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#37 - Ben Wright, the Original Jack

#37 - Ben Wright, the Original Jack

Ben Wright confesses how he struggled with the high notes and explains why he had thought Betty Buckley wasn't taken to Broadway. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

Dec 645 mins
#36 - Steve Saklad, Assistant to the Set Designer

#36 - Steve Saklad, Assistant to the Set Designer

Steve Saklad shares his experience assisting Set Designer Tony Straiges, with fascinating tidbits on color and light and Rapunzel's tower. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

Nov 2942 mins
#35 - Nancy Dussault, Replacement Witch

#35 - Nancy Dussault, Replacement Witch

Nancy Dussault opens up about her work with Stephen Sondheim and other legends across a career that straddles several eras from following Mary Martin in the original Sound of Music to following Bernadette Peters in Into The Woods.

Nov 221 h 5 mins
#34 - Joshua Ellis, Broadway Press Agent

#34 - Joshua Ellis, Broadway Press Agent

Joshua Ellis shares the secret to good press photos and confesses to his nightmare typo in the opening night Playbill. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

Nov 151 h 16 mins
#33 - Colleen Fitzpatrick, Broadway Understudy

#33 - Colleen Fitzpatrick, Broadway Understudy

Colleen Fitzpatrick shares why Sondheim is like Mozart and how Paul Gemignani graded all singers on a scale of A to F. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

Nov 853 mins
#32 - Stephen Dolginoff, Jack in James Lapine's Blocking Exercises

#32 - Stephen Dolginoff, Jack in James Lapine's Blocking Exercises

Stephen Dolginoff "played" Jack at the Westbeth Theater so James Lapine could experiment with staging ideas before starting rehearsals for the Old Globe premiere and he remembers every moment of this seminal experience from his time studying theater at NYU.

Nov 146 mins
#31 - Terry Burrell, Original Understudy and Replacement Lucinda

#31 - Terry Burrell, Original Understudy and Replacement Lucinda

Terry Burrell talks about her trepidations over "non-traditional casting" when she got the offer to understudy both stepsisters, how proud she was when Phylicia Rashad took over as the Witch (and later when Vanessa Williams starred in the revival).

Oct 2547 mins
#30 - Maureen Moore, the Witch on the Demos

#30 - Maureen Moore, the Witch on the Demos

Maureen Moore makes light of having to memorize "Boom Crunch" in order to keep up with her more musically literate costars on the demo recording and even how she had to quit Falsettos to convince to producers to let her out for Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall.

Oct 181 h 7 mins
#29 - John Bell, Sondheim's Intern at the Old Globe

#29 - John Bell, Sondheim's Intern at the Old Globe

As Sondheim's intern at the Old Globe, John Bell has fascinating insights into the lesbian subtext between the Witch and Rapunzel, why Ellen Foley was really replaced, and when Bernadette Peters first saw the show.

Oct 111 h 20 mins
#28 - Johnna Murray, the Original Stage Manager

#28 - Johnna Murray, the Original Stage Manager

Original Broadway Stage Manager Johnna Murray was in the trenches from the earliest readings and workshops and still has the scripts and scores to prove it, finally filling in some big holes about who did what and when!

Oct 41 h 10 mins
#27 - Pamela Winslow Kashani, the original Rapunzel

#27 - Pamela Winslow Kashani, the original Rapunzel

Original Broadway Rapunzel Pamela Winslow Kashani shares how she came up with the idea to sing the "ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah" obligado up the octave. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

Sep 2750 mins
#26 - Burke Moses, the Prince in the Final Workshop

#26 - Burke Moses, the Prince in the Final Workshop

For the first time ever, Burke Moses tells his harrowing (and hilarious) tale of getting hired for--and then promptly fired from--the original production of Into the Woods, just weeks before it was set to begin its Broadway production.

Sep 2056 mins
#25 - Mary Gordon Murray, the Baker's Wife on Tour and Broadway Replacement

#25 - Mary Gordon Murray, the Baker's Wife on Tour and Broadway Replacement

Mary Gordon Murray muses on the challenges of following in Joanna Gleason's footsteps and offers some insight into how the failure to move to Broadway by James Lapine's 1985 La Jolla Playhouse Merrily We Roll Along led to the birth of Into the Woods.

