Original production

Opened December 4, 1986 at the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego
Ran for 50 performances
Executive Producers: Donald and Darlene Shiley
Directed by James Lapine
Musical Direction by Paul Gemignani and Eric Stern
Scenic Design by Tony Straiges
Costume Design by Ann Hould-Ward and Patricia Zipprodt
Lighting Design by Richard Nelson
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Projections by Wendall Harrington
Sound Design by Michael Holten

Cast

Narrator / Wolf / Steward - John Cunningham
Cinderella - Kim Crosby
Jack - Ben Wright
Baker - Chip Zien
Baker's Wife - Joanna Gleason
Cinderella's Stepmother / Wolf - Joy Franz
Florinda / Rapunzel - Kay McClelland
Lucinda - Lauren Mitchell
Jack's Mother - Barbara Bryne
Little Red Ridinghood - LuAnne Ponce
Witch - Ellen Foley
Mysterious Man / Cinderella's Father - George Coe
Cinderella's Mother / Grandmother / Wolf / Giant -Merle Louise
Rapunzel's Prince - Chuck Wagner
Cinderella's Prince - Kenneth Marshall
Footman - Ric Oquita
Snow White - Pamela Tomassetti
Sleeping Beauty - Terri Cannicott

Songs

  • "Prologue: Into the Woods"
  • "Hello, Little Girl"
  • "I Guess This Is Goodbye"
  • "Maybe They're Magic"
  • "I Know Things Now"
  • "A Very Nice Prince"
  • "First Midnight"
  • "Giants in the Sky"
  • "Agony"
  • "Just Like Last Night"
  • "It Takes Two"
  • "Back to the Palace"
  • "So Happy"
  • "Ever After"
  • "Any Moment"
  • "Ready for the Woods"
  • "Your Fault"
  • "Boom Crunch!"
  • "No More"

[ Added During Run: "No One Is Alone"]

1987 Broadway Production

Opened November 5, 1987 at the Martin Beck Theatre
Closed September 3, 1989; Ran for 764 performances and 43 previews
Produced by Heidi Landesman, Rocco Landesman, Rick Steiner, M. Anthony Fisher, Frederic H. Mayerson, and Jujamcyn Theaters
Executive Producer: Michael David
Associate Producers: Greg C. Mosher, Paula Fisher, David B. Brode, The Mutual Benefit Companies / Fifth Avenue Productions
Directed by James Lapine
Settings Designed by Tony Straiges
Lighting by Richard Nelson
Costumes by Ann Hould-Ward
Costumes based on original concepts by Patricia Zipprodt and Ann Hould-Ward
Magic Consultant: Charles Reynolds
Sound by Alan Stieb and James Brousseau
Hair Design by Phyllis Della Illien
Casting by Joanna Merlin
General Management: David Strong Warner, Inc.
Musical Staging by Lar Lubovitch
Musical Direction by Paul Gemignani
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick

Cast

Narrator / Mysterious Man - Tom Aldredge
Cinderella - Kim Crosby
Jack - Ben Wright
Baker - Chip Zien
Baker's Wife - Joanna Gleason
Cinderella's Stepmother - Joy Franz
Florinda - Kay McClelland
Lucinda - Lauren Mitchell
Jack's Mother - Barbara Bryne
Little Red Ridinghood - Danielle Ferland
Witch -Bernadette Peters
Cinderella's Father - Edmund Lyndeck
Cinderella's Mother / Grandmother / Giant -Merle Louise
Wolf / Cinderella's Prince -Robert Westenberg
Rapunzel - Pamela Winslow
Rapunzel's Prince - Chuck Wagner
Steward - Philip Hoffman
Snow White - Jean Kelly
Sleeping Beauty - Maureen Davis

Songs

Act One

  • "Prologue: Into the Woods" - Narrator and Company
  • "Cinderella at the Grave" - Cinderella and Cinderella's Mother
  • "Hello, Little Girl" - Wolf and Little Red Ridinghood
  • "I Guess This Is Goodbye" - Jack
  • "Maybe They're Magic" - Baker and Baker's Wife
  • "I Know Things Now" - Little Red Ridinghood
  • "A Very Nice Prince" - Cinderella and Baker's Wife
  • "First Midnight" - Company
  • "Giants in the Sky" - Jack
  • "Agony" - Cinderella's Prince and Rapunzel's Prince
  • "It Takes Two" - Baker's Wife and Baker
  • "Stay With Me" - Witch and Rapunzel
  • "On the Steps of the Palace" - Cinderella
  • "Ever After" - Narrator and Company

