Into The Woods: The Movie!

I guess Into the Woods really is going to be a movie! The intention to adapt Into the Woods was announced in January of this year with Rob Marshall directing & the screenplay being adapted by the original book writer James Lapine. Don't get too excited, though because the production can't even start until Rob Marshall finishes filming The Thin Man [starring Johnny Depp], but there was a table read on Oct. 1 & this potential cast has potential. 

THE FULL CAST ROSTER:

Nina Arianda: The Baker's Wife
Christine Baranski: Stepmother 

Tammy Blanchard: Florinda 

Victoria Clark:  Cinderella’s Mother & Giant 

James Corden: The Baker

 David Garrison: The Narrator 

Ivan Hernandez: Wolf 

Megan Hilty: Lucinda 

Cheyenne Jackson: Rapunzel’s Prince 

Allison Janney: Jack’s Mother 

Anna Kendrick: Cinderella 

Michael McGrath: Steward/Baker’s Father 

Donna Murphy: The Witch 

Laura Osnes: Rapunzel 

Taylor Trensch: Jack 

 Casey Whyland: Little Red Riding Hood 

Patrick Wilson: Cinderella's Prince

MY THOUGHTS:

The Princesses & GirlFriends:

Christine Baranaski is obviously perfect as Cinderella's Stepmother. As Cinderella's Mother/Giant, Victoria Clark is a fine fit; she is a true-blue Broadway all-star [though, not my favorite leading lady] & well-cast in this role. Speaking of Broadway true-blues, I love Megan Hilty & was happy to see her cast as Cinderella's stepsister Lucinda. She has exhibited that sassiness that is necessary for a stepsister on SMASH & WICKED. I do wish she had been given a more prominent role; she would have been a great vocal fit for Rapunzel, but I was excited to see Laura Osnes' name on the roster. She was on NBC's reality show You're The One That I Want & won the role of Sandy on Grease on Broadway; she went on to play Hope in Anything Goes & Bonnie Park in Bonnie & Clyde (for which she received a 2012 Tony nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Musical). She also attended the same church as me in NYC [C3 Church: Manhattan] & is a sweet, mid-west girl who deserves all the success in the world. I could actually see her better fit as Cinderella than Rapunzel, but maybe she was a little unknown for the more prominent role. Casting Anna Kendrick as Cinderella seemed a little random to me until I found out she was the second-youngest Featured Actress Tony nominee for her role Dinah in High Society & workshopped Jane Eyre: The Musical. Physically, she is kind of perfect for the role, so this is a pretty awesome, out-of-the-box casting choice, IMO. 

The Baker & The Baker's Wife:

I was not familiar with the actors playing The Baker [James Corden] & The Baker's Wife [Nina Arianda]. After a little research, I am down with both choices. Corden is an accomplished actor from the U.K. who won the 2012 Best Leading Actor Tony for One Man, Two Guvnors & looks like Cam from Modern Family. Arianda is equally accomplished in film & stage:  she appeared in Midnight in Paris & is a Tony princess, having won the 2012 Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Play (Venus in Fur) & been nominated for a Best Leading Actress Tony in 2011 (Born Yesterday). But what won me over about this lady? She has been cast as Janis Joplin in the upcoming biopic (beating out everyone from Pink to Zooey Deschanel). 

The Princes/Wolf/Narrator + Little Red:

Patrick Wilson is an obvious & awesome choice for Cinderella's Prince; he has the stage & stage/street cred to carry the role, which makes me wonder why they altered the role to give the role less stage. In the stage version, there are two instances of double-casting roles: Cinderella's Prince/The Wolf & The Narrator/The Mysterious Man [who is implied/revealed to be be The Baker's Father as Act Two draws to a close]. The Mysterious Man does not exist in this adaptation; he has been renamed The Baker's Father & is double-cast with the Steward (played by Michael McGrath). I really don't get this decision & hope the thought-process behind it becomes apparent in the film's re-worked script. This shift in character definition leaves The Narrator (played by Law & Order alum David Garrison) in a more simply-defined role; his interaction with the characters will be minimized, hopefully for the purpose of presenting the story in a more narrative manner (I'm thinking Princess Bride-style). Otherwise, I liked the character combinations from the original production & oppose alterations to perfection. Casey Whyland is playing Little Red & I know nothing about her except that she played the token pudgy ballerina in Billy Elliot on Broadway. That alone is not enough for me. Personally, I find my DreamCast's choice of Madeleine Martin much more fitting. We know the girl can sing & she holds a wider-spread appeal than an unknown Broadway chorus girl (it hurts me to write that, but it's true).  

