Into the Woods
Into the Woods
#0Into the Woods
Posted: 8/24/05 at 10:25pmWhich production of Into the Woods was better the original or revival. The original had a stronger cast but from the recordings it seems the revival is better and I wanted some opions. (also why was John McMartian nominated for playing the narrator/mysterious man as best actor in a musical)?
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"I am sorry but it is an unjust world and virtue is only triumphant in theatricle performances" The Mikado
"I am sorry but it is an unjust world and virtue is only triumphant in theatricle performances" The Mikado
#1re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/24/05 at 10:26pmnever saw the original though i love it's recording. as for the physical production it seems to me that the revival was superior.
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#2re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:34pm
I love my ITW dvd so much! I must've seen it almost every night this summer. But I kind of prefer the revival cd. Never saw ITW live on stage. 
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Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#3re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:39pm
original... in my personal opinion. But I'm only going from clips of the revival, and the video recording of ITW original. I think the singers were much more talented in the original, though I do like Chris Sieber.
--korenglish
#4re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:45pm
The original IMO.
While there are some things I like better in the revival... they don't weigh out what I like about the original. So I say the OBC :)
"You just have to do what your voice tells you to do." -Linda Eder
BwayBaby18
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/19/05
#5re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:47pm
I like them both...the thing is they are both very diffrent in production
The Revival was flashy and cartoonish
The originial purely told the story adn relied on it's cast not the special effects
#6re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 1:16amDefinitely the original (though I only saw the DVD). I saw the revival and thought the casting was very poor..... Vanessa Williams was terrible - but who could be better than Bernadette? I saw the original London production too and it had VERY odd staging but was wonderfully performed.
"Your eyes..... they shine like the pants on my blue serge suit"
#8re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 1:29amI too like the original...but they are really different and I almost think they can't be compared...
***It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.
-- William Shakespeare***
bjivie2
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/04
#9re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 1:31amThey can totally be compared. The original is better without a doubt. Every aspect of that show was better, especially the recording. The only thing that comes CLOSE to as good as the original is Laura Benanti.
Eeeeeeyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaannnnnddddd aaaaaaaiiiiiiiiyyyyyyaaaaaammmmmmmm teeeeeeeelllllliiiiiinnngg yyyyooooooouuuuuuuwwwaaaahh...
#10re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 1:34amI just think that the masterminds behind the revival tried hard to change the aspects of the show. They can be compared...anything can be compared....but I think the creators weren't trying to better or equal the original, just tell it a new way.
***It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.
-- William Shakespeare***
#11re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 1:35amwell, I liked Vanessa's singing but (I hate to say this, cause I am not a big fan of her but) Peters did better acting. I must say that i loved the cow in the revial. Probably the best thing about the revial. and Chirs Sieber (when i saw it on Broadway) was incredible! Loved seeing it. Loved Joanna as baker's wife and Chip Zien as Baker. so, i really like both. lol.
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bjivie2
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/04
#12re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 1:40amOh come one, waytospendtheday. Yeah, they were different productions, but they can still be compared. The revival didn't have the spark oif the original in any way. It just wasn't as good, imo.
Eeeeeeyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaannnnnddddd aaaaaaaiiiiiiiiyyyyyyaaaaaammmmmmmm teeeeeeeelllllliiiiiinnngg yyyyooooooouuuuuuuwwwaaaahh...
#13re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 1:48am
bjivie2, I agree, I love the original so much better than the revival. I was just thinking about how it changed more than most revivals do...maybe its just me. I just find the revival much more cartoonish, as others said, it's just not up to par with the first--there you go, I'm comparing......lol. I guess what I should have said originally was that I don't WANT to compare them because I think the original had a much lesser production level. The creators just took a completely different route the second time around and thus the shows are not, in my opinion, able to be compared the SAME WAY other revivals can be.......just my opinion. =)
*Sorry if none of that makes sense...it's almost two in the morning...lol
***It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.
-- William Shakespeare***
bjivie2
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/04
#14re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 1:53amNo, I understand. In my opinion, that's what should happen with EVERY show. Revivals should be new takes on shows, not just stale replicas of old ones. So what if you hit-and-miss? When you hit it will be much more exciting than if you recreate something. That's why I'm so excited for the Sweeney revival.
Eeeeeeyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaannnnnddddd aaaaaaaiiiiiiiiyyyyyyaaaaaammmmmmmm teeeeeeeelllllliiiiiinnngg yyyyooooooouuuuuuuwwwaaaahh...
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
eatlasagna
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/6/04
#16re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 3:16am
the original for me... things i didn't like about the revival:
1) the addition of a second wolf... didn't really make sense to me
2) the addition of the three little pigs... also didn't really make sense to me
3) the new lyrics to ON THE STEPS OF THE PALACE... was that where they added Jack?? either way, that addition
4) the dancing... it just looked really lame
5) now that i think back... the woman playing Jacks' mother was a poor choice
6) i like the show to be a little dark, but it was too happy for me
Things I loved about the revival:
1) Vanessa Williams (not better than Bernadette, just a different portrayal and I liked it... not bad on the eyes either)
2) the cow
3) Laura Benanti as Cinderlla and Chris Sieber as the Prince
4) Our Little World addition and the lyric changes to LAST MIDNIGHT
5) i actually thought the sets were cool
6) the narrator's role being more involving
7) Judi Dench as the Giant and using Laura Benanti as her own mother
whatever... i liked both... original better but each had its good and bad parts
#17re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 3:49am
The orginal.
Danielle Ferland is a goddess.
Simply perfect in her role, as was all the other orginal cast members.
BwayBaby18
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/19/05
#18re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 4:44am
Eatlasagna, i think it's funny how you pointed out the second wolf and the 3 little pigs considering they were in the original production. (that wasn't a sarcastic crack at you merely an observation)
I did enjoy Our Little World ( another trunked idea from the original).
Did anyone else hear about how Vanessa Williams is writing a biography called "I'll Even Eat The Child"? Apperintly it has gainged that title because Sondheim wanted her to eat the baby after Last Midnight. (I don't remmber where i read this)
#19re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 7:36amBwayBaby18 listen to our little world in the LONDON cast recording........ it was superb. Vanessa doesn't manage the harmonies so well. Julia McKenzie was(is) brilliant.
"Your eyes..... they shine like the pants on my blue serge suit"
#20re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 8:50am
the original. I won't even buy the revival cast recording.
I also have the original London recording which is good....but nothing beats the original.
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beenthere
Understudy Joined: 8/22/05
#21re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 9:00amI saw both productions, and the original was much better. The revival did have some great moments and ideas but it just didn't have it together.
#22re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 9:48am
Absolutely, the original was superior.
The only things superior, imho, in the original was Chris Seiber and the cow. I didnt see Laura Benanti, and thought she was terrible as Claudia in Nine, but her understudy was wonderful...but not better than the original, Kim Crosby.
Little Red and Jack's mother were...both....horrible! I thought the kid had no personality and had no idea what she was doing, but she was even better than Marylouise Burke who didnt get one line right the nite I saw it.
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MusicalDirector109
Leading Actor Joined: 5/16/03
#23re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 10:03amThe original BY FAR. The only thing that was awesome in the revival were the sets. I remember, in the revival, that the actress playing Jack's mother had problems with Mr. Sondheim's meter changes.
SorryGrateful
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/10/05
#24re: Into the Woods
Posted: 8/25/05 at 10:04amThe original was so amazing. I don't think anyone could top the talent of that amazing cast, especially Bernadette, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Kim Crosby, and the amazing Robert Westenberg.
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