Act Two

  • "Prologue: So Happy" - Narrator and Company
  • "Agony" (reprise) - Cinderella's Prince and Rapunzel's Prince
  • "Lament" - Witch
  • "Any Moment" - Cinderella's Prince and Baker's Wife
  • "Moments in the Woods" - Baker's Wife
  • "Your Fault" - Baker, Jack, Little Red Ridinghood, Witch, Cinderella
  • "Last Midnight" - Witch
  • "No More" - Baker and Mysterious Man
  • "No One Is Alone" - Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood, Baker, Jack
  • "Finale: Children Will Listen" - Witch and Company

Cast Changes

  • Witch
    • Phylicia Rashad, 4/14/88
    • Betsy Joslyn, 7/5/88
    • Nancy Dussault, 12/13/88
    • Bernadette Peters, 5/23/89
    • Nancy Dussault, 5/27/89
    • Ellen Foley, 8/1/89
  • Baker's Wife
    • Lauren Mitchell, 6/28/88
    • Kay McClelland (alternate), 6/28/88
    • Mary Gordon Murray, 7/19/88
    • Cynthia Sikes, 11/15/88
    • Joanna Gleason, 5/23/89
    • Kay McClelland, 5/27/89
  • Narrator
    • Dick Cavett, 7/19/88
    • Tom Aldredge, 9/13/88
  • Mysterious Man
    • Edmund Lyndeck, 7/19/88
    • Tom Aldredge, 9/13/88
  • Jack
    • Jeff Blumenkrantz
    • Ben Wright
  • Little Red Ridinghood
    • LuAnne Ponce, 9/20/88
  • Cinderella
    • Patricia Ben Peterson
  • Rapunzel
    • Marin Mazzie, 3/7/89
  • Rapunzel's Prince
    • Dean Butler, 3/7/89
    • Don Goodspeed
  • Florinda
    • Susan Gordon-Clark
  • Lucinda
    • Teresa Burrell
  • Steward
    • Adam Grupper
  • Snow White
    • Heather Shulman
    • Cindy Robinson

Tony Awards

  • Best Score Stephen Sondheim
  • Best Book James Lapine
  • Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason)

Drama Desk Awards

  • Best Musical
  • Best Lyrics Stephen Sondheim
  • Best Book for a Musical James Lapine
  • Featured Actor in a Musical Robert Westenberg
  • Featured Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason)

Other:

  • New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical

Recordings

Into the Woods - Original Cast Recording
Produced by Jay David Saks
Engineers: Paul Goodman and Anthony Salvatore
Recorded November 9 and 10, 1987
at RCA's Studio A, New York City
Liner notes and synopsis by Sheryl Flatow
Lyrics included

  • Double LP, 1987 [RCA 6796-1-RC9]
  • Compact Disc, 1987 [RCA 6796-2-RC] (69:20 mins.)
  • Cassette, 1987 [RCA 6796-4-RC9]
  • Digital Compact Cassette, 19?? [RCA 09026-56796-5]

Grammy Award winner for Best Original Cast Show Album

1988 National Touring Company

Tour began on November 22, 1988

Witch - Cleo Laine [replaced by Betsy Joslyn in May 1989]
Baker - Ray Gill [replaced by Marcus Olson, then Adam Grupper]
Baker's Wife - Mary Gordon Murray [replaced by Judy McLane]
Narrator / Mysterious Man - Rex Robbins [replaced by Peter Walker]
Cinderella - Kathleen Rowe McAllen [replaced by Jill Geddes in March 1989, then Patricia Ben Peterson]
Wolf / Cinderella's Prince - Chuck Wagner [replaced by James Weatherstone]
Jack - Robert Duncan McNeill [replaced by Kevin R. Wright]
Jack's Mother - Charlotte Rae [replaced by Nora Mae Lyng in May 1989, then Frances Ford]
Little Red Ridinghood - Tracy Katz
Rapunzel - Marguerite Lowell [replaced by Gay Willis]
Rapunzel's Prince - Douglas Sills [replaced by Jonathan Hadley]
Cinderella's Stepmother - Jo Ann Cunningham [replaced by Joy Franz]
Florinda - Susan Gordon-Clark [replaced by Anne Rickenbacher]
Lucinda - Danette Cuming
Cinderella's Father - Don Crosby
Cinderella's Mother - Nora Mae Lyng [replaced by Barbara Passolt]
Grandmother / Giant - Nora Mae Lyng [replaced by Barbara Marineau]
Steward - Marcus Olson [replaced by Stuart Zagnit, then Daniel Neiden]

