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Happy Now and Happy Hence! Inside the INTO THE WOODS Movie Premiere in NYC!
Nov 8, 2022
The highly anticipated film INTO THE WOODS had its premiere last night, December 8th at New York's City's Ziegfeld Theatre. The film, which hits theaters on December 25th, is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests.
BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge was on the red carpet for the fairytale premiere and below, you can check out interviews with all of the stars, including James Corden, Emily Blunt, Billy Magnussen, Lilla Crawford, and even a bit from Meryl Streep herself!
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Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
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Stephen Sondheim and James O'Pine's beloved musical, Into the Woods, hits the big screen
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where we'll open nationwide on Christmas Day. And I'm here at the Ziegfeld Theater
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for the New York premiere on the red carpet where the stars came out to celebrate
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How exciting is this? It's like the best of Broadway and the best of Hollywood. Yeah, it's really Broadway goes Hollywood
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in like the most literal way. It's unbelievable. What have you heard about the film
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I've heard that it's incredible. I've heard that like they kind of couldn't have done better, which I'm really so happy to hear about
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because this show is sacred to everybody. I've seen it twice already
0:33
It's really superb. Rob Marshall has done such a gorgeous job on this. You knew the show well
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Did you do it before? I did it my senior year of high school. Who did you play? The Baker
0:43
Yeah. And I grew up with that recording, like everybody. I know every line
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So I'm hoping I don't sing along. That would be really... Oh, you should. No, no, no
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They'll eventually do the sing-along like they did with the sound of music. Yeah, maybe later
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Maybe when it's out on DVD. What makes it such a beloved musical? Well, it's so universal
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I mean, it's these archetypal characters that we all grew up with, like not the characters from the musical, but Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella
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these stories that we all know sort of like turned inside out and cracked open to find the most human part of them
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So we all connect with them immediately. Everyone has their memory of growing up listening to the story of Little Red Riding Hood
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and also everyone's felt like they've been lost in the woods in their life. So it's just like incredibly universal
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I'm so happy to be here. I've been waiting for this movie for so long, and it's going to be awesome
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I just know it. I've seen it twice. I've been telling everybody. What have you heard so far
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I've heard that Meryl Streep is phenomenal, and I can't wait to see her
1:41
I'm very curious to see what Johnny Depp does with the role. I'm sure he's great
1:46
I just love Sondheim, and I love the fact that they're making more movie musicals now
1:52
and it's great to see. What have you heard? I've heard only amazing things, and they've done a great adaptation
1:57
You know, the thing is, I've never seen the stage play, and I'm not that familiar with the music either
2:02
so I'm looking forward to being bowled over. It's going to blow you away. I've seen this twice already, the film, and I'm a huge fan of the stage show
2:08
So talk about life over at Les Mis. You know, it's still going. It's going strength to strength
2:14
We're having a great time, you know. Some cast members have come and gone, and it's just a great ride still
2:19
And we're looking forward. We've just done a great new photo shoot, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they turn out
2:23
Just talk about audiences' reaction. Audiences love the show. They adore you in this show
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What that means to you and what that's like. Well, to be welcomed into this new town with a show I love
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and a show that loves all around the world. You hope you did a good service to it
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and I hope I'm doing that as a fan as well as an actor in the show. How excited are you to be here tonight
