Broadway: Into the Woods

Taking a stroll into Broadway’s most buzzed-about show this season: the new revival of Into the Woods.

This was quite an unexpected and unplanned show for me, but since I was in NYC and I had one night free where I had no tickets, I knew I would regret not taking the chance to do so. A dear friend was helping me decide what I should try for and suggested Into the Woods, as a fan of the show herself. I admittedly didn’t know much about Into the Woods, so I got to go into it completely blind, and it turned out to be a wonderful surprise.

I really enjoyed this production overall, and I liked how it was done in a minimalist style, with just enough to guide the imagination as an audience member. It was absolutely set up for success with a stacked cast of stars under the name of Sondheim, so it had good backing to begin with. However, as with any time I go to see a show, I really try to watch it objectively, and not give things a free pass because of name association.

First, I loved seeing Sara Bareilles live in this show and her chemistry with Jason Forbach (who was on for the baker that night) was so lively it made the show very enjoyable. I have wanted to see Bareilles live for a long time, and I was so glad I got to see her as the Baker’s wife. I think she did a really nice job balancing the comedic timing of the Baker’s Wife and, of course, her voice lends beautifully to the role. Forbach was also excellent as the Baker. He also had great comedic timing and overall I really enjoyed his performance.

I will admit, I was a little star-struck getting to see Phillipa Soo live, after following her for many years following her Hamilton debut. She was an absolutely charming Cinderella, and her “On the Steps of the Palace” and “No One is Alone” were two of my favorite numbers in the show. I loved getting to see her chemistry with Gavin Creel and the rest of the cast, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to see her in this role.

Julia Lester (Little Red) and Cole Thompson (Jack) both gave standout performances, Lester with her self-aware little Red and Thompson with his comedic timing as Jack. It was so fun getting to see Lester on stage and I think she was perfectly cut out for this role. I am familiar with her work from Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, but it was fun getting to see her dig deeper into a role that is more classic and theatrical. Of course, she and Gavin Creel play wonderfully off each other as Little Red and the Wolf. Thompson also added a dymic comedic element in his interactions with the beloved Milky White. His rendition of “Giants in the Sky” was a standout moment in the show.

We can’t talk about this production without talking about the show’s star, Cameron Johnson, who was on for Milky White. I was really amazed by the use of the Milky White puppet in this production and how much it added to the character and emotion of this production. I would not have guessed that it would have affected so many people and I thought people were kind of making it a meme that Milky White was the star of the show but the puppetry was fantastic and I think the use of this puppet in particular was on the nose. Johnson did a wonderful job with Milky White as well, and I think Milky White might have been one of my favorite parts of the show.

I really enjoyed the rest of the puppetry used in this show. I typically am quite apathetic towards puppetry, but it has recently been growing on me. I really loved the puppetry behind some of the other smaller puppets and the Giant’s shoes. This production says a lot with very minimal sets and puppet pieces and I think it holds testament to how strong the book and talent is on stage.

If you’re in the NYC area, I recommend checking this production out! Catch Into the Woods for a limited time at the St. James Theater.