Donna Murphy on Playing the Witch 25 Years After Her First Into the Woods Audition

Two-time Tony winner Donna Murphy will cast a spell on Central Park's Delacorte Theatre this summer as the Witch in the highly anticipated revival of Into the Woods. Broadway.com recently caught up with Murphy to discuss the production and uncovered a bit about her long history with the popular Sondheim musical. Turns out she’s been waiting for this opportunity for 25 years!

“I auditioned for [the Witch] like four or five times,” Murphy told Broadway.com, regarding the original 1987 Broadway production. “The feedback was that I was a little too scary and they thought I was too thin—they were worried about me!” The pivotal role eventually went to two-time Tony winner Bernadette Peters. “Then [the casting directors] called me back to audition when they were replacing Joanna Gleason as the Baker’s Wife,” Murphy added. “They were very happy; it seemed like I’d put on some weight. And I said, ‘No, I’m just wearing a dirndl skirt.’ I was wearing a cat suit for the first audition,” the actress said with a laugh.

Now that the role of the Witch is finally hers, Murphy is thrilled to be a part of the classic musical “as a mom, as a daughter and as a theater lover, especially at this time in my life with a young child, and while Steve [Sondheim] and James [Lapine] can be a part of it. I think it’s going to be amazing in [Central Park],” Murphy said. The actress won’t be letting her Witch duties affect her relationship with daughter Darmia Hope, whom she adopted in 2005. “Have I been a witchy mommy?” Murphy wonders. “I don’t think so…ask my daughter about that!”

Into the Woods begins its run July 23. In addition to Murphy, the cast will feature Amy Adams, Jessie Mueller and Gideon Glick.