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I am just so very excited to be here. You know, James O'Pine, he put me on Broadway, my first Broadway show
2:50
Yeah, Spelling Bee. Yeah, so I'm happy to celebrate the movie with him. What have you heard
2:54
well, I kind of saw a screening of it a couple of days ago. And I loved it
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I was like, I have to see it again. And I got the invite. I was like, I will be here. Everyone, this entire cast is just brilliant
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And the music, of course, is brilliant. And I'm just glad to see it again. Yeah
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And I'm so excited for them. Stephen Sondheim and James have wanted this to be done
3:12
for such a long time. And it was finally done. Finally. Finally. Done right
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Yes. Oh, man, it's done right. There's nothing wrong about this movie at all. I never got to see it on Broadway
3:22
but I get to see the premiere of the movie, so I can't wait. Now, you've auditioned for James Lapine before, right
3:28
Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Spelling Bee, my first show on Broadway. So he was in the room
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So it was great. And I was doing a regional production of Into the Woods when I auditioned for Spelling Bee
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Who did you play in Into the Woods? I played the wolf and the steward. And usually the wolf is with the prince
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So when I looked at James, he said, who are you playing? I said, I'm playing the wolf and the steward. And James' wonderful voice, he goes, that's interesting
3:49
And I was like, wow, he's a really nice guy. And he actually is
3:53
He's got a heart of gold. And I thank him all the time when I see him for giving me my first Broadway show
3:57
And I'm so glad I get to support him here with his movie. What was it like working with him on Spelling Bee
4:02
He's a genius. He's a quiet genius, but a genius at that. He can see things that you're doing
4:07
And sometimes he can see what you're about to do and he'll stop you and go, no, no, no, don't do that. I know where you're going to go with that
4:12
That's not where this scene needs to go. And you're like, wow, he just, he knew what I was going to do
4:15
He's great. He's also a fantastic writer. And I think he doesn't get enough credit for what he does
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I mean, most people don't realize he wrote the book to Into the Woods, and he wrote the script for this movie
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So it's kind of nice to have the man who put it on stage put it on film as well
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What have you heard about the film? I've heard it's fantastic, and I'm a huge fan
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And I mean, I have all the soundtracks, the London and the Broadway, and I also have the video when they did it with Bernadette Peters
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So I'm looking forward to just seeing everything tonight. How excited are you to be here tonight
4:43
Yes, I'm thrilled to be here. It came up at the last minute, and I said, yes, absolutely, I want to be there
4:51
This is a great premiere of a great film. I certain the story is going to translate well from the stage to the screen Well I seen it twice already It gorgeous You you gonna have the best time tonight a new disney movie and now you in a big disney show aladdin tell me how life is over at the new amsterdam well it maddeningly wonderful i mean
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we're standing ovations nightly sometimes standing ovations even in the first act which is never
5:18
seen never done and we're that's your entrance your entrance wouldn't that be wonderful no it's
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the genie. The genie is amazing. And this entire cast in Aladdin is just so wonderful. I'm proud
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to be a part of it. It's my eighth Broadway show, but goodness, I've never had a better group of
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people around me. It's just a wonderful thing. How excited are you to be here tonight? It's crazy
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It's crazy. It's crazy. I'm so excited to be here, man. I mean, from a Disney show to a Disney film
5:48
I mean, what's going on over at Lion King? You know, I think it's time. I think it's time to Lion King makes a jump back like this to us
5:53
Yeah, I think it'd be great. What have you heard about the film? Good things. Nothing but good things
5:57
I want to see Johnny Depp. I really want to see Johnny Depp get down with some music, man. It should be fun
6:01
How's life over at Lion King? It's great. 17 years going. It's great times, man
6:05
Tell me what it was like working with Rob Marshall again and working on this film. Well, it was great to collaborate with Rob on such an exciting..
