Into the Woods.

Is there anything weighing more heavily on the mind of the musical theatre nerd right now than what we are going to get out of our Christmas present this December 25th? For many of us, a film of Into the Woods has been a LONG TIME coming. I don't think that there is a Stephen Sondheim musical with more cinematic possibilities than Into the Woods. The opportunities for cameras to wend their way through gnarled trees and blowing leaves. The reveal of entering a glade to find a beloved character sharing both their wishes and their flaws. The possibility for gorgeous costumes and an art design to rival any Merchant-Ivory film? The amping-up of the orchestrations to augment Jonathan Tunick's already lush, evocative arrangements. A complex, interweaving story, as labyrinthine as the titular woods themselves. An adult approach to fairy tales that makes them fresh, relevant, and deeper in meaning than we could ever hope to extract from any Disney incarnation of our childhood. And what about beanstalks, giants, gilded carriages, doorless towers, and magic, all handled very cleverly onstage but screaming for a chance at cinematic interpretation? Into the Woods should make a wonderful film and there is every reason for us to greet it with both anticipation and trepidation. Remember: Into the Woods cautions us to be careful what we wish for.

I wish I can say that I first happened upon Into the Woods due to my deep appreciation for Sondheim, but the musical opened on Broadway when I was merely 14 and only two years into my love affair with musical theatre. At that point, Sondheim was just a name to me; the guy who wrote "Send in the Clowns." No, Into the Woods landed in my lap when I was 15, the first year that I watched the TONY Awards.

I take that back.

I first encountered it on a trip to NYC where I saw my first Broadway musical, the original production of 42nd Street. Down around the corner from the St. James Theatre, I could see an enormous boot poised to land on the corner of 45th Street and Eighth Avenue. Upon closer investigation, I was drawn in by the most fantastic piece of poster art I had ever encountered. Heidi (then Landesman, now Ettinger) had crafted the most stunning emblem, featuring nodular trees spelling out the title of the show, looming over a cowering clump of fairy tale characters. THIS is what peaked my curiosity. It was the TONY Awards that reeled me in.

Into the Woods called out my name at a very significant time in my life. My parents were undergoing an ugly, extremely needed divorce. Along the way, their children became pawns and hostages of their fury for each other. I very much credit Into the Woods for helping me find their humanity through all of this. "People make mistakes (fathers/mothers) holding to their own. Thinking they're alone." "We disappoint, we leave a mess, we die but we don't." Imagine encountering these words when the pain and tears are still very raw and palpable? Into the Woods was therapy, catharsis and escape, all rolled into one. It was THIS that led me to Stephen Sondheim and an exploration of his works that, today, I revere and continue to learn from. Though I embrace the brilliance and themes of Sweeney Todd, am broken-hearted by the deep sadness and loss of Follies, and completely moved by the intellectual power of Sunday in the Park with George, I still hold Into the Woods in the highest of esteem because it connected with me at exactly the right time. This is why the movie is very important to me and why I am entering the theatre eagerly and cautiously.

With this in mind, I started thinking about what we, as Into the Woods fanatics, will be looking for when we go to the movie theatre still in our pajamas and stinking of eggnog this Christmas Day (Yes, I plan to be there on opening day). Consider this Mark Robinson's Guide to Viewing 'Into the Woods'.

What we will be looking for:

1. I think, first and foremost, we will be wanting people who can do this score vocal justice. After the singing debacle that ruined what should have been a beautiful film version of Sweeney Todd, we do not want to wince at high notes, or wonder why a song's key has changed so drastically that we barely recognize it. After viewing Meryl Streep a couple dozen times singing "Stay with Me" in a clip posted on www.playbill.com yesterday, I am hopeful. But what of Emily Blunt? What of James Corden? The Baker and his Wife carry some vocal heft in this piece. Will this duo be up to the challenges or have the revisions reduced their musical duties? I think it is safe to say that Anna Kendrick and Lilla Crawford will handle Cinderella and Little Red expertly.

2. The film needs to balance what we have grown to expect from Into the Woods: equal parts humor and pathos. I believe this may be the film's greatest challenge. There is a farcical nature to the stage production that, despite the subject matter, worked very well at the Martin Beck. This can work effectively in theatre, but film is an entirely different beast. A tone needs to be set. If Into the Woods is too realistic and grounded, its tongue-in-cheek humor will be lost. Conversely, if the film leans too much toward farce, the deeper meanings and complex relationships will seem phony and out of place. This is the tightrope that director Rob Marshall is walking, and frankly, I'm not convinced (so far, from previews and commercials) that he has found that balance. I am prepping myself for a heavy, didactic Into the Woods. I hope I am proven wrong.

3. I am truly looking to be entertained, moved, and instilled with the hope that the show has always given me. We have to leave our memories of the original production (captured beautifully on DVD) behind. Meryl Streep and Bernadette Peters are not cut from the same cloth. No one, no matter how hard they try, is ever going to extract from the Baker's Wife what Joanna Gleason did. Emily Blunt cannot be fairly judged by comparison. Perhaps she has a fresh take that we hadn't expected? Gleason mined laughs in places where others have failed, and Blunt is not Joanna Gleason (nor should she be). We have to approach this film as its own creation of art, divorced from preconceived notions.

4. We are not seeing a stage show. Things have to be opened up, changed, altered, and rearranged for cinematic storytelling. Let go of what we know and look for a film that does justice to the characters, themes, and music that we love. Allow yourself to revel in adaptation instead of being jaded by its dubious history where other film musicals are concerned. This will be hard to do, because so many of us cling to our memories (me included). I hope beyond hope that this film will lead a whole new generation of musical fans to Sondheim and to Into the Woods itself. Step back, and let this film breathe its own air and take on its own life.

In the end, we have our long-anticipated film of Into the Woods, so we know there is something to wishes, hopes, dreams and happily-ever-afters. With those magic beans, comes a second act of reality, compromises, and consequences of having our wish granted. Nothing is ever perfect or exactly what we envisioned, but there is substance and clarity to be found in appreciating that a wish can come true in the first place. The film of Into the Woods promises to at least remind us why we love the material so much in the first place, and there is a reward in that. I hope for something bigger...much, MUCH bigger!

Let's see if Santa delivers.