“Into the Woods Sr.” and other musicals tailored to older casts are the brainchild of Freddie Gershon, the company’s co-chairman, who first developed similarly shortened “Junior” productions more than 20 years ago for elementary and middle schools, earning him a Tony Awards honor. One performer sang and danced while using a wheelchair; another, playing Rapunzel, stood perched on a ladder for much of the show. Most relied on the pianist’s vamping to keep them on track with the rhythmically intricate songbook by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. “We didn’t lay back on challenging them to do a good job,” the director, Scott Klavan, said. It’s about reinventing yourself in a character — and the joyful whimsy of putting on a show.

Source: International New York Times July 05, 2019 16:52 UTC