was in her middle school drama production of the show. "Into the Woods" is a great life lesson story which is based on many familiar fairy tale characters. It interweaves the classic fairy tales but continues on after the typical "happily ever after" to show what happens when you wish for too much. My daughter and I enjoyed watching this Broadway show very much!!
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Fabulous
This is my absolute favorite musical. The acting is superb. Extremely funny, even moving. Can't go wrong with this one!
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Grimm's Fairytales Revisted
Take your favorite Grimm's Fairytales--throw them in a blender and hit MIX! Steven Sondheim does a teriffic job mixing Rapunzel, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, etc. into a magical funfest. But the best part is Part Two--What happens after "Happily Ever After" Enjoy the original B'Way Production with Bernedette Peters as the Witch (and such a WITCH she is!!!!)
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Utter Perfection ...
I am the sort of person who is not quick to praise. Most Broadway recordings, even if I adore the show, will have, in my mind, something lacking ... a poorly-done scene here or there, an actor lacking in talent or passion, etc., etc.
However, this original Broadway cast videorecording of Into the Woods is nothing short of perfection. Stephen Sondheim is a genius of a lyricist and composer, and this is some of his finest work. The cast more than does him justice.
On the female side, Bernadette Peters stands about 5 feet tall, but her presence commands the stage. Joanna Gleason captures the Baker's Wife flawlessly, and Danielle Ferland as Little Red Riding Hood portrays youth and innocence in a sufficiently obnoxious yet loveable fashion. Kim Crosby (Cinderella) has a beautiful, soaring soprano and acting ability to spare, giving a character which could come off as static a good deal of depth.
Chip Zien as the Baker has a quirky emotive quality to his voice that proves powerful, as we are made privy to his roller-coaster of emotions on his quest for a child and for happiness. Robert Westenberg as the Big Bad Wolf and Prince Charming was sufficiently pompous and almost seductive, with a vocal richness unmatched in this production.
I couldn't write this review without giving a paragraph of praise to Ben Wright (Jack). I believe he was not much more than 20 years old (if that) during this performance ... but I can't imagine "Giants in the Sky" being sung any better, by anyone. Many Jacks get caught up in exuberant youthful giddiness, which has a place but tends to be overdone and annoying. Wright embodied a frightened, excited, confused, overwhelmed, sweet boy trying to grasp "a world like none that [he's] ever known ..." His voice is accurate, clear, and smooth as can be, highlighting subtle vocal phrases which are often overlooked.
His performance alone is reason enough to buy this DVD or VHS. The fact that the rest of the cast is nearly as good makes it a "can't miss."
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