BWW CD Reviews: INTO THE WOODS (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is Lushly Opulent

Disney's hit musical adaptation of INTO THE WOODS has been drawing in large chunks of change at the box office and has captured the attention of the world. Broadway fans haven't seen a film adaption of a musical make this big of a splash since CHICAGO hit silver screens in 2002. Cosmic coincidence or not, both films are directed by Rob Marshall and both feature legendary and well-beloved scores. Luckily for score enthusiasts, Walt Disney Records released 1 hour and 38 minutes worth of musical material across 2 discs, which has been broken into 50 palatable tracks.

In a lot of ways, it feels like Disney spared no expense on their two-disc deluxe edition release of INTO THE WOODS (Music From the Original Motion Picture). The film itself clocks in at 2 hours and 5 minutes, meaning that the album is only about 30 minutes shorter than the film. Furthermore, the film features some moments that are not underscored, so the release feels as though that it captures every moment of music from the film, including the incidental underscoring. In fact, the only moment missing from the deluxe release is the string arrangement of "Night Waltz" from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC that underscores the first evening of Cinderella's Prince's festival. Without a doubt, every sung moment is prominently featured on the recording (a fact that is mostly true for the standard one disc release too).

For me, the most alluring aspect of the Disney release is hearing Stephen Sondheim's brilliant score played by a large Hollywood orchestra. As with all of his music, the compositions are lush with nuance. With Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations and such a large number of skilled musicians bringing his work to life, every second of the recording is simply opulent, full, and beautiful. Across the tracks, the sentimental and stirring strings steal the spotlight time and time again. The woodwinds add texture, and the brass and minimal percussion are reserved to add depth and mystery. With these keen choices, the score springs to life with sentimentality and emotional intensity, which further aids the vocal performances delivered by the cast. Ultimately, the musicians make the score delightfully effective.

With tangible charisma, the all-star cast delivers vocal performances that surpassed my low expectations. Meryl Streep as The Witch chills and thrills with moments like "The Witch's Rap" from "The Prologue." Then, her deliveries of key songs like "Stay With Me" and "Last Midnight" are superbly layered with emotional sincerity and a pristinely utilized brassy belt. I was utterly disappointed by her performance in MAMMA MIA, but after INTO THE WOODS, I'm a believer again. Likewise, Emily Blunt, as The Baker's Wife, gives wonderfully strong performances on hit songs like "It Takes Two" and "Moments in the Woods." James Corden sings The Baker with charming heart, winning us over with songs like "It Takes Two" and "No One Is Alone." Anna Kendrick, a natural alto, is self-admittedly out of her vocal comfort range as Cinderella, but she owns numbers like "On the Steps Of the Palace," singing with clarity and precision. Lilla Crawford is wonderfully precocious as Little Red, making "I Know Things Now" a true stand out on the recording. Daniel Huttlestone's "Giants In the Sky" is vibrantly sung. Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen charm as they vocally compete for our affection and empathy on the cheeky song "Agony," and Chris Pine brings a dashing, debonair air to "Any Moment." Johnny Depp delivers the gravelly, aggressive tones he did as Sweeny Todd, making The Wolf both menacing and intriguing.

All of the muses and each of the theater gods have blessed this version of INTO THE WOODS, delivering audiences with a wonderful film and a truly wondrous cast recording. Sure, we can gripe about cut songs, changed lyrics, and moments that differ from the stage version for hours, but in the long run, the film adaption of INTO THE WOODS is rather faithful to its source material. The album, both in its standard and dual-disc release shows how much the producers and filmmakers valued the music an musical moments of this stage favorite, and is currently my favorite recording of the score. (Confession: I'm still hoping that the Roundabout Theatre Company's current Off-Broadway presentation of McCarter Theatre Center and Fiasco Theater's production of INTO THE WOODS will record an album of the entire score, but until then... I wish.)

Walt Disney Records digitally and physically released INTO THE WOODS (Music From the Original Motion Picture) in both a single disc and two-disc Deluxe Edition on December 15, 2014. The album can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, and elsewhere music is sold.

For information about other theatrical recording releases, click here.

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