Customer Reviews
awesome!! 
2008-08-27
Absolutely love this production! We've watched it over and over and over... highly recommend it to others! It should be in your video library!
Top show 2008-07-20
As a qualified Sondheim fan/freak getting Into the Woods on DVD with the original cast is a dream come true. I've seen one staged production of this show and one concert version, but the original staging is a treat. Worth every cent.Bloody Ham
Into the woods 
2008-05-25
Liked it. Familiar with story/music/etc, but enjoyed re-viewing it. Unable to see a local live performance, but this was almost as good.
Great Broadway Show!! 2008-05-18
I bought this DVD after my daughter was in her middle school drama production of the show. "Into the Woods" is a great life lesson story which is based on many familiar fairy tale characters. It interweaves the classic fairy tales but continues on after the typical "happily ever after" to show what happens when you wish for too much. My daughter and I enjoyed watching this Broadway show very much!!
Fabulous 2008-05-17
This is my absolute favorite musical. The acting is superb. Extremely funny, even moving. Can't go wrong with this one!
Grimm's Fairytales Revisted 2008-05-08
A baker and his wife journey into the woods in search of a cow, a red cape, a pair of golden slippers and some magic beans to lift a curse that has kept them childless. Tony Award winners Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason and the rest of the original Broadway cast weave their magic spell over you in Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece, directed by James Lapine, a seamless fusion of fairy tale characters and what happens after "happily ever after. "With oft-recorded songs such as "Children Will Listen" and "No One is Alone," "Into the Woods" is a music lover's delight from start to finish--and will forever cement Stephen Sondheim's unparalleled position as the giant of the American musical theater.
Utter Perfection ... 2008-04-06
I am the sort of person who is not quick to praise. Most Broadway recordings, even if I adore the show, will have, in my mind, something lacking ... a poorly-done scene here or there, an actor lacking in talent or passion, etc., etc.
However, this original Broadway cast videorecording of Into the Woods is nothing short of perfection. Stephen Sondheim is a genius of a lyricist and composer, and this is some of his finest work. The cast more than does him justice.
On the female side, Bernadette Peters stands about 5 feet tall, but her presence commands the stage. Joanna Gleason captures the Baker's Wife flawlessly, and Danielle Ferland as Little Red Riding Hood portrays youth and innocence in a sufficiently obnoxious yet loveable fashion. Kim Crosby (Cinderella) has a beautiful, soaring soprano and acting ability to spare, giving a character which could come off as static a good deal of depth.
Chip Zien as the Baker has a quirky emotive quality to his voice that proves powerful, as we are made privy to his roller-coaster of emotions on his quest for a child and for happiness. Robert Westenberg as the Big Bad Wolf and Prince Charming was sufficiently pompous and almost seductive, with a vocal richness unmatched in this production.
I couldn't write this review without giving a paragraph of praise to Ben Wright (Jack). I believe he was not much more than 20 years old (if that) during this performance ... but I can't imagine "Giants in the Sky" being sung any better, by anyone. Many Jacks get caught up in exuberant youthful giddiness, which has a place but tends to be overdone and annoying. Wright embodied a frightened, excited, confused, overwhelmed, sweet boy trying to grasp "a world like none that [he's] ever known ..." His voice is accurate, clear, and smooth as can be, highlighting subtle vocal phrases which are often overlooked.
His performance alone is reason enough to buy this DVD or VHS. The fact that the rest of the cast is nearly as good makes it a "can't miss."
Into the Woods DVD 2008-04-05
I love this filmed version of the Broadway play, and my dvd quality was perfect. Into the Woods is an awesome story about mixed-up, intertwined fairytales that is great for all ages. I can watch this over and over again! Ordering was easy, and I received the dvd right on time. I would most certainly order again through Amazon, and I recommend Into the Woods to anyone who loves a good show!
A Classic 2008-03-31
Bernadette Peters is at her very best in this classic musical fairytale. Joanna Gleason and the rest of the superb cast bring this magical show to life in a beautifully stage production that works well on DVD
Peters is great. 2008-03-26
Bought this DVD just to see the play before my child auditioned for it locally. Funny and witty play. Peters was great!
