Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A very good production . . ., June 29, 2000
This recording benefits from British accents. I do indeed like Julia McKenzie (as The Witch), but I prefer the original Bernadette Peters. This recording also has the opening prolgue divvied up among several tracks, so if you just want to hear the "Witche's Rap" really quickly, you can skip right to it and give it a quick listen. "Our Little World," the new duet, is a gem. Some might say, "So, Steve sold out for a comedy song, huh?" But, hey -- who cares? It gives Rapunzel more to do than just walk around and go, "Aaahhhhh ... " (whether singing or screaming). But, it is more than just a comedy number underneath, because it shows the relationship between The Witch and Rapunzel better than any pages of dialogue could do. I thought that they would have the Prologue in full on this recording, but they did the truncated version that is featured on the OBCR. However, on the "No One is Alone" track, it does feature the dialogue between Jack and The Baker. The dialogue inclusion there, and the missing dialogue in the Prologue, makes for somewhat of an uneven recording (especially since The Baker's reprise of "Maybe They're Magic" and the Stepmother's "You'll Never Need to Walk" is also missing), but still enjoyable none-the-less. Some people say that the new song is dumb, and that London Cast Recordings are inferior, to which I say, "SO IS YOUR MOM'S FACE! " This recording is a must for any die-hard ITW fans.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A full exploration of a great score, February 16, 2000
This recording of 'Into The Woods' seems to provoke extreme reactions among Sondheim lovers. For my part, I think it is a subtle improvement on the Broadway version, notwithstanding the excellent performers in the latter. The London version offers much darker readings of the songs, and the characters seem much more surreal. I bought the New York cast first, and loved every minute of it, but on balance I think I would be inclined to turn to the London one in future. The actors are very fine: Julia McKenzie offers a deliciously ripe performance as the Witch, much more the character of a nightmare than Bernadette Peters; the Wolf, similarly, is much more subtly realised, sounding altogether more dangerous. The other cast members are uniformly exellent. But, again, this is not to diminish the quality of the New York cast. The whole sound of this recording is sinister and treacherous, which to my mind fits the piece exactly. Remember, however, that as as any artistic work matures, performers are inclined to find hidden depths and darker meanings. It is this maturity which for me makes this recording definitive.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compare to 1987 Broadway Cast, October 2, 2002
I haven't yet gotten the chance to see (or purchase) the Revival Cast of Into the Woods, but this album takes a very different viewpoint from the Original 1987 Cast. The most obvious difference will be the addition of the song "Our Little World," cut from the original show but put back for the London Production (mainly to show off Julia McKenzie's varied, albeit different, voice). The London production is in a much darker tone; you will find slower tempos, more obvious dissonance, and heavier singing. This remains, however, my favorite recording of the show not only for the reasons previously stated, but also because it is far more musically accurate (towards the original libretto) than the Broadway version. A fantastic addition to the library of a Sondheim purist, but if you're looking for the "fun" version, I suggest the Broadway cast.
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