OUR WITCH:

So, Donna Murphy read for The Witch. I LOVE THIS. She is such an elegant lady, but proved in Passion that she can pull off the ugly just as well. Apparently, she was serving as a place-holder because Meryl Streep is actually going to play The Witch. While I have no doubt she can & will act like a champion, I have little confidence in her singing capabilities after seeing her in Mamma Mia. Maybe her name will sell more tickets, but I don't know if it will produce a higher quality film. Either way, this film has the makings of something great & I would appreciate it if Mr. Marshall started production ASAP. 

SMASH S2: better late than never.

Smash was renewed for a second season! Honestly, I’m shocked; thrilled. grateful, etc., but very surprised. Since the show [imaginary musical] within the show [NBC series] is finally up & running, I am very curious as to how the second season will maintain the same sense of interest & suspense. Here’s the bad news about SMASH Season 2: it will not premiere until mid-way through the TV season ("early 2013"). The choice to premiere a show mid-season is a move that the producers of LOST & Grey’s Anatomy [my favorites] have often utilized. Maybe it was to build viewer anticipation or maybe it was because they had no idea where to take the storyline, but it never ceased to frustrate & annoy me. I guess this decision does keep loyal, anticipatory viewers like me on the edge of their sofas. However, in terms of attracting new viewers to the show, it seems a much smarter move to debut the second season when all the new & old fall series erupt on the tiny screen. Even so, the finale of Season 1 was perfect & I will wait it out like the good, loyal viewer I am. Now, let's reminisce:

My favorite part of Season 1's finale was the process of Julia's writing/writing block; I liked her euphoric moment of realizing that she needed to rely on communicating the good & that being the catalyst that created the perfect song for the finale (if you do recall, they only finished 15 minutes before the curtain rose. Talk about drama!). That moment of breaking Julia's writing block was especially cool because it reminded me of a real-life historic theatre: In 2005, Son of a Witch (the sequel to Wicked) was published & I went to a reading/talk by Gregory Maguire (author of the books) & Stephen Schwartz (composer of WICKED). Schwartz recounted a phone call when he was struggling with the final/climactic duet between the two female leads & that he had wanted to communicate how their friendship had changed them both permanently. But instead of saying permanently, he said For Good. Hearing himself say those words led to his euphoric moment that led him to write the song For Good, with the phrase's double meaning of permanence/positivity as its' defining catalyst. I am curious as to whether the storyline on Smash was loosely inspired this real-life writing of WICKED's great closing ballad. Either way, here's the best-ever rendition of For Good, featuring Smash's own Megan Hilty:

THE AXED ACTORS

• Raza Jaffrey as Dev [Karen’s seemingly cool, completely devoted boyfriend who acted completely out of character & cheated on her with Ivy]: I’m so down with him being written off, but not with this plot development as the catalyst. It was inconsistent with his character, a little too Melrose Place, & a little too obvious that they were trying to faze out Dev. I'm still a fan of this choice; Karen will be a much more interesting character without Dev pulling her down. 
• Jamie Cepero as Ellis [the sneaky, snarky, ladder-climber who offered nothing but conflict & irritation]: His exodus was awesome, obviously necessary, reasonably executed, & much appreciated. They pulled it off in a believable, drawn-out storyline (his attempt at becoming a producer & poisoning the movie star's smoothie). This was a  wise & well-executed plot-point. 
• Brian D’Arcy James as Frank [Julia's husband who seemed like he was trying to get over her affair, but threw in the towel]: He will be on at least one episode, but is pretty much gone. I liked his presence only because he is an actual Broadway performer. But the whole Julia/Frank marriage conflicts got old & wasted air-time. So I say good riddance & Brian D’Arcy James should get himself back into a role where he can sing. 
• Will Chase as Michael [Julia's former cheating partner who sometimes played Joe DiMaggio]: I liked him for the same reason I liked Brian D’Arcy James: he’s a true-blue Broadway alumni. However, his role on the show was so boring & I never got why Julia was so entranced by him. I watch this show because I love musicals, not because I’m interested in marital strife. Plus, he was a very bland character & didn't even sing that much. 

