Like many Millikin Students over the winter break, I made plans to go see the big musical hit Into the Woods, the biggest musical adaptation since Les Misérables. Unlike most of the Millikin students who caught the film over winter break, I was very unfamiliar with the Sondheim and Lapine show. I only knew the briefest of details, the show was retelling of fairy tales and that Bernadette Peters originated the role The Witch.

Over the break, after countless television previews, I decided that I would have to go see the adaptation. As a purist for original mediums, I decided that I would try to get as close to see the original production as I possibly could. So, about two days before I headed out to the show, I was able to get ahold of a copy of filmed staged version of the show in which Bernadette Peters played the role of The Witch. The show was over all very entertaining and I found quite a few of the songs to have real substance to the lyrics. Quickly, I discovered that this was so much more than just a retelling of fairy tales. Instead the show really highlighted and reminded an audience that there was value in these stories that we tell children. It seemed that show wanted adults to remember the values of the story so that they were being retold with their original meaning. I think that the intent of the show is very powerful and has value to audiences today.

My problems with Into the Woods begin first with the story. I immediately felt as though there was a seam, if you will, in the show. At times during the live recording, I felt as if the second act didn’t always quite flow together as smoothly with the first act of the show. My thoughts were mirrored when I saw the film version a couple days later. The movie and the stage show both feel as though they tend to drag in the second half. The story line with the giants suddenly gets played up much more than it originally had, and I felt as if the show took a new direction while still trying to keep one foot on the old path. In this respect, I will say that I personally enjoyed the stage version more. I felt as if I were more in touch with the characters and invested in each one’s story line. The seam in the staged production just felt smoother.

The investment in characters was my second fault with the movie adaptation. In the staged production, I felt much more invested in the characters’ fate. Some of the acting in the film however put me off to characters I had been rooting for just a couple days before. Anna Kendrick’s Cinderella fell flat in several aspects for me and often times I didn’t feel any sympathy for her character and was more anxious for her song to be over so we could move on. Huttlestone’s performance as Jack was charming, but at times I wish that he would have come off as more dimwitted as I had already had in mind. But overall the cast was really good in their roles. Meryl Streep fulfilled the high hopes that were set by Bernadette Peters. Emily Blunt as the Baker’s Wife also played her part successfully.

Overall, I found the film enjoyable, but it still fell short of the original stage show. There were moments towards the end that failed to capture the impact of the stage show, and at times is seemed to drag in places more than live recording. I would say that production was on the whole very successful and several strong performances given throughout. Once again, the purist in me must settle on the recorded stage show to really get all that one can get out of Into the Woods.