These familiar words open Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's multi award winning musical Into the Woods. Into the Woods is often referred to as a modern musical classic.
This thought provoking musical comedy cleverly intertwines the stories and characters of several of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales namely: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk , with a new story of a childless Baker and his Wife. Like us, they all have wishes they want to fulfil, but to achieve their ‘happy ever after' they must go Into the Woods . However, the actions they take to achieve their dreams results in their lives becoming heavily entwined and this show, which begins as a lively irreverent fairy tale fantasy, turns into a moving story about love, responsibility and the complications of living in a modern society and the difficult choices we encounter on our life's path.
For Into the Woods Sondheim (who also wrote amongst others, West Side Story, Gypsy and Follies ), has produced some of his most memorable, touching and comical work including: I know things now, Giants in the sky, Agony, No one is alone and Children will listen. This show is certainly no pantomime, but a lively, comical and yet sometimes dark tale, written by arguably one of the finest musical storytellers of our time.