1990 London Production

Opened September 25, 1990 at the Phoenix Theatre
Closed February 23, 1991; Ran for 197 performances
Produced by David Mirvish
General Manager: Andrew Leigh
Directed by Richard Jones
Set by Richard Hudson
Costumes by Sue Blane
Choreography by Anthony Van Laast
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Musical Director: Peter Stanger
Musical Supervisor: Martin Koch
Lighting by Pat Collins
Magic by Kovari
Sound by Andrew Bruce

Cast

Narrator - Nicholas Parsons
Cinderella - Jacqueline Dankworth
Jack - Richard Dempsey
Baker - Ian Bartholomew
Baker's Wife - Imelda Staunton
Cinderella's Stepmother - Ann Howard
Florinda - Elizabeth Brice
Lucinda - Liza Sadovy
Jack's Mother - Patsy Rowlands
Little Red Ridinghood - Tessa Burbridge
Witch - Julia McKenzie
Cinderella's Father, Mysterious Man - John Rogan
Cinderella's Mother, Grandmother, Giant - Eunice Gayson
Wolf, Cinderella's Prince - Clive Carter
Rapunzel - Mary Lincoln
Rapunzel's Prince - Mark Tinkler
Steward - Peter Ledbury
Snow White, Harp - Megan Kelly
Sleeping Beauty - Kate Arneil

Songs

[Identical to the Broadway Production, but adds new song "Our Little World" (sung by Witch and Rapunzel) after "Maybe They're Magic"]

Lawrence Olivier Awards

  • Best Director of s Musical (Richard Jones)
  • Best Actress in a Musical (Imelda Staunton)

Recording

Into the Woods - Original London Cast Recording
Produced by John A. Yap
Engineer: John Kurlander
Digitally recorded January 14 - 16, 1991
at CTS Studios, Wembley UK
Liner notes by Michael Ratcliffe

  • US Compact Disc, 1991 [RCA 60752-2-RC] (71:41 mins.)
  • US Cassette, 1991 [RCA 60752-4-RC]
1991 Television Version

Taped in May, 1989 at a performance of the original Broadway cast,
with additional taping done in an empty theatre.
Brodcast March 20, 1991 on PBS's "American Playhouse"
A Michael Brandman Production
Producer: Iris Merlis
Executive Producer: Michael Brandman
Directed by James Lapine
Musical Director and Conductor: Paul Gemignani
Television Lighting by Richard Nelson and Danny Franks
Settings Designed by Tony Straiges
Costumes by Ann Hould-Ward
Costumes based on original concepts by Patricia Zipprodt and Ann Hould-Ward
Musical Staging by Lar Lubovitch
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Executive in charge of production: Greg Sills

Cast and songs

[same as the Broadway Production]

Video Recording

  • Videotape [VHS], 1991
  • Laserdisc, 1991 [Image ID8285MB] (152 mins.)
  • Videotape [VHS] (remastered), 1995 [Image 3119MB]
  • Laserdisc (remastered), 1996 [Image ID8285MB]
  • DVD, 1998 [Image]
  • DVD, 2003 [Image] (The Stephen Sondheim Collection; 6-disc boxed set)

2002 Los Angeles Production

Previews begin on February 1, 2002 at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles
Opened February 10, 2002 and closed March 24, 2002
Produced by Dodger Theatricals, Stage Holding and TheatreDreams
Directed by James Lapine
Choreography by John Carrafa
Set Design by Douglas W. Schmidt
Costume Design by Susan Hilferty
Lighting by Brian MacDevitt
Sound Designer: Dan Moses Schreier
Special effects by Gregory Meeh
Projections by Elaine J. McCarthy
Illusions by Jim Steinmeyer
Production supervisor Beverley Randolph
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Musical Director: Paul Gemignani

