Final Post: INTO THE WOODS!!!!!

  THIS IS ABSOLUTELY MY FAVORITE MUSICAL EVER!  Into the Woods is a remarkable journey through favorite fairytales of childhood.  From Rapunzel to Little Red Riding Hood this musical takes you into the woods for fun, singing, comedy, and drama!  Into the Woods is a musical that will have people young and old in gut splitting laughter as well as sorrowful crying.
  This musical debuted in San Diego in 1986.  The cast traveled to Broadway for their 1987 debut in New York where former cast mates LuAnne Ponce (Little Red Ridinghood) was replaced by Danielle Ferland, Ellen Foley (the Witch) was replaced with the LEGENDARY, PHENOMINAL, AMAZING, ZANY, BRILLIANT, THE BEST ACTRESS FOR MUSICALS EVER...BERNADETTE PETERS!



  Also joined by the famous Chip Zien (the Baker) and Joanna Gleason (Baker's wife).  Robert Westenberg (Wolf and Cinderella's Prince), Tom Alderidge (Narrator and Mysterious Old Man), Pamela Winslow (Rapunzel), Chuck Wagner (Rapunzel's Prince), Merle Louise (Granny, Giant's voice, and Cinderella's Mother), Ben Wright (Jack), and Kim Crosby (Cinderella) were also AMAZING people working in this show.

  (Picture is Bernadette Peters aka the Witch screaming, "The giant's a woman!")

  The story opens with the Narrator and his signature line "Once upon a time..." leading into four characters all with wishes.  Cinderella-go to the King's festival, Jack- cow give some milk, Baker and his wife- a child.  The Witch (Bernadette Peters) explains to the Baker and his wife that she placed a spell upon them as revenge for his father stealing "magic" beans from her when the Baker was a little child.  To reverse the curse they must find four ingredients: The cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, the slipper as pure as gold.  They must get them to the witch before the time of midnight in three days time and she will reverse her curse.  This brings us into the whacky plot of the play when all the characters bump into one another in the woods!
  The songs and music of Stephen Sondheim in this play are terrific!  Some of my personal favorites are: Stay With Me, Ever After, It Takes Two, Lament, On the Steps of the Palace, and Your Fault/Last Midnight!  Bernadette and her cast mates will blow you away with their brilliant singing and amazing character!  For your enjoyment, here is Your Fault/ Last Midnight!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gye0nO_efqI
  I sincerely hope you have enjoyed my blog!  And I wish with all my heart that you check out Into the Woods for the greatest musical experience of your life!  Trust me, you'll go into the woods and you'll never want to leave! 

Annie

  Annie is a timeless treasure in the musical world!  With the sweet little orphan with the curly red hair you cannot go wrong!  Nothing could ever take its title as one of the best musicals of all time!  It won a Tony Award fir best musical and claimed the stage for six years.  Starting in 1977 this musical touched the hearts of people young and old.  Though i have never seen the stage production I fell in love with the musical movie! 
  We open on the Hudson Street Home for Girls in New York City.  It's the time of the Great Depression and people are desperate for money.  Annie (Aileen Quinn) has been hoping for years that her real parents will come take her home and away from the sinister care giver Ms. Hannigan (Carol Burnett).  When her life is turned upside down by the secretary (Ann Reinking) to Oliver Warbucks (Albert Finney) she begins an adventure in the life of a billionare.  However when Ms. Hannigan's younger brother Rooster (Tim Curry) and his ditzy blonde girlfriend Lily St.Regis (Bernadette Peters!  My personal favorite musical actress) find out about Warbucks wanting to adopt Annie a plan comes into being. 
  The fabulous acting techniques of these performers only make this musical more of a precious jewel than ever before!  Bernadette Peters is phenominal in the role of Lily St. Regis, the goofy blonde with hardly any IQ points and a quick hand at pick pocketing, who keeps you giggling every time she is on screen.  Alieen Quinn will touch your heart with her performance as adorable orphan Annie.  Albert Finney will hook you to his character from the moment you meet him, Mr. Warbucks is not as mean as he seems.  Rooster played by Tim Curry will be a villain you love to hate or if you're different, love to love him.  Carol Burnett is the toast of this musical as the hilarious yet sinister Ms. Hannigan!  She will make you laugh ever time you see her on screen! 
  Some of the most notable musical numbers include: Hard Knock Life, Tomorrow, and my personal favorite: Easy Street!  These tunes and more will keep your foot tapping from start to finish.  Here's an example of the fun.  This is Easy Street as sung by Tim Curry, Carol Burnett, and Bernadette Peters!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzSSiMa29AE

  As I said before, Annie is a delight from start to finish.  If you have not yet seen it, you have not lived!  Look for my next post and you'll be welcomed to the 60's!