Help with Into The Woods double casting
Help with Into The Woods double casting
#1Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 7:34pmI need an extremely small cast (around 10) for a production and I'm wondering if anyone knows the best way to double cast this show.
Musicaldudepeter
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/18/10
#2Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 7:55pm
Narrator/Mysterious Man
Cinderella
Red Riding Hood
Rapunzel/Jack's Mother/Cinderella's Mother
Florinda
Lucinda
Jack
Baker
Baker's Wife
Witch
Cinderella's Prince/Wolf
Rapunzel's Prince
Granny/Stepmother
Steward/Milky White (if casting with human)/Cinderella's Father (if using)
This is the best you'll do probably since a lot of the time, there are large ensemble-type scenes where most of the characters are either on stage at once or are ready to come on as soon as the other exits. It all depends on what way you're staging the show - if you're staging it in a minimalist, bare-space sense, you can afford to have actors quickly change one aspect of their costume (i.e. for Granny, simply putting a robe on etc.) as opposed to having elaborate changes.
AlbertPeterson3
Chorus Member Joined: 7/21/13
#2Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 7:56pm
We did it with ten! This was our cast:
Narrator/Mysterious Man
The Baker
The Baker's Wife
The Witch
Cinderella
Little Red Ridinghood/Rapunzel/Cinderella's Mother
Cinderella's Prince/Wolf/Lucinda (in drag)
Rapunzel's Prince/Cinderella's Father/Florinda (in drag)
Jack's Mother/Granny/Cinderella's Stepmother
Jack/Steward
Updated On: 6/7/14 at 07:56 PM
Musicaldudepeter
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/18/10
#3Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 7:58pm
Cool!
Love the way Jack becomes the Steward who kills his mother!
#5Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 8:00pmFiasco Theatre's production did it with ten actors, as well. Their breakdown was extremely similar to AlbertPeterson's.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
Wildcard
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/21/06
#6Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 8:06pm
The Fiasco production had 10 actors. Not sure about the exact breakdown but it was something like this:
1) Baker
2) Baker's wife
3) Witch
4) Cinderella
5) Little Red
6) Jack
7) Wolf/Cinderella's Prince/Stepsister 
Milky White/Rapunzel's Prince/Stepsister
9) Stepmother/Cinderella's Mother/Giant
10) Narrator/Steward/Mysterious Man
AlbertPeterson3
Chorus Member Joined: 7/21/13
#7Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 8:49pmCorrection - we actually had the same actress play both Cinderella and Rapunzel (which I thought worked really well!).
#8Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 9:12pmI love having the sisters in drag. A fun touch that adds to the haughtiness of the characters!
"I saw Pavarotti play Rodolfo on stage and with his girth I thought he was about to eat the whole table at the Cafe Momus." - Dollypop
#9Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 9:27pm
fiasco also didn't have a narrator, the ensemble split up the lines and they just didn't sacrifice him.
The hypocrites in Chicago did it with 10, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe little red also played one of the step sisters, the witch also played granny, and Rapunzel and Cinderella doubled.
I'm currently directing a production with a cast of 12. Originally I wanted 10 but I ended up adding 2 extra actors.
#10Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 9:37pmI thought about having our onstage pianist double as the narrator but I'm not sure about that yet.
#11Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 10:23pmThat could be interesting. And also problematic when he is sacrificed.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
2blocksfrombway
Understudy Joined: 2/8/07
#12Help with Into The Woods double casting
Posted: 6/7/14 at 11:35pm
Fiasco's breakdown was
1) Baker's Wife
2) Lucinda, Wolf, Cinderella's Prince
3) Mysterious Man
4) Milky White, Florinda, Rapunzel's Prince
5) Cinderella's Stepmother, Jack's Mother
6) Cinderella, Granny
7) Witch Jack, Steward
9) Baker
10) Little Red, Rapunzel
