Into the Woods and the Big World

Maya and I walked as fast as our legs could take us down crowded NYC streets until the brisk walk turned into a run on the final blocks. Frantic to get to St. James Theatre to see if we could somehow correct the error that led us to this desperate situation. Just an hour earlier I had gone to pull up our mobile tickets to Into the Woods and my heart sank like a ton of bricks when I read the SeatGeek email subject line, “Just a sec! We were unable to process your order”. I’m still not exactly sure what happened because I definitely saw the success, your order is complete line when I initially purchased the tickets. I think it was a failure to verify my email in time but whatever the reason, I panicked and immediately called the customer service line. Heat racing, fingers shaking to see if there was any way to save ourselves from this impending doom. I was told there was no way to fix this. The only thing to do is to purchase new tickets. Ok, will do, but then there were only four tickets left and as I went to purchase the two left in the balcony and in our price range, there was suddenly only one of those left, then none. In the blink of an eye, there were only two left in the orchestra. We ran out the door to head there in person and see what could be done. Once we arrived, the show was completely sold out and starting in moments. We were told we could wait in line behind four others who were all hoping for the last two non-listed seats adjacent to the reasonable accommodation seats or at least I think that’s what she said. My head was spinning and I was just trying not to make a complete fool out of myself because believe me I felt it coming. We went outside where we were directed and watched as all the last official audience members arrived. Maya was so sweet, asking me if I wanted her to check any other show availability as a backup while we waited. Maybe Hadestown? We walked back in and the kind box office agents told us the only thing they could do for us was to sell us the last two standing only tickets. They reminded us that the show was three hours long and we would be standing the entire show, that if the show starts before we make it inside we will be brought in at first chance, they recommend we buy a drink if we have to wait or some other stuff like that. It was kind of a blur but I know I said yes before asking how much the tickets were and then I realized and asked the question, to which they answered 43 dollars, maybe 43 and change, again, it was kind of a blur. At this news I nearly lost it, I had to stop myself from cracking up. Did we just score two tickets to see Into the Woods on Broadway, starring my favorite singer, Sara Bareilles as the Baker’s wife on her final week for 43 dollars? I mean, I swear at this moment I felt like there was a Wishing Tree/Cinderella Mother that hooked us up or was I actually dreaming this. As we got taken to the doors to get into the theatre we still weren’t clear where the standing spot would be but just before entering they whispered and then pointed to the spot as they ushered us in and I seriously lost my breath for a second because next thing we knew we were belly up to the last row of the orchestra. Last row of orchestra in a small theater. Like a dream, we were on cloud nine. I was feeling very giddy and I hadn’t even tasted my ‘A Moment In The Woods’ cocktail yet.

This show is pure magic. I’ve written about Into the Woods before and my love for it and all things Stephen Sondheim. I’ve written probably way too many times about Sara Bareilles and her work, and my obsession with Waitress. My longest blogpost is the one I did about Waitress. https://www.jukeboxjournal.com/movies-and-musical-theatre/blog-post-title-four-spzmp

