I'm thinking of maybe-sort of-kind of-a little bit-starting to get the idea-to tinker with and work on a little something and I'm curious to know from the people here who were really introduced to theater and became interested in it because of the PBS airing of INTO THE WOODS.
I've always said that broadcast had a profound impact on me as an 11 year old and I know I wouldn't have the love of theater I have now (and consequently be here where I am now in the city) had that not aired when it did.
So I'm very curious to know who else feels this way or who doesn't, even.
Yes, I vividly remember being seven years old and watching it and being transfixed. I'd been to Broadway already--I saw my first Broadway show at 4--but nothing affected me the way INTO THE WOODS did. I watched SUNDAY almost immediately after because I was hooked, and that changed my life even more.
I don't know if this is exactly what you're looking for, but the INTO THE WOODS broadcast was one of the biggest reasons I got into Sondheim, which has really defined a lot of what I love about musical theatre. So I consider that broadcast being available for me to get at, say, the library as a kid as one of the reasons I love Sondheim's work (or even theatre in general) as much as I do. (PS, I love this thread already. Great idea, Jordan!)
The PBS airing of into the woods is exactly what got me interested in theater. I believe I was 12 and I remember shortly after it started our power went out. I was so disappointed that my mother drove me to my grandmothers house so I could continue to watch it. I fell in love with Sondheim, Bernadette peters and Joanna Gleason in the same night!!!
I think in an even larger sense, the fact that so many Sondheim shows were recorded and are readily available provide young people who get their hands on them with a chance to really expose themselves to great art at a young age. I actually remember the Doyle COMPANY revival as being more profound in my life than probably any of the others, though INTO THE WOODS was certainly also significant.
Not Into the Woods...since I'm a tad older than you I think...but Sunday in the Park. The same principle applies, though. I live on the other side of the country, and if not for filmed musicals I may never have discovered Sondheim.
Though I was too young see it when it originally aired on PBS, a recording of the production was the first real taste of musical theater I ever had and certainly the moment I fell in love with it as an art form. I remember being excited when I purchased my own copy of the production and OBCR so I could listen to it over and over again because I loved how clever the lyrics were. Though, looking back, there were so many bits of word play I didn't appreciate until I got older.
Into the Woods was also my introduction to Sondheim. Having just graduated from college a few years ago, I've only been able to make it out to NYC a couple of times to see shows besides touring productions that pass through town, but both times it has been to see a Sondheim production. First it was A Little Night Music and most recently for Follies. As soon as the upcoming Shakespeare in the Park production was announced, I released a giddy squeal as I'll finally be able to fulfill that childhood dream of seeing a production of Into the Woods on Broadway! Well, hopefully. I've convinced a friend to camp out for tickets with me, so fingers crossed!
Hoo-boy, yes. I grew up listening to cast recordings, but ITW was the first musical that I felt was my own. I remember wanting to memorize the Witch's rap, and I did.
I didn't see 'Into the Woods' till I was teenager. Watching 'Beauty and the Beast' on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and may cousin playing Tootie in a school production of 'Meet Me in St. Louis' was my first introduction to musical theatre.
I didn't see the actual broadcast as I was 3 at the time. But when I was 7 I remember seeing the VHS in some novelty store in my town's mall. I knew nothing about it, but when my mom told me it was a musical I nearly threatened her to buy it for me. I watched it three times back to back that day. And every weekend for nearly two years. I remember for my 2nd grade Show and Tell day I did the entire Witch's "Greens Greens" rap from the Prologue.
the PBS broadcast of INTO THE WOODS is what got me into theater!
when I was in the 7th grade (1991/90) there was a black and white ad in our tv week for the airing of INTO THE WOODS using the logo.. thinking nothing of it, i thought it was going to be some dark horror movie on PBS... yeah I was certainly surprised that it wasn't! but i ended up loving it tremendously... recorded it on VHS and watched it pretty much every day... it's the show that definitely got me into theater (although I did school plays growing up I thought nothing much of it)
I believe that my grandma taped the broadcast and I'm told that I watched it over and over when I was 2. I definitely credit it as the beginning of my love for musical theater.
It wasn't my first exposure to Broadway (I'd seen a few shows by then), but it was my first Sondheim show and the first one I actually owned on video and could watch over and over again. I think that's why it made such a big impact on people at the time. I saw the SWEENEY TODD and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE videos shortly thereafter and was certifiably hooked.
While I can't say that about ITW specifically, I can say it about another Sondheim show, "Sweeney Todd". The OBC recording had the same profound impact on me that ITW had on you and influenced the path of my life. It also took my appreciation of theater and turned it into a love that persists to this day. That's when you know a work of art also speaks to you in a personal way.
The ITW cast recording had a similar impact on me as well.
I didn't see it until I was about 16 because I was a young child when it was first broadcast. It was my first introduction not to Broadway, but to Sondheim, and I fell in love.
Into the Woods wasn't what really first introduced me to theatre. That would probably have to be stuff like Evita, JCS, Fiddler - since they were the records my parents had around the house when I was a kid (born in '92).
But the Sondheim production tapings (in particular Into the Woods and Company) were what introduced me to the theatre I love now, and definitely changed my appreciation for what theatre could be. I first saw them in high school, and they had the most significant impact on me because they were a major factor in my growing love for it.
They are also most likely a big reason as to why I became interested in plays in addition to musicals (no idea why, but it was only then I started wanting to read and see plays also) This pretty much led to me wanting to study arts/theatre management and hopefully have a career within that field.
I certainly loved movie musicals when I was a kid and had a little tape of some re-recorded Broadway hits, so I knew a few shows and songs. I was always more into film than theatre. I remember making a fairy tale film with some friends in the 7th or 8th grade and someone saying that I should check out Into the Woods for inspiration. I did and needless to say, I was hooked.
I started buying more cast recordings, seeing all the movie musicals I missed, going to the occasional community theatre production here and there and actually participating in the musicals at my school.
I did Anything Goes my junior year and got the part of Moonface, which was pretty huge. Words couldn't express how much I enjoyed being up on stage. I had newfound respect for musicals.
Imagine my surprise when, my senior year, they picked Into The Woods for that year's musical. I got to play The Baker, which was beyond thrilling. During that production, I started absorbing all things Sondheim. I rented the OBCs of Company, Sweeney, and Night Music from my local library and devoured them. I couldn't believe how amazing they were. I remembered getting chills up and down my spine when Stritch sang The Ladies Who Lunch.
I ended up seeing the taped productions of Sweeney and Sunday and loving them. This was also the same year that the recording of Doyle's Company and Burton's Sweeney movie were released. Those helped an awful lot, too. Seeing Patti LuPone's performance of Everything's Coming Up Roses on the Tony's that year sparked an interest in Gypsy. I had never seen or heard that song performed in context before and it thrilled me.
I believe it didn't air till '89 or '90. I was already a musical theatre freak, but I admit whenever I had read about Sondheim's shows they always sounded really weird. I stumbled upon ITW on PBS, someway during the second act and was transfixed. At the time it wasn't on VHS, as it was a laserdisc only special promotion (a bit like Madonna's Blond Ambition tour), which was damn frustrating.
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joined:10/9/05
Posted: 4/27/12 at 08:49pm