Written by: James Lapine
Music & Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Directed by: Rob Marshall
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Huttlestone, Meryl Streep, Tracey Ullman, Lilla Crawford, James Corden, Emily Blunt
Synopsis: The wicked witch from the story Rapunzel visits The Baker & his Wife, telling them that she will lift the curse upon their house if they will gather 4 items in 3 days time. The couple, desperate for a child, head off into the woods to collect the items that will lift the curse that keeps them from conceiving.
Based on the Broadway play by James Lapine & Stephen Sondheim, with a star studded cast, comes Disney’s Into the Woods. The story is a mash up of fairy tales with a bit of a cheeky edge, though slightly tamer than the stage play (come on, it’s Disney).
Die hard fans of the stage version will be happy to know that the movie held true, with very little changed, save for a wolf sans a certain unsavory prop, and a single song cut for time. Though a few had reservations about Meryl Streep playing the role of The Wicked Witch, a role most notably held by Broadway legend Bernadette Peters, Streep’s performance was exceptional.
In fact, the whole movie was perfectly cast for the big screen, with no single character unable to hold their own vocally; unlike a few other recent musicals made into big screen flicks which favored big names over musical talent.
All in all, I can honestly say I believe Into the Woods is one of the best stage to screen adaptations, and worth the price of admission. Opening Christmas Day.