I’m not saying that as a flex, I know I should have edited more on that one but it’s just too hard when you love it that much. This was definitely going to be a special night no matter what now that we made it through the doors. I wasn’t emotionally prepared for how the music was speaking directly to me on this day. Isn’t that the beauty and part of the magic of Broadway and live theatre? Telling our stories and showing us new ones. Shedding light on things we need to see, or to be seen ourselves, giving us words and space to heal. The themes of Into the Woods just hit me so hard on this special day. For this was the day before I would move my daughter into her college dorm. We came all the way from California to the big city, the city of all cities, New York City so that our baby girl could start her next big adventure. So proud and so excited along with so many other emotions and the Sondheim lyrics just cut into my heart and the lump in my throat couldn’t contain the tears very long. I watched in awe as these beautiful performers laid this story out on a magical stage for us. When I say beautiful performers, I mean, wow, this was quite the cast to see. We have Annie Golden as Cinderella’s Mother/Granny/Giant, who you most likely know as Norma on Orange is the New Black. If you only remember her as a mute in prison please do yourself a favor and listen to her on the first album of the 1970s rock band, The Shirts. If you found this because you’re a musical fan you’ve seen her as Jeannie in Hair or any other of her credits. Cole Thompson has his Broadway debut as the loyal Jack. His voice is beautiful and it was a treat to witness him in this role singing one of my very favorite Broadway musical songs, “Giants in the Sky”. This song holds so many sweet memories for me. I used to love singing this to my kids as I swept the floors, switching from Jack to the Giant in our world of make believe. We can’t talk about Jack without mentioning his Milky White. What a sweet, expressive cow created from corrugated cardboard Milky White pulls at your heartstrings while Kennedy Kanagawa pulls at her strings. Actually, they’re more like handles than actual puppet strings but you get it. Kanagawa dances Milky to life throughout the production and it is amazing. Julia Lester played the role of Little Red Ridinghood. I first fell in love with her as she performed “Wondering” as Ashlyn alongside Olivia Rodrigo as Nini on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Lester stole that scene, she is incredible and I was so excited to follow and see what came next. How wonderful for us that it was this role.  As Little Red she is feisty more than the usual bratty granddaughter we might be used to, more mature while still owning that comedic character we so love. Fun and flirty, powerful and confident and all that you could hope for. So nostalgic to hear that song in the St. James Theatre as I watched next to my daughter who would not be flying home with me. Picturing the little girl, my little girl, who practiced that very song over and over preparing for small theatre auditions years ago and now here she was just as Lester, a young, confident, powerful, comedic, fun and flirty young woman ready to leave me and skip off into the woods of her next four years. Joshua Henry who plays Rapunzel’s prince is just utterly amazing with his larger than life voice and persona. Having previously played Aaron Burr in Hamilton and Billy Bigelow in Carousel just to name a few, he has more than proven he is a versatile talent but it’s his Instagram presence that turned me into an even bigger fan. Henry is creative, candid, motivational and hilarious. If you haven’t yet given him a follow, you really must get on it. Check out his ‘Sondheim Stairwell Sessions’ and get back to me to thank me later. Some Broadway fans crossover in popularity and don’t need an introduction or description from someone like me. That is true for the trio that is Gavin Creel, Phillipa Soo and Brian d’Arcy James, I mean seriously if you don’t already know them, where have you been? Creel plays Cinderella’s Prince and The Wolf, however on our night we watched Jason Forbach play this fun part. Such a great job, we were so impressed and happy for him to get that spot. Sometimes as fans we feel disappointment when we hear that there will be an understudy stepping in on the night we will be in the audience but there is something special about being there for the understudies and swings and following as they come up or just knowing how exciting it is. “Agony” with Forbach and Henry did not disappoint, comedic gold, so much fun. Soo is so graceful as we are used to but then she’s crazy funny with her physical comedy and acrobatic clumsiness of a character. What a voice, what a star. Scared to tell my younger daughters I saw “Eliza” play Cinderella. D’Arcy James played the Baker and it was so special to finally see him live. Something Rotten was one of my oldest daughter Isabel's favorite shows and between that one and Shrek the Musical, I feel like he was part of our family. We must have watched Shrek the Musical hundreds of times on Netflix and we all got a kick out of seeing him as Officer Krupke in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. d’Arcy is lovable and fun as the Baker, his voice we already knew was amazing but I really felt so lucky to have had the opportunity to hear it in the same room and see him on stage. Miller was spectacular as the Witch. From the start with “The Witch’s Rap” to her sparkling transformation into a stunning power pantsuit, she killed it the whole way through. She belts and then comes down with tenderness and angst all in one song as she sings “Stay With Me”. Of course, I was overjoyed to see Sara Bareilles as Baker’s Wife. I wanted to get there so badly before she hung up the vest. I loved her performance so very much, it was everything I hoped for and more. A full circle moment to see her as a baker and now a baker’s wife.  A full circle moment to take my Little Red to see The Little Red on Broadway.

“Cinderella at the Grave”

A daughter talking to her mother, asking for guidance from afar.

“I Know Things Now”

A girl alone in the woods, recounting her mother’s advice to go, “straight ahead, not to delay or be misled”.

“Giants in the Sky”

Jack after discovering a new world, like big, tall, terrible, awesome, scary, wonderful giants in the “skyscrapers”

“When you’re way up high and you look below at the world you’ve left and the things you know, little more than a glance is enough to show you just how small you are”

“There are giants in the sky, there are big, tall, terrible, awesome, scary, wonderful giants in the sky”.

“Stay With Me”

Daughter and Mother pushing and pulling. Daughter is growing and stretching. Mother is begging and resisting.

“Lament”

Mother to child, guilt, worry, reality, acceptance

“No More”

Father/Son, giving up on intangible, unrealistic expectations, shutting doors, closing chapters, moving on

“No One Is Alone”

Surrogate, Step, Chosen parent, consolation or unconditional, “You decide what’s good….Only me beside you, still you’re not alone….Sometimes people leave you halfway through the wood.”

“Children Will Listen”

Friends, family, neighbors, strangers giving advice to a new parent, parent to be, parents to their children.

“Sometimes people leave you halfway through the wood. Do not let it grieve you, no one leaves for good. You are not alone. No one is alone.”

“Careful the things you say, children will listen.

Careful the things you do, children will see.

And learn.

Children may not obey, but children will listen.

Children will look to you for which way to turn, to learn what to be.

Careful before you say, “Listen to me”.

Children will listen.

Careful the wish you make, wishes are children.

Careful the path they take, wishes come true, not free.

Careful the spell you cast, not just on children.

Sometimes the spell may last, past what you see 

And turn against you…

Careful the tale you tell.

That is the spell.

Children will listen…