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It's my second Sondheim project, my first with Rob. And it was just a thrill to do such a complex, beautiful story as Into the Woods
6:21
Was it a dream for you, like a fantasy, the same way to design this world, a fairy tale world
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I mean, you can't get more fantasy than a fairy tale, so it was great not only designing one fairy tale
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but designing several that are woven together in a story. It was a huge challenge and a very interesting experience for me
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What was the easiest costume for you to design, and what was the hardest for you to design or come up with
6:46
They were all hard. They were stunning. No, it was a lot of handwork
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It's really, for me, really an act of love toward craft. We did a lot of textile work on everything, which was really fun
7:01
And I think, I don't know, I think the witch's transformation is always a challenge, how you do it
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And, you know, everyone else, I just had a great time doing it
7:13
Tell me how cool it was to live in the world of Stephen Sondheim, James of Pine, and Rob Marshall
7:18
Oh, it's just amazing, you know, like the experience as well, to work with them and to even meet them
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It's just unbelievable, you know, it's amazing. Did you know the show before
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No, I actually watched it on a DVD, the whole show, and it just blew me away, you know, it's just amazing, yeah
7:33
So what was it like working with Sondheim? Did he give you some notes? Did you sing with him
7:36
Tell me what happened. Yeah, I did sing with him, and he's just the greatest guy on earth
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you know, he's top dog, you know, he's amazing. And working with his cast? the cast like james calder millstreet manna kendrick etc they're just amazing like good
7:51
friends for me as well like they're really decent yeah they're really nice and a lot of your scenes
7:56
of course with tracy ullman who played your mom what was it like working with her she's just really
8:01
funny like totally funny uh she's amazing like she's in a way she's a second mom because like
8:06
she's really caring and she loves me and uh yeah it's amazing yeah if you could sum up the best
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part of working on this film? What was it for you? Well, probably just like meeting everyone, really
8:18
So like James Corden and that. It was just making friends. New friends, yeah. A new start, yeah. Congratulations
8:24
I love this. Have you seen it yet? I did see it. I've seen it
8:28
You had the best time. I loved it. And I, you know, just made me cry
8:33
Just tell me what it was like living in that world of Sondheim, James of Pine, and working with Rob Marshall
8:38
Fantastic. I mean, working in that wood We built that studio with trees and birds living in the trees
8:47
and Rob and horses galloping through and my cow. We were in the woods
8:54
It smelled very earthy. It was wonderful. Singing a Sondheim musical, is it on the bucket list
9:01
Do you pinch yourself? It was fantastic. The bits I got to do, I just loved it
9:05
It was really a joy. It's all glamorous and wonderful here tonight
9:09
Tell me what it was like working on this, working in the Stephen Sondheim, James Upine, and Rob Marshall world
9:14
Well, I know all of them from having worked with them before, so it was just like entering a world that I know and that I love
9:23
and that I felt so privileged to be in this because it is a movie musical of Steve's work
9:29
one of his great scores. I'm not sure he has any score that's not great
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but this is like really just so lends itself to being made into a movie
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so to have been asked to be and it was like oh my gosh how lucky am I and Meryl you know doing
9:44
another musical with Meryl yeah it's all there was no downside except that I had to commute
9:49
back and forth to London and I wish I had been able to just hang out with the cast more in London
9:57
and rehearse more with them but I was on the first plane out as soon as I finished you know but that that was not a problem How lucky was I Is it all surreal doing a big you know you working with Rob Marshall It like old Hollywood
10:09
musicals. Yeah. Working with Rob makes you feel like you're in, like it's old Hollywood
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MGM. Yeah, it was really, it was really exciting. How do you feel tonight? I'm just excited. I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to celebrate
10:23
this movie and we filmed it over a year ago. So just to have the opportunity to be together again
10:27
and I haven't seen it yet. I love it. No one's seen this. No, it's like, come on. But I'm excited because it makes
