This is a movie episode of a TV series called American Playhouse, where the famous play "Into the Woods" is showcased. It is a fun, dark twist to various fairy tales combined where a childless baker and his wife cannot have a child until they follow the orders of their next-door neighbor, the Witch, to obtain a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn and a slipper as pure as gold. This brings together famous fairytale characters like Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Cinderella into the mix to help.This TV episode version I saw was a recorded stage play, but it was well acted out with neat special visual and sound effects, especially in the Giant's footsteps and the Witch's magic spells. It is captivating to see famous scenes from each fairytale blend in together throughout the main course of events of the baker and his wife searching for the Witch's items, such as the Baker's wife running into Cinderella into the woods, who happened to trip down some steps and looses her slipper, and the Witch (who is actually Rapunzel's mother) casting a spell on Rapunzel's prince. And, this all leads to a thrilling sequence when the character must deal with the Giant from the Jack and the Beanstalk tale.This play also take a more dramatic and in depth look at each character, including the agony of the Princes finding love to the aftermath after Cinderella marries her prince. It's brilliantly played out and the plot gives a reality check that not all stories end in happily ever after - or at least not without some sacrifices and courage.It's a great play for the audience, but not 100 percent innocent for children; therefore, it's best to have some parental guidance for the kids if or when they watch it.Grade A

I've loved this since i was a kid. the concept is great and so are the songs. Placiong together stories and characters for various fairy tales and creating something completely new to me is just genius. Some of the characters are hilarious and others are really believable such as the wolf and Prince charming. The songs are also brilliantly written and performed. One of the main strengths of this show was that everybody could act well and sing better. My personal favourites are the two songs done by the two princes 'Agony'. And of course the song sung by the Wolf when hes planning his evil idea for Red Riding Hood, 'that kind of scrumptious delectable feast twice in one day...there's no possible way...to describe how you feel...when your talking to your meal!!!'. Anyway back to the original point this show is amazing and really worth watching, and also don't write it off as a silly kids show because most of the jokes and quirky remarks are written for adults.

This was the first show I have seen written by Sondheim, and I was amazed not only at his work, but also of the casts, the crew, and the quality of the tape. First of all, live shows are usually not taped very well---this version of INTO THE WOODS is an exception---it is the best live taping I have EVER seen of a musical. Different angles, cues, etc help make it the best experience you could have.It may seem as if Sondheim wrote a simple, annoying musical, but this is far from the case. The music is quite complicated, with musical themes throughout--very impressive score. The voice parts are equally complicated and detailed.This is a great, family show, and with the exception of one innuendo, totally appropriate. Some may also have a problem with their children seeing the wolf's costume (it is very, uh, detailed) but truth be told I didn't notice it until I had seen it twice.

"Into the Woods" has to be my favorite musical of all time, and the video production has to be my favorite video of a musical of all time. The cast is incredible, the costumes are enchanting, the set is dazzling, the dialogue is fun, the music is beautiful, and the entire production is 100% perfection.For those not familiar with Sondheim's greatest work, "Into the Woods" blends four famous fairy tales- Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk- into one continuous story, intertwined with the tale of a lonely Baker and his Wife who long for a child of their own.Tom Aldrege is amazing as the Narrator and Mysterious Old Man, he will truly make you examine how you've lived your life during his heart-wrenching duet with the Baker, "No More". Kim Crosby is mesmerizing as Cinderella, and she brings an underrated sense of comedy and excitement to the role of the rags-to-riches servant who simply doesn't know what she wants. Barbara Bryne, as the over-the-top fanatical mother of the boy who climbs the beanstalk is a laugh-riot from start to finish, but proves her fantastic acting ability in her melodramatic death scene. With the exception of Chip Zien's cardboard portrayal of the Baker, the rest of the cast is equally fantastic, but two others stand out in particular: Joanna Gleason and Bernadette Peters. Ms. Gleason does a beautiful job as the Baker's Wife, flying into angry flurries, sorrowful confessions, sympathetic matriarchies, and comedic fits of joy left and right. And each emotion is entirely believable and utterly astounding. Top it all off with an awesome singing voice and an incredible stage presence and you have an A-list actress in an A-list role. And last, but most certainly not least, the ever-enchanting Bernadette Peters. As always, Ms. Peters is stunning in her portrayal of the Witch. Her beautiful voice and porcelain-doll appearance fit the role magnificently. She is one of the best actresses of all history, and she fits perfectly into the role of the obsessive mother who only wants to be loved. She is in equal doses silly, flighty, shrill, mean, loving, and haunted, and this role will, for me anyway, never belong to anyone except for Bernadette.Besides the acting, this show is simply a wonderful story. It's a fable, a parable of sorts, of growing up and a reflection of society. At every turn, we learn lessons that will do us good to remember: "Nice is different than good" (as Little Red Riding Hood puts it), appearances can be deceiving, everyone wants to feel needed, sometimes you just have to take chances, our lives can change unexpectedly, being underhanded and sneaky won't do anything but get you in trouble, and, of course, "No one is alone". Among many, many others.So, if you're looking for a great show with excellent music, brilliant acting, a fabulous story, and a nice lesson at the end, this is it! Go out and buy it today!