Into the Woods

First off I wanted to comment on that I'm not under 13, I'm 18. But after reading "Discerning Viewer" said about "Into the Woods." I had to say something. Sondheim used the original, unedited versions of the Fairy Tales. Case being that the stories were more for adults AND children. And there are universal morals. Don't smother your children (Rapunzel), Don't deviate from the path (Red Ridding Hood), Despite being unappreciated and condemned to serving others, as long as you are kind natured and a truly good person, your dreams will come true (Cinderella). And many argue that Jack and the Beanstalk's is moral is learning to survive and fend for one's self and family. The second act asks the questions and consequences that the Fairy Tales never answer, like does marrying a handsome Prince really make someone happy? Is a Giant always wrong, and how do you deal with his angry widow? Is killing the wolf the best solution? And does it pay to be charming and not sincere? And two other powerful points of the musical, that are also morals are told; That no one is alone, that everyone depends/needs on someone to survive. And finally that what ever we do, children will SEE and HEAR it, so they LEARN from it, so be careful of our actions and what we tell (and stories) when we say "Listen to Me..."

I cannot mention how much I loved this book. I recently finished a production of this show and we gave this book as a gift to the production crew members. After looking through it, most of the cast placed their own orders. Not only is it a new way to look at this great story, but there are also small pieces of insight into certain characters and situations that you do not get anywhere else.Every illustration in this book is exquisite...I would frame any of them. My favorite is of the pulling out of Rapunel's hair by the Baker's Wife. The illustrations are just like the show, funny where they should be (Little Red in the Fur) and grim where they should be (Rapunzel's death).This is a great and rarely seen collector's piece, as well as a great gift for anyone with a love of the show.

This is a novelization of the smash Broadway hit. It follows along with the show perfectly and has amazing illustrations by Hudson Talbott. It was rereleased just in time for the Broadway revival which starts in April. This book is a must have for any Sondheim fan.

Into the Woods...How can you forget the name and all of its characters if you've seen it before, and if you have not, then it includes such timeless fairy tale names as: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), Little Red Riding Hood, and many others. James Lapine's brilliant script and Stephen Sondheim's astounding score are all in this book! Don't miss out on reading this fantastic book with your kids or for pleasure! This book is great for pleasure reading or if you are looking for an amazing musical to put on. Once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down! And if you liked the book...you won't hesitate to buy the video of the original Broadway cast and the CD or cassette! Having all 3 mentioned items and watching, listening, and reading over and over still isn't enough! You will love it too.

This is a wonderful play to introduce students to music, theater, Sondheim, and fairy tales. In my class we read many of the original Grimm Fairy Tales (Dover Ed.) and the Perrault Fairy Tales (Dover) discussing the tales, but also color symbolism, different forms of magic, totems, threshold creatures, etc. Pretty heady stuff for sixth graders, but they LOVE it! Finally we read this wonderful interconnection of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Baker and His Wife, Little Red Riding Hood, and more while they are on a quest tale to get things to undo spells. Everyone takes parts and it is AWESOME!! The book is certainly not just for kids, there are very dark themes underlying all of the "fun". These can be discussed and its great to see kids find more to a story than its literal meaning. The VHS tape is then shown, which can be ordered here. This is a taping of the Broadway stage production and is mesmerising. Students think it's awesome. (I do suggest previewing, though. The wolf certainly is "untamed nature" and his coat stops just above what probably should be hidden in a mixed group of sixth graders. :) We just fast forward those three minutes.) This is a great unit. If you would like more info, please contact me via e-mail. This is wonderful stuff, though certainly not Disney!!