10:33
this even more exciting. It is terrific. It is so wonderful. Tell me
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what it was like working on this film, working with Rob Marshall, Stephen Sondheim, James Zepine
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A gift. I keep saying the word gift, but it was a dream come true just to have these so
10:47
talented people, artists, all in the same room and from Broadway, from film, from everything. Just to be a part of that and to learn from
10:58
that was a gift. It was a big gift. Did you work with Meryl Streep? It's like no words. It was incredible. I mean, just to be in the room and to have that
11:09
time. The rehearsal process that Rob set up, I think was amazing for us because we really
11:14
got a chance to explore the world and understand like how would Rapunzel carry her hair? I
11:19
You know, these things, but we really had time to find it together. And the fact that I got to do that with Meryl was unbelievable
11:28
Like, I was just saying it was so much of a dream that I didn't even dream it
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You know what I mean? Like, I didn't sit around thinking, I'm going to do that one day
11:36
But the fact that it happened just felt like it was incredible
11:40
It really was. If you could sum up the best part of the experience, what was it for you working on this film
11:45
The people, honestly. The people. It was such a wonderful sense about the whole thing
11:51
because every single cast member was excited and just excited about bringing this to film
11:57
How about how exciting this was to turn into a film? So exciting. We had both seen it, both Rob and I
12:03
So when it came up and we said we would do it, we were just like scared because we wanted to honor that
12:09
the joy and the motion that we felt in the original. But we had to adapt it for film
12:15
So it was just a great job. And we had James, of course, James the Pine
12:19
And we had Steve. So they were there, and they wanted to change more than we did
12:23
We were like, you know, let's hold on to that. No, we like that. So they were really
12:28
Hello. Hi. It's a nice time. Oh, hi. How are you? Oh, hello
12:33
This is Annie. Richard, how are you? Yes, hi. I was going to ask you about the cast. Tell me what it was like working for him
12:38
I don't even recognize her. So tell how it was to work with me and Rob. And I'm standing right here
12:43
It was terrible. No, I'm kidding. They're so awesome. They're great. You feel like the best to work for, aren't they
12:51
Yeah, you guys are so sweet, too. You guys are so nice. Remember that, like, handshake that we did on that fridge
12:56
Do you remember that? What was it? Doing it forever. Yeah, it was like, I don't know. And Robbie's like, we got a film
13:00
Yeah, yeah, Rob was like, can we please film the movie? We can't have a movie to film
13:05
And we were like. But she's used to our process because we come from theater, as you know
13:08
So we rehearse. We let the actors get to know their characters and get to know each other and get confident
13:13
and then we go to film, we throw it all away and we have fun. Yes
13:17
So you understand that process. Yes. So that's why it was. Getting to work with James Pine again
13:22
Yes, that was amazing. I mean, he's a good friend of mine. The reason we went to see Annie
13:27
is because we were working with James and he said, you know, come see my show
13:30
And we were like, this girl can act. Aw. This girl. Thank you
13:34
We were like, yeah. With all the little girls who were watching it, Rob and I were like, so, so
13:39
Aw, thank you. Isn't it great how it all starts in theater? Yes
13:43
I love that. I love theater. The theater. Okay, if you could sum up the best part of working on this film for you, what was it
13:51
When Johnny Depp was picking leaves out of my head. That's a different story, but that was my favorite
13:56
Tell me what it was like living in the world of Stephen Sondheim, James LaPine, and Rob Marshall
14:01
Well, we had a moment where Stephen Sondheim actually walked into the room
14:05
went to the piano, changed notes on a piece of paper, thanked us, and walked out
14:10
and Anna Kendrick and I literally cried. I mean, it was an astonishing time
14:15
with all the greats and masters in the business. Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp
14:20
I mean, this was really the best of the best. And if this movie isn't the best movie
14:24
that came out in decades, then we're all in trouble because it has all the most fabulous people in it
14:31
and working on it. Working with the cast. Yeah, Meryl Streep, amazing
14:36
She's from Newark. I love the Jersey girls. She's a Tracy girl
14:41
Tracy Ullman. Oh my gosh, she was fabulous. Cracking jokes the whole time
14:46
James Corden. I mean, it's a very serious thing to work for Disney, yes
14:50
but it seems like they hire people that don't want to do anything but laugh and have a great time and how confident in themselves
14:57
