The production of Into the Woods has been a series of ups and downs for theatre fans around the world.  The film’s mere existence is worthy of excitement, but the presence of Disney overseeing the relatively mature Stephen Sondheim musical was cause for concern.  Sondheim’s involvement (along with the original show writer James Lapine) allayed some fears, but his interviews caused a lot of confusion about what changes had been made, what songs had been cut, and how “family friendly” the film had been made.  The A-list cast and director Rob Marshall brought some Hollywood glamor to the movie, and all that remained was to wait and see how it turned out.  The end result is a fairly faithful, extremely well made adaptation of a musical that is perhaps better suited for stage rather than screen.

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