Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” has been one of my favorite musicals ever since I saw it as a school play during my grade school days. Since then I have avidly watched and re-watched the 1991 Into the Woods starring Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, etc… It is an unusual combination of icons of the fairy tale world, starring Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), Cinderella, and bringing traditional figures from fairy tales like an evil witch, a quest for specific objects, a damsel in distress and of course Charming princes. It pokes sly fun at the archetypal Prince Charming (memorably telling Cinderella, “I was raised to be charming, not sincere”) and the Wicked Witch (who is herself under a curse). Sondheim’s brilliant lyrics evoke a discussion about the relative morality in fairy tales and of course, a powerful look at parent-child relationships.
Into the Woods 2014
Hollywood has had a trend of turning famous musicals into movies, but one of the best was 2004’s Phantom of the Opera, starring unknown singers Emmy Rossum (Day After Tomorrow, Mystic River), Gerard Butler (300, Olympus has fallen) and Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, Insidious). Unfortunately, instead of taking a page from the success of Phantom, the newest version of Into the Woods yields to cinematic pressure (similarly to the 2012 Les Miserables debacle of casting Russell Crowe as Javert) by casting almost exclusively famous actors, possibly for their fame rather than their powerful voices. Starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, Johnny Depp and Chris Pine, many of the songs lose their vitality in this new version. In particular, Johnny Depp’s weak rendition of “Hello Little Girl” (where he whispers words that are supposed to be sung outside of his range) and Chris Pine/Billy Magnussen’s “Agony” are disappointing though it is sung to brilliant comic effect for their overacting. Additionally, the casting of James Corden as the Baker, the lead role, was unfortunate – though he can reach all the notes required, his voice lacks the strength to accurately portray the Baker’s desperation and newfound strength following the death of his wife. I would have preferred a stronger singer as the leading man, though he does play the uncertain bumbling Baker quite well.
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