Into the Woods (2002 Broadway Revival Cast)
|
List Price: Our Price: $12.65 You Save: $9.31 (42%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.70 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Canadian Music Store
Music Reviews of Into the Woods (2002 Broadway Revival Cast)
Music Review: 15 years later, It is still gold!
Rating: 4 Stars
The 2002 Tony for Best Revival went to "Into the Woods" and it is well deserved. This staging and album are both pure gold. Vanessa Williams' interpretation of the Witch manages to be quite distinct from Bernadette Peters' while maintaining the standard Ms. Peters set back in 1987. Although her velvet tones do strike you as a bit smooth for the character - you can feel the underlying emotion in the larger numbers, like "The Last Midnight"
Both Laura Benanti and Kerry O'Malleys voices are quite beautiful and add new dimensions to the characters of Cinderella and the Baker's Wife, respectively. Benanti's "On the Steps of the Palace" is much lighter and more "girlish" than Kim Crosby on the 1987 recording, which is refreshing to a listener who's become so attached to the original recording.
The only reason I haven't given this five stars is the quality of the recording itself. In many places, the recording feels a bit closed in as if you were in a small space, almost drowning out the richness of many of the actors' voices.
Overall, the recording breathes new life and energy in an already timeless musical and makes a welcome addition to any Sondheim library!
Music Review: " you're not good, you're not bad- you're just NICE!"
Rating: 4 Stars
thouh it come in a great box set complete with a nice booklet with fantastic color photos and complete lyrics, the recording itself is not al that good! Ms. Williams is a great witch but not as good as Bernadette's in the OBC. the other principals arealso good but mostly, not as good as the obc. the vocals are great but it sometimes lacks the wit and humor of the play that's found in the Original Broadway Cast (OBC). if you want another recording of this great and wonderful show, except for the OBC, try the london cast. the bonus there is-that the director is not James Lapine (who directed both b'way productions) which give a different look on this classic show. (the london cast is great- except for Jack's mother but most of the others are great!!!_).
plus, bothe london cast and this cast have a new song "our little world" which is a wonderful duet for witch and rapunzel- this song is not featured in the obc- as it was written for the london production.
so this is a great recording but not as good as OBC. a collector's item for Broadway cast fanatics after they have the OBC already. Have fun! (and have the OBC and London cast!)
Music Review: I really didn't like it at all...
Rating: 1 Stars
To me, Into the Woods is one of the most inspirational thought provoking musicals ever written, and this recording does no justice to it. In fact, it belittles it. I agree with another reviewer when they said it seems like a bad community theatre production of this masterpiece. It seems like this production is more "family-oriented". The show may be comprised of children's fairytales, but it is in no way a "family-oriented" musical. It has very adult situations and complex concepts, as do other Stephen Sondheim musicals, that are notsuitabl for children. Making it more "family-oriented" makes the usually genuine characters overdone (i.e. Vanessa Williams' interpretation of the Witch) and almost hokey, cheapening the overall message.I suggest buying the Original Cast recording from 1987 with Bernadette Peters and Joanna Gleason. Chip Zein may be disappointing, but you won't go wrong with that CD. And if you like that one, I recommend the Original Cast recordings of other amazing Stephen Sondheim shows such as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Sunday in the Park With George, and Merrily We Roll Along.
Music Review: Great packaging, not much else
Rating: 2 Stars
I would have given this recording one star except for the fact that the album is presented beautifully by Nonesuch records. I luckily found this CD used and only had to pay a few bucks for it. I would have felt really cheated if I paid full price and got what I did. While the orchestrations are beautiful, and the additional song between Rapunzel and the Witch was nice to have, this revival was lackluster. It won a tony for best revival, but must have been due to some other factor than individual performances. My biggest bone to pick was Vanessa Williams as the Witch. She was boring and lacked the feeling and emotion that Bernadette Peters put into her performance. Granted it's hard to fill those shoes, but she just wasn't anywhere near capable of this role. She sang in tune, and she hardly missed a beat, but there was nothing there. The only role I really liked more than the original cast was Cinderella. She was amazing and earned her acclamations. Go buy the original cast recording, or if you're looking for a good Sondheim revival, look into the 2006 London cast recording of Sunday in the Park with George.Music Review: Burnedette? no! Good? Yes.
Rating: 4 Stars
Ok so nothing can beat burnedette peaters, but this comes close. This soundtrack is good but the acting is hit and missBaker and wife: Good but I like the Original better
Narator: someone please shoot this guy! what is with the whole "ok since the stageing isn't as creepy as the old one i will make up for it" i don't like him
Witch: two different interpritations but still good either way
Prince: better then before
Cinderella: best ever casting
Jack: ok is it posible that this part is played TOO young? if it is i think he has done it.
Little red: good choice
the step sisters: they don't have the comedic timing as the last group
Jack's mother: why is she so old if jack is so young? *not that the actress is old she just sounds old*
THe Stepmother: to annoying!
over all its like the stageing has changed the music so much that if you are used to the original cast that you can't sing along the first time you hear it....its only annoying if you sing along with your music like i do!
I recomend this but i don't think its the better of the two, sorry.