The "Agony" is Over: A Movie Review of Disney's Into The Woods

Before Christmas, Into the Woods had bad reviews from it's initial premiere. Of course, there weren't musical theatre kids at that premiere. Heck, I'm willing to bet that there weren't kids at the premiere either. After Christmas, I read more positive than negative reviews. (example: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/why-into-the-woods-matters, or https://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2014/12/5-reasons-why-i-loved-the-into-the-woods-movie.html)

My thoughts on the film and why it is fantastic:

Into the Woods Logo

1. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim worked on the film. They both wrote the musical. Obviously they want the film to be extremely close to the show. 
2. Rob Marshall directed this as well as the film adaption of Chicago. That movie went onto win the Best Picture Oscar in 2003 (no movie musical had won since). Every choice that was made was clear and thought out. I really trusted him with this wonderful piece of musical theatre.
3. Rob Marshall stated that he wanted a Post 9/11 Fairy tale feel. His reasoning was because Fairy tales mean something depending on the time. I thought that the approach was intelligent and also very true.
4. It wasn't even Disney! So many people thought that it was going to be "Disney-fied" and everything would be more like Disney. That isn't true. In fact, this is the darkest Disney film I have seen (and possibly ever created). It stayed extremely true to the original show (even though there had to be some changes for timing reasons).
5. They cast singers, not just big name people! Sure, Anna Kendrick and Meryl Streep are the big name stars, but they cast the film based on their abilities. Jack was from the West End (remember Gavroche in Les Miserables two years ago? Same person). Little Red was Annie in the most recent revival of Annie. I could go on and on, but it would take hours to get through.

Emily Blunt as the Baker's Wife and James Cordan as the Baker

There are too many reasons why I loved the movie (as listed above). The only things I didn't hate, but also didn't love were:

• "Act 2" was jammed into the last 30 minutes of the movie. If they extended the run time to 2 hours 15 minutes, then it would have been perfect.
• Anna Kendrick had a complete 180 from Pitch Perfect. She had to embody a Classical Broadway sound for Cinderella. It is a challenge, and she managed to get that Broadway sound. There were hints of Classical in there, but not enough. She is too "modern Broadway" (as some of my friends called it), and that is why she'll be perfect in The Last Five Years. Cinderella wasn't the best fit for her, but she still did a pretty good job. 

Now what does Disney producing a musical so dark as INTO THE WOODS mean for other movie musicals? It means that many other musicals now have an opportunity to begin development. INTO THE WOODS grossed $13 Million on opening day. Disney took a chance on INTO THE WOODS, and it was a success. Could this mean that...

• Dreamworks could produce a movie version of Side Show?
• Nickelodeon could produce a movie version of Anything Goes? 
• Disney could produce a movie version of Hello, Dolly! ?

Who knows? The future looks bright for the movie musical world. I mean, as long as they continue to cast singers and not only big name stars, but also if they think of the future and giving the children the opportunity to experience culture. "Careful of the things you say, Children will listen".

"Anything can happen in the woods", and Disney proved that with Into the Woods, which is currently in theaters as of Christmas Day. I knew that the movie was going to be great, and my expectations were exceeded. They get a solid A from me. If they didn't cut down the second half of the story, it would have been a solid A+. 

Be careful what you wish for...

-Nathan Clift, 17, Trumbull High School

President of the Youth Board

The Little Mermaid Wasn't A Flop And I Can Prove It!

Tonight, ABC Family aired a 1-hour special dedicated to Disney's Broadway Musicals. From Beauty and the Beast to Aladdin, Disney Theatrical Productions have captivated audiences every year for 20 years. We also got confirmation that FROZEN will hit the Great White Way... at some point. However, there was little mention of The Little Mermaid, Tarzan, Aida, and no mention of the Broadway-Bound Hunchback of Notre Dame. Of course, those shows/ movies didn't do well, so why would Disney bother with them?

Maybe I'm being a little harsh on Disney. Then again, maybe I'm not...

I saw Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid on Broadway. Those where the first two shows I've seen. I loved both of them. The adults didn't. I'm going back to Disney, but first: Peter Pan Live! and a little boy named Iain.
(email viewers, try this link)

Iain is a little boy that reviews live theater. He stayed up to watch Peter Pan Live! and guess what: 

he loved it.

(email viewers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buue45huJbQ) 

I have the VHS tapes of Mary Martin as Peter Pan and Cathy Rigby as Peter Pan. I always loved watching them. No matter what time of the day it was, I could get invested in that musical. It's wonderful! However, Peter Pan Live! had a 47% viewer decrease after Sound of Music Live! Adults downgraded the special and so did some teens.

Lucky for me, I have the height and mind of a child. 

I loved it. I was amazed with what they were able to do with it and it brought me back to my childhood. You bet that when Tinkerbell was dying, 17 year old Nathan was clapping my hands and yelling "COME ON TINK! YOU CAN DO IT!" and it reminded me of small child me: shouting the same thing and possibly crying when Tinkerbell would sacrifice herself for Peter. 

Why does any of this matter?

We need to market to the children. I know that sounds odd and terrible, but it's true. (Now I'll go back to Disney)
I didn't care about the "issues" with The Little Mermaid Musical. When I was 10, I saw my favorite Disney film enacted onstage. To this day, it boggles my mind how they managed to do everything. However, it lasted one and half years and it was called a flop. Newsies ran 2 years and called a success. Disney must have forgotten the word "financial" somewhere in there.

We need to start thinking about the future of the world. If we can make a small child think that Ariel is swimming under the sea, 2 girls with different families are conjoined twins, Peter Pan can fly, or even that Lions are onstage, it is a success. That means that we, as thespians, have done our job. We created a memory for that child. We helped them grow as a person. We made them laugh/ cry/ yell at the sky. We created a world for that child. THAT is what's magical.

Yes, Frozen is coming to Broadway. Yes, Quasimodo and Esmeralda are as well. Before you shut down an idea, ask your child what they want to do. Chances are, if it is real for them, that's all that matters in life.

-Nathan Clift, 17
Trumbull High School
President of the Youth Board