Sep 1334 mins
#24 - Philip Hoffman, the Original Steward and Understudy

#24 - Philip Hoffman, the Original Steward and Understudy

Philip Hoffman gives the inside scoop on Joanna Gleason's Baker's Wife backstory and what Betty Buckley was like as the Witch. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

Sep 61 h 5 mins
#23 - Betsy Joslyn, Replacement Witch on Broadway and on Tour

#23 - Betsy Joslyn, Replacement Witch on Broadway and on Tour

Betsy Joslyn has played more performances as the Witch in Into the Woods than anyone else in history. She opens up about how she got there and why Bernadette Peters was so amazing to stand by for. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

Aug 3052 mins
#22 - Scott Frankel, Assistant Conductor on Broadway

#22 - Scott Frankel, Assistant Conductor on Broadway

Tony nominated composer Scott Frankel dishes on Betty Buckley's arriving late and James Lapine's playing favorites--not to mention testy reed players--from his time on the final workshop and original Broadway productions.

Aug 231 h 5 mins
#21 - Carolyn Marlow, Understudy in the Original Cast and Final Workshop

#21 - Carolyn Marlow, Understudy in the Original Cast and Final Workshop

Original understudy Carolyn Marlow spills the TEA on what it was like to go on with Chip Zien, why she thinks Betty Buckley didn't make it to Broadway, and who her favorite replacement Witch was. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

Aug 1650 mins
#20 - Michael David, the Original Producer

#20 - Michael David, the Original Producer

Producer Michael David talks candidly about how the upside of Sondheim's art is the downside of the commercial theater and explains why Into the Woods was given one more final workshop on the eve of Broadway rehearsals.

Aug 953 mins
#19 - Ellen Foley, the Witch at the Old Globe

#19 - Ellen Foley, the Witch at the Old Globe

Ellen Foley opens up about why she thinks she was replaced as the Witch when Into the Woods opened on Broadway and how the show had changed by the time she joined its final company. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

Aug 235 mins
#18 - Lar Lubovitch, the Original Choreographer

#18 - Lar Lubovitch, the Original Choreographer

Choreographer Lar Lubovitch explains why his credit on Into the Woods was "Musical Staging by" and offers a vivid description of Betty Buckley's powerful performance as the Witch in the final workshop.

Jul 2624 mins
#17 - John Cameron Mitchell, Jack on the Demo Tracks

#17 - John Cameron Mitchell, Jack on the Demo Tracks

John Cameron Mitchell gives a rare deep dive into his career in musical theater before Hedwig, including his gig recording Into the Woods demos for an aborted CD-ROM project and auditioning for James Lapine.

Jul 1929 mins
#16 - Lauren Mitchell, the Original Lucinda

#16 - Lauren Mitchell, the Original Lucinda

Lauren Mitchell lets us in on what it was like producing two different revivals of the show she originally acted in and why returning to the stage in the City Center Encores production didn't whet her appetite to perform more.

Jul 121 h 1 min
#15 - Chuck Wagner, the Original Rapunzel's Prince

#15 - Chuck Wagner, the Original Rapunzel's Prince

Chuck Wagner chats about what he turned down to create the role of Rapunzel’s Prince and why he was unavailable for the pre-Broadway workshop. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

Jul 535 mins
#14 - Joy Franz, the Original Stepmother

#14 - Joy Franz, the Original Stepmother

Broadway veteran Joy Franz explains where the Stepmother's song was supposed to happen and gives the gory details on the development of fan favorite moments like her stabbing her daughter's prosthetic heel.

Jun 281 h 13 mins
#13 - Kim Crosby & Robert Westenberg, the Original Cinderella and Cinderella's Prince/The Wolf

#13 - Kim Crosby & Robert Westenberg, the Original Cinderella and Cinderella's Prince/The Wolf

Married couple Kim Crosby and Robert Westenberg tell their real life fairy tale of meeting as actors in Into the Woods, how the show brought them together, and what's it's been like to live as part of its legacy.