So there no big egos to get in the way Everyone just doing their own thing and it was a good time You were so wonderful in this film Tell me what it was like doing a musical Very exciting and very challenging
15:08
but I couldn't be more grateful and honored to be a part of it. Rob created this beautiful world
15:13
Sondheim wrote a beautiful musical. The fact that I got to be
15:17
a part of it, I couldn't be more thankful and blessed. It's crazy. It really is
15:23
Your number in there with Chris is amazing how it's shot in the water and everything else
15:27
What was it like shooting Agony? Cold. It was cold. Very cold
15:32
Very cold. A lot of leather. A lot of tights in there. It was a lot of stuff
15:36
Yeah. Did you get to work one-on-one with Sondheim at all? Did he give you any kind of notes or anything during the process
15:41
Tell me. Actually, when we were recording with the orchestra, I came in and he's like, remember, it's a love story
15:45
He doesn't ever look at you. Remember, it's a love story. And then he goes back into the recording booth and we look out at him and he's like
15:52
just passed out sleeping. That's a good sign, I guess. That's a good sign. He hears
15:56
Nobody hears it being done right. Yeah, exactly. That's what I hope
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That's what I hope. Doing a big, splashy Hollywood musical, was it surreal for you
16:06
Yeah, of course. Yeah. It was not surreal. It was just a job, you know
16:11
And I was really grateful that I was a part of it. Working with Rob Marshall. Brilliant
16:16
What was it like? Awesome. Rob, he really gives you an artistic voice
16:21
And he choreographs this musical so well. I really like Rob, and I'm glad I could call him a friend now, honestly
16:30
Were you the biggest prankster on the set? No. Who was? Tell me who was
16:35
No. Give me a hint, male or female? I was causing some ruckus
16:41
I would bet James was pretty bad. I didn't have any scenes with James, so the days we were there
16:46
Chris and I were setting stuff on fire, so it was good. Let's just talk about working on this film, what it meant to you
16:54
I mean, you know, doing a big musical, I mean, doing a Sondheim, James the Pine musical and working with Rob Marshall
16:58
It's a dream come true for any for anyone, let alone me. Like, you know, when Rob asked me to come and do the workshop in New York, I was convinced that he would cast that when it came to it, he would cast someone very famous to play this part
17:13
And to be here now in the film, like I just dreamt of being on it on stage, let alone at the moment that it's committed to film, you know
17:23
So I'm very, very proud to be part of it. Right, singing for Sondheim
17:29
Surreal. What kind of notes did he give you? What do you remember? I just think his overwhelming note was to really enjoy it, you know
17:36
from what I can see. That's a good note. Yeah. I mean, I didn't have as big a singer as some of the other dudes, you know
17:44
Tell me what it was like living in the world of Stephen Sondheim, James of Pine and Rob Marshall
17:49
I could tell you would like to be in that world. I love Rob. Yeah, it was magical
17:54
I mean, Rob sort of creates this environment where you feel that you can do anything
17:59
that anything is possible, and gives you such confidence, which we all needed singing in front of each other
18:05
and in front of the world now. And he just allows you to try anything
18:10
And having Stephen Sondheim there was extraordinary at the prerecords. And seeing him so moved by hearing his music
18:18
this lush and this full, because he's only ever heard it with like a 15-piece pit band
18:23
And yeah, it was an honor. Tell me what tonight means to you
18:27
This is so thrilling to bring this back to New York. You know, there's nothing like it
18:31
You do a Broadway musical for film. And to have that full circle is so magical for me
18:38
And also I have to say, there's nothing like a New York audience
18:43
Yeah, there isn't. Nothing. And just turning this from a stage piece into a film
18:49
Were there big challenges? What unlocked it for you? You know, in terms of unlocking it, the whole opening sequence
18:56
which is literally 16 minutes long, it was pretty much like that on stage, I have to say
19:01
I mean, we have obviously much more expanse to the piece, but the actual material was very cinematic on stage
19:07
very intercutting between so many different stories, and so I felt like there was a cinematic nature to the piece anyway
19:14
which was lovely. Meryl, what do the woods represent to you in the production
19:20
That's a very deep question I need three vodkas before I answer that
19:26
He's the smart guy He's the smart guy What do the woods
19:29
Well, you know, it's the crucible It's what you go into to resolve stuff
19:42
It's the tough part, into the woods and sometimes you go in and you get your wish
19:48
and sometimes your wish doesn't end up to be the thing that's good for you
19:53
You seem like such a charming person. Was it a stretch for you to betray a wish
19:58
It was so difficult. I don't know where I pulled it from, frankly
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