Sondheim and Lapine's Into the Woods

This book offers an introduction to one of Stephen Sondheim¿s most beloved shows, Into the Woods (1987), a musical that combines traditional fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella to form a funny and heartfelt exploration of what it means to act responsibly as a member of society, both as a parent and as a child. After situating the musical in the Broadway canon, the author proceeds with a detailed reading of the show itself, before discussing key productions of the show in New York and London , whose radically different approaches to staging are testament to how open the musical is to re-interpretation.