Cast

Witch - Vanessa Williams
Narrator / Mysterious Man - John McMartin
Cinderella / Cinderella's Mother - Laura Benanti
Cinderella's Prince / Wolf - Gregg Edelman
Rapunzel - Melissa Dye
Rapunzel's Prince / Wolf - Christopher Seiber
Baker - Stephen DeRosa
Baker's Wife - Kerry O'Malley
Jack - Adam Wylie
Jack's Mother - Mary Louise Burke
Little Red Riding Hood - Molly V. Ephraim
Cinderella's Stepmother / Granny - Pamela Myers
Florinda - Tracy Nicole Chapman
Lucinda - Amanda Naughton
Cinderella's Father - Dennis Kelly
Steward - Trent Armand Kendall
Snow White - Kate Reinders
Sleeping Beauty - Jennifer Malenke
Milky White / Horse - Chad Kimball / Jennifer Malenke
Ensemble - Adam Brazier, Chad Kimball, Linda Muggleston, Stephen Berger

Songs

[Refer to the 2002 Broadway Revival Production]

2002 Broadway Revival Production

Based on the 2002 Los Angeles Production

Previews began April 13, 2002
Opened April 30, 2002 at the Broadhurst Theatre
Closed December 29, 2002; Ran for 18 previews and 279 regular performances
Produced by Dodger Theatricals, Stage Holding/Joop van den Ende and TheatreDreams/AEG Live
Directed by James Lapine
Choreography by John Carrafa
Musical Direction: Paul Gemignani
Scenic Design by Douglas W. Schmidt
Costume Design by Susan Hilferty
Lighting Design by Brian MacDevitt
Sound Design by Dan Moses Schreier
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Special Effects by Gregory Meeh
Projection Design by Elaine J. McCarthy
Illusion Design by Jim Steinmeyer
Production Supervisor: Beverley Randolph
Fight Director: Rick Sordelet

Cast

Witch - Vanessa Williams [replaced by Linda Mugleston on December 24, 2002]
Narrator / Mysterious Man - John McMartin
Cinderella - Laura Benanti [replaced by Erin Dilly on November 16, 2002]
Cinderella's Prince / Wolf - Gregg Edelman
Rapunzel - Melissa Dye [replaced by Danielle Huben]
Rapunzel's Prince / Wolf - Christopher Seiber
Baker - Stephen DeRosa
Baker's Wife - Kerry O'Malley
Jack - Adam Wylie
Jack's Mother - Mary Louise Burke [replaced by Nora Mae Lyng]
Milky-White - Chad Kimball
Little Red Ridinghood - Molly Ephraim
Cinderella's Stepmother / Granny - Pamela Myers [replaced by Joy Franz]
Florinda - Tracy Nicole Chapman
Lucinda - Amanda Naughton
Cinderella's Father - Dennis Kelly
Steward - Trent Armand Kendall
Horse - Jennifer Malenke
Voice of the Giant's Wife [pre-recorded] - Judi Dench

Songs

Act One

  • "Prologue: Into the Woods" - Company
  • "Cinderella at the Grave" - Cinderella, Cinderella's Mother *
  • "Hello, Little Girl" - Wolves, Little Red Ridinghood
  • "I Guess This Is Goodbye" - Jack
  • "Maybe They're Magic" - Baker's Wife
  • "Our Little World" - Witch, Rapunzel
  • "I Know Things Now" - Little Red Ridinghood
  • "A Very Nice Prince" - Cinderella, Baker's Wife
  • "First Midnight" - Company *
  • "Giants in the Sky" - Jack
  • "Agony" - Cinderella's Prince, Rapunzel's Prince
  • "It Takes Two" - Baker's Wife, Baker
  • "Stay With Me" - Witch
  • "On the Steps of the Palace" - Cinderella
  • "Ever After" - Narrator, Company

Act Two

  • "Prologue: So Happy" - Company
  • "Agony" (reprise) - Cinderella's Prince, Rapunzel's Prince
  • "Lament" - Witch
  • "Any Moment" - Cinderella's Prince, Baker's Wife
  • "Moments in the Woods" - Baker's Wife
  • "Your Fault" - Jack, Baker, Witch, Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood
  • "Last Midnight" - Witch
  • "No More" - Baker, Mysterious Man
  • "No One Is Alone" - Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood, Baker, Jack
  • "Finale: Children Will Listen" - Witch, Company

* Note: These selections were not listed in the playbill.

[Lyrical changes were made to Last Midnight, Giants In The Sky, Hello, Little Girl and On The Steps of The Palace.]

Recording

Vanessa Williams and John McMartin in Into the Woods          
Recording Produced by Steve Epstein
Engineered by Todd Whitelock
Editing Engineer: Robert Wolff
Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz
Recorded May 6, 2002 at Right Track Recording, NYC
Synopsis by Frank Dwyer

  • Compact Disc, 2002 [Nonesuch 79686-2]
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