![]() ![]() I got to work with him on a development of a show and I got to understand his approach and his mind and his abilities as a director and communicator. I have immense respect and admiration for James Lapine. You are such a good company that, frankly, I wish you would come back together every year for a two-month engagement.”īDJ: That means the world. In his note, he wrote: “You are all exceptional artists. James wrote to the company on opening night. Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade. Sara Bareilles and Brian d’Arcy James in Into the Woods. More than anything, I hope we’re honoring Steve’s legacy. James Lapine came to visit us in the rehearsal room and he said to us that Steve would’ve been so proud. I need to point out that this is the first Sondheim show on Broadway without Sondheim. And to be able to sit with this character and do my own interpretation of my Witch in a long legacy of phenomenal women is fantastic. The Witch is a role that you hope to be able to do at some point in your career. I feel so proud to be able to now at this moment tell this story. These are women I have so admired and have so much respect for and their work speaks for itself. PM: I feel so honored to be able to carry the torch now. Bernadette Peters, Phylicia Rashad, Vanessa Williams, Donna Murphy, Heather Headley… You’re in amazing company. Patina, I have to point out the legacy of the women who have played the Witch on the New York stage. I understood it theoretically, but I didn’t understand it emotionally. ![]() And the last time I played this part, 21 years ago, I had no reference point on that. I have a 20-year-old daughter now, so I can say I know exactly what that is. The first thing that comes to mind is listening to Patina sing to Alysia, who plays Rapunzel - that moment of a parent wanting to protect a child from growing up and having to launch themselves into the world. But how about approaching this show as a father? How has the show enlightened you in that regard?īRIAN D’ARCY JAMES: It completely changes my perspective on it. It was at a time when I lost my grandmother, and that song really got me through the mourning.īrian, if you’re a student of musical theater, you know Into the Woods. We did a couple of numbers from the show, and “No One Is Alone” is a song that really stood out to me. I got to do that and dive into the lyrics of it all and the music, and that’s when I fell in love with Into the Woods. I did a show called Being Alive with Billy, which was an R&B–gospel interpretation of Sondheim, with all his classic songs set to Shakespeare. I got to learn this material with Billy Porter when I got out of college. You’ve said that this show is near and dear to you. It just felt so surreal to be on a stage after so many years away. PATINA MILLER: My first night back, I was excited. Patina, this is your first time back on Broadway in almost a decade. NY1 journalist Frank DiLella recently caught up with James and Miller to talk tackling the late great Sondheim on stage, and more. James Theatre for a limited time and features an all-star cast, including Brian d’Arcy James as the Baker and Patina Miller as the Witch. Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s beloved musical Into the Woods has made the journey back to Broadway - and boy, is it everything you wished for and more! The revival, which debuted at New York City Center courtesy of the Encores! series in May, is playing the St. ![]()
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