Jun 211 h 5 mins
#12 - Jeff Blumenkrantz, Rapunzel's Prince in the Pre-Broadway Workshop/Replacement Jack on Broadway

#12 - Jeff Blumenkrantz, Rapunzel's Prince in the Pre-Broadway Workshop/Replacement Jack on Broadway

Jeff Blumenkrantz delivers the DISH on Into the Woods, working with Betty Buckley in the final workshop to breaking the news that Burke Moses had originally been cast as a prince. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

Jun 1440 mins
#11 - Joanna Merlin & John Lyons, the Original Casting Directors

#11 - Joanna Merlin & John Lyons, the Original Casting Directors

Joanna Merlin and John Lyons reunite for the first time in years to talk about the challenges of replacing Bernadette Peters and how quickly old fashioned gatekeepers got over their preconceived notions about "non-traditional casting" when television star Phylicia Rashad triumphed on Broadway.

Jun 750 mins
#10 - Paul Ford, the Original Pianist

#10 - Paul Ford, the Original Pianist

Paul Ford spills the tea on everything from the songs that that got away to the auditioned stars who didn't make the cut. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

May 311 h 13 mins
#9 - Ann Hould-Ward, the Original Costume Designer

#9 - Ann Hould-Ward, the Original Costume Designer

Ann Hould-Ward offers a fascinating peak into her process designing the iconic costumes for Into the Woods, from the Witch's transformation to her many attempts to get the Wolf's genitals just right.

May 2451 mins
#8 - Jack O'Brien, Artistic Director of the Old Globe where Into the Woods was produced before Broadway

#8 - Jack O'Brien, Artistic Director of the Old Globe where Into the Woods was produced before Broadway

Jack O'Brien shares his decades long love of Into the Woods, from his initial excitement about producing the out of town tryout to the moment early on he decided not to give any more notes. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

May 2433 mins
#7 - Christine Estabrook, the Baker's Wife in the First Reading at Playwrights Horizons

#7 - Christine Estabrook, the Baker's Wife in the First Reading at Playwrights Horizons

Christine Estabrook breaks the news on her casting in the first reading of Into the Woods at Playwrights Horizons and how strange it was to be a non-singer starring in a new musical. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

May 2413 mins
#6 - Howard McGillin, Cinderella's Prince and the Wolf in the Playwrights Horizons Workshop

#6 - Howard McGillin, Cinderella's Prince and the Wolf in the Playwrights Horizons Workshop

Howard McGillin gives the scoop on his casting in the Playwrights Horizons workshop of Into the Woods, what it was like to hear Sondheim sing his song, why he didn't do the show on Broadway and how the Master never let him forget it.

May 1746 mins
#5 - Joanna Gleason, the Original Baker's Wife

#5 - Joanna Gleason, the Original Baker's Wife

Joanna Gleason opens up about her star-making role, discussing her legendary audition when she didn't have an uptempo ("I said no, I don't, but I can sing this one really, really fast.") and the good luck omen that blew into her car window during the pre-Broadway run in San Diego.

May 1749 mins
#4 - Ira Weitzman, the Original Dramaturg

#4 - Ira Weitzman, the Original Dramaturg

Ira Weitzman gets into the weeds with Into the Woods, from giving Sondheim a pep talk to tricking Lapine into casting Chip Zien, he lays out every step of the process turning a sketchy draft of the book at Playwrights Horizons into a full-fledged Broadway musical.

May 171 h 44 mins
#3 - Danielle Ferland, the Original Little Red Riding Hood

#3 - Danielle Ferland, the Original Little Red Riding Hood

Danielle Ferland dives into the dilemma of balancing Broadway roles with middle school and how Bernadette Peters does not run around naked backstage. Join host Ben Rimalower for this candid conversation exploring how Sondheim and Lapine went Into the Woods.

May 101 h 5 mins
#2 - Chip Zien, the Original Baker

#2 - Chip Zien, the Original Baker

Chip Zien charts his journey Into the Woods from James Lapine's dissatisfaction with his performance as a prince in the first reading to the night late in the Broadway run, he walked in on Stephen Sondheim all alone and crying in his darkened dressing room.

May 101 h 6 mins
#1 - James Lapine, the Bookwriter and Original Director

#1 - James Lapine, the Bookwriter and Original Director

James Lapine lets us into the origins of Into the Woods, from his very first conversations with Sondheim to Patti LuPone's audition for Cinderella, and ultimately the Broadway triumph and why it was important for him to direct the broadcast cameras rather than delegating the filming of the show to the director of the Golden Girls, as had been done for Sunday in the Park with George.

May 837 mins

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