Star-studded ‘Into the Woods’ comes to S.F.’s Curran Theatre
Star-studded cast brings hit Broadway revival of iconic Sondheim musical to Curran Theatre.
There’s never a bad time to go “Into the Woods.”
With catchy and intricate songs by Stephen Sondheim and a witty book by James Lapine, the 1987 musical is a magically funny, melancholy and touching mashup of beloved fairy tales, exploring what happens after “happily ever after.”
But the production visiting San Francisco’s Curran Theater for a six-day run is something truly special, featuring the most of the actual cast of last year’s acclaimed Broadway revival, including at least nine members of the opening night cast such as Gavin Creel as Cinderella’s Prince and the Big Bad Wolf, Cole Thompson as Jack and David Patrick Kelly as the Narrator.
“We have 95 percent of our Broadway company on the road,” marvels Montego Glover, who plays the Witch. “It is extraordinarily rare. It truly, honestly, never happens. We did a little research, and I think maybe the last time was in the ’30s, that a Broadway company pulled up stakes and moved with the show. These are limited engagements. We are not a national touring company of ‘Into the Woods.’ We are the Broadway company, moving across the country.”
Glover may be familiar to Bay Area audiences from starring in the musical “Memphis” at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley before moving on to Broadway, where she earned a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk Award for the show. Some of her other Broadway shows include “The Color Purple” and playing Fantine in “Les Misérables.”
This production started in May of last year at New York City Center Encores!, directed by artistic director Lear deBessonet, and moved to Broadway in July to rave reviews.
“It was revived at City Center as a love letter to Stephen Sondheim,” says Glover. “We lost him, and for those of us who love the theater, who love musical theater, who love music, he was a titan. What we didn’t know is that we had created a bit of a touchstone. Having come through something as awful as COVID and much political and racial and social unrest in our country brought to the forefront this kind of awakening, this unsettling in an effort to do better and to grow.”
“And it turns out ‘Into the Woods’ touched on all of that for all of our audiences,” adds Glover. “It was a perfect voicing of delight, despair, depression, upset, anger, fury, love, hope, hurt, all of it, the human experience.”
“People talk about our particular production as being a stripped-down version, and I don’t necessarily agree,” says Sebastian Arcelus, who plays the Baker. “I think our souls are somewhat bared after these last few years. And what this particular show does is it just focuses. It focuses in on these lyrics, and it focuses in on the genius of the book. And with the orchestra on stage with us, it focuses in on the music.”
Arcelus and Glover each performed in college productions of “Into the Woods,” Arcelus as the Baker and Glover as Little Red Riding Hood. Also known for his TV roles on “House of Cards” and “Madam Secretary,” Arcelus’ star turns on Broadway have included “Jersey Boys,” “Good Vibrations” and “Elf the Musical.”
Costarring as the Baker’s Wife is Arcelus’ actual wife, Stephanie J. Block. A Tony Award winner for “The Cher Show,” Block has also had starring roles in Broadway’s “The Boy from Oz,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “9 to 5.”
Her last time at the Curran was understudying Elphaba in “Wicked” in its 2003 pre-Broadway premiere. Playing that role two years later on the first U.S. National Tour was where Block first met Arcelus, appropriately enough playing her love interest.
An “Into the Woods” fan since her teens, Block says playing the Baker’s Wife is a longtime wish come true.
“I think I put it out into the universe,” Block says. “I have a little podcast of my own, and once I heard it was hitting City Center and that Sara Bareilles was playing the role, I was speaking with my co-host and co-producer and I said, ‘Man, if ever there was a chance, if perhaps Sara went on to do a movie or something else, I would love to get in there.'”
She got her wish.
“When Sebastian and I and our daughter were in Norway, of all places, I received a call from my agent. I picked up and they said, ‘I think they want you to play the Baker’s Wife on Broadway in ‘Into the Woods,’” Block recalls. “I said, ‘That’s amazing! Is there any chance that Sebastian could play the Baker?’ And they said, ‘Believe it or not, yeah. Brian (d’Arcy James) is off to do a major motion picture, and there are going to be seven to eight weeks where he’s unable to do the Broadway run.’”
“I don’t even know if our casting team and our producing team knew how these characters resonate with us,” says Arcelus. “Stephanie is certainly more direct, and she’s a strong, independent person. I am a bit more wishy-washy, a little more anxious, sensitive, much like the Baker. We’ve been married 15 years, and we had difficulty having a child. It took us over five years to have a child. We understand what that struggle is.”
“Woods” writer Lapine had witnessed that journey, having worked with Block on the off-Broadway musical “Little Miss Sunshine” and later on the Broadway revival of “Falsettos.” Now the couple has their daughter along with them on tour.
“As a woman who wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to have children, when the Witch says your family will be barren, I feel this deep hole in my stomach,” Block attests.
“The audience is focused on the ridiculous comedy of it all, but how precious and deep and weighty these moments for us are. I think it translates. I think there is an unspoken understanding that we carry with these roles. The audience may not know exactly why they are feeling so comfortable with our relationship, but we certainly know why. And it helps fuel our storytelling like I can’t even tell you.”
“I love that ‘Into the Woods’ meets our audiences exactly where they are,’” says Glover. “If you’re a kid seeing it, it’s one thing. If you are just starting out as a young adult, it’s another. If you’re a married couple, if you’ve had a loss of any kind, ‘Into the Woods’ has a sort of universality that underlines how connected we all are in our human experience. It’s there for everyone.”
Contact Sam Hurwitt at shurwitt@gmail.com, and follow him at Twitter.com/shurwitt.
‘INTO THE WOODS’
By Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, presented by BroadwaySF
When: June 20-25
Where: Curran Theater, 445 Geary St., San Francisco
Tickets: $60-$299; 415-358-1220, www.sfcurran.com