Original Into the Woods Star Bernadette Peters Advises Future Witches to Feel the 'Passion'

Twenty-five years have passed since two-time Tony winner Bernadette Peters originated the role of the Witch in the 1987 Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. With both a Shakespeare in the Park production and a film version of Into the Woods in the works, Broadway.com recently chatted with Peters to find out what it takes to become the perfect Witch.

“[The Witch] is intense, so I think it should be an actress who can be intense,” Peters told Broadway.com.“I think she has great passion because she’s very passionate about her daughter and passionate about the last midnight,” the actress added. “So I think [the right choice] is somebody who can have a lot of passion.”

Oscar winner Meryl Streep has been mentioned as a possibility to play the Witch in the upcoming Central Park production of the classic fairytale musical. After winning her third Academy Award for her performance in The Iron Lady, she’s surely proven that she has the passion and intensity Peters recommends. Sondheim has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors that Streep will be playing the Witch in the outdoor mounting.

Additionally, Peters weighed in on the upcoming film version of Into the Woods, directed by five-time Tony nominee Rob Marshall. Is he the right man for the job? “Oh, I think so,” Peters said. “He’s so talented and he understands musicals.” Peters, who worked with Marshall on the 1997 TV movie Cinderella, had nothing but kind words for the Academy Award-nominated director. “All the creativity that he has brought to the world is wonderful,” she added.