THE NEW CAST MEMBERS 

• Daniel Sunjata as Unnamed Man [Julia's new love interest]: I was hoping Julia’s love-life storyline would be more subdued in Season 2, but he has been cast as her new love interest. At least he's easier on the eyes than the other two. Plus, he's a stage actor; he was nominated for a 2003 Tony for his performance in Take Me Out. 
• Jennifer Hudson as Veronica Moore [a Broadway veteran who has some sort of impact on both Karen & Ivy]: This is very exciting. The woman can do no wrong & is a perfect fit for this cast. Well done, Smash! 
• Jeremy Jordan as Jimmy [according to the casting call:  “Straight, working class from Brooklyn. Sexy, charismatic, musically gifted, but also self-destructive and remote.”]: I know nothing about this guy except that he is coming to SMASH from Newies on Broadway & that's enough to give me faith. 
• Krysta Rodriguez as Ana [Karen's spunky new roommate who is in the ensemble of a Broadway show & looking for her big break]: I LOVE THIS. Krysta's Broadway credits include A Chorus Line, Good Vibrations, In The Heights, Spring Awakening (where I met her briefly after a performance & she was very nice), & originating the role of Wednesday in The Addams Family. She was the pitch-perfect Wednesday. HERE'S PROOF: 

SMASH 8: The Coup

First, let's define COUP:
• A highly successful, unexpected stroke, act, or move; a clever action or accomplishment
• A brave or reckless deed performed in battle by a single warrior, as touching or striking an enemy warrior without sustaining injury oneself (among the Plains Indians of North America)
• Coup d’état: The sudden overthrow of a government by a usually small group of persons in or previously in positions of authority.
• THE BEST EPISODE OF SMASH SO FAR.

1. I was glad (but surprised) that Michael (Will Chase) was written off; that storyline was going nowhere except the indulgent stroll down the path of an affair & I am glad that energy has been stifled. The character of Michael was pretty boring except for the affair factor. The goodbye scene at the park was nice & much appreciated.
2. I have zero interest in Karen’s boyfriend, Dev (played by Raza Jaffrey). I hate that he actually has a storyline now & am hoping his storyline was only included to serve this episode’s theme of backstabbing. I hope they break up because their scenes seem like a waste of airtime & Karen’s breathy, romantic voice is annoying.
3. I loved Grace Gummer, who guest-starred as Eileen’s daughter Katie. Her acting style was understated with a sense of casual comfort & confidence among the established characters. Her sense of selflessness also served as such a stark contrast to Ivy, Karen, & most of the characters on the show, which was very necessary in light of this episode’s focus on theatre as A Dirty Business.
4. I am growing to like Julia’s son Leo (played by Emory Cohen) more & more; I hope he gets to air time. As children of the production staff, both Leo and Katie offer intriguing perspectives as next-generation, incidental witnesses as the musical comes together.
5. The bowling scene reminded very much of a cheesy, indulgent scene from one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies, Center Stage. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because I love me some cheesy, musical-theatre geeks breaking into dance in public places. This spectacle went pretty far & there was nothing wrong with that.
6. The Failed Experiment: I LOVED IT. I liked the masked chorus members, Karen's towel/toga/Marilyn-dress costume, the jerky choreography, the band on an upstage platform, & the presence of a band rather than a hidden orchestra. The shifting of Marilyn’s bed into prison cell exhibited awesome artistry; this potential production looked like a more enjoyable, engaging piece of theatre. Even more clever was the following image of Karen’s character locked in that same onstage-prison but with the real-life prison of her betrayal sinking in…I’m always a fan of the caged-bird imagery.
7. I think Derek’s contemporary, post-modern, “Marilyn for a New Generation” vision for the musical would be largely more appealing. The confrontation between Tom & Derek was a fierce, fulfilling fight that has been a long-time coming.
8. I can’t take this Ellis storyline seriously. I guess if art causes an emotion to erupt within you, if is effective; this storyline must be artistically warranted since it is SO exasperating. I don’t get why Katie, Eileen’s very vocal daughter, didn’t say something about this sketch weasling in on her mom & clearing riding her coattails with dishonorable intentions. It does re-enforce the notion that Eileen has an intrinsically good, trusting nature, but I find her stupidity frustrating. I also find his faux, new-found protection over Eileen overwhelmingly creepy.
9. Tom & Ivy’s scene was well-written, excellently-acted, & authentic in message. The idea that a new show needs A Star is not unfamiliar or unrealistic in the Broadway community. A perfect example of this is the story of Ms. Stephanie J. Block: in 2000, Block was cast as Elpheba in the workshop of WICKED. She is a talented performer whose performance was well-received, but she was re-cast when the show was slotted to go to Broadway for the same reasons that plagued Ivy: no one knew her name. The role for the Broadway debut went to Idina Menzel, who won the Best Supporting Actress Tony for RENT & was as well-known as a Broadway star can be. The re-casting devastated Block, but she moved on & created a successful career for herself. Ironically enough, Megan Hilty made her Broadway debut understudying Glinda in WICKED, so somehow things have come full-circle. Hilty was so incredibly well-cast in this role; her face translated the reality of accepting a dead dream & I have never once questioned that her character is married to her art. This is undoubtedly derivative of the fact that she is a successful Broadway actress & has an intimate understanding of Ivy's struggle.