Starry Encores! Into the Woods to Have Broadway Transfer This Summer

The starry Encores! staging of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into the Woods is coming to Broadway. The production, which ran at New York City Center for two weeks in May, will bow at Broadway's St. James Theatre beginning on June 28 and will play a limited eight-week run. Lear deBessonet directs. The production is dedicated in honor of the late Sondheim. Tickets are now on sale.

Joining the starry company will be Tony winner Patina Miller as the Witch, Tony nominee Brian d'Arcy James as The Baker, Tony nominee Joshua Henry as Rapunzel's Prince, Tony nominee Phillipa Soo as Cinderella. Heather Headley, Neil Patrick Harris, Jordan Donica and Denée Benton, who appeared in the Encores! production, are not part of the Broadway company. 

Several members of the Encores! production will reprise their performance on Broadway including Sara Bareilles as the Baker’s Wife, Gavin Creel as Wolf/Cinderella's Prince, Julia Lester as Little Red Riding Hood, Cole Thompson as Jack, Annie Golden as Cinderella’s Mother/Grandmother/Giant’s wife, Ta’Nika Gibson as Lucinda, Brooke Ishibashi as Florinda, Kennedy Kanagawa as Milky White, David Patrick Kelly as Narrator/Mysterious Man, Albert Guerzon as Cinderella's Father and David Turner as Steward. Jason Forbach, Mary Kate Moore and Cameron Johnson also return as swings. Additional casting is to be announced.

Into the Woods will feature choreography by Lorin Latarro and music direction by Encores! Music Director Rob Berman. The creative team also includes scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Andrea Hood, lighting design by Tyler Micoleau, sound design by Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann and puppet design by James Ortiz. Cookie Jordan is the hair, make-up and wigs designer. 

This marks the third revival of Into the Woods and its first time back on Broadway in 20 years. It debuted in 1987 and earned Lapine and Sondheim Tony Awards. A star-studded movie adaptation was released in 2014.