Real-life married couple Stephanie J.
Block and Sebastian Arcelus anchor the cast of the national tour of Into the Woods.
What a joy it is to spend some moments in the woods.
Stephanie J. Block and Sebastian Arcelus in ‘Into the Woods’.Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
Woodsis perhaps maestroStephen Sondheim’sbest known musical, performed by school groups and community theaters around the world each year.
In a world of witches and wolves, they are who audiences can most see ourselves in.
Beneath their spats and their struggles, there’s a deep affection that amps up the characters' warmth.
Montego Glover in ‘Into the Woods’.Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
She is earthy and maternal as the Baker’s Wife, a woman in touch with her own desires.
She quite literally makes the “or” mean more than it did before.
Speaking of Cinderella’s Prince, Creel makes the jump from the original Encores!
Gavin Creel in ‘Into the Woods’.Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
As the Wolf, he’s lithe lechery, licking his chops before chewing the scenery.
His every appearance is met with titters of laughter, all amply deserved.
Glover is all fizz and sparkle as the Witch.
Gavin Creel and Katy Geraghty in ‘Into the Woods’.Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
But those quibbles don’t detract from the production’s overall magic.
In some ways,Into the Woodsis such airtight work that it’s difficult to do poorly.
“Sometimes people leave you halfway through the woods,” wrote Sondheim.
Those lyrics hit all the harder in the wake of Sondheim’s passing.
But he followed them with “Do not let it grieve you, no one leaves for good.”
