Francolini, Waldhorn, Rowe, Etc. Set for London 'Woods'

Whatsonstage.com reports that Anna Francolini (Caroline, Or Change, Almost Like Being in Love) and Gary Waldhorn (TV's "The Vicar of Dibley," Much Ado About Nothing) will be joining the Royal Opera House's new production of Into the Woods next month. The revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's 1989 musical, also featuring Anne Reid, Beverley Klein and Clive Rowe, runs for 18 performances only, June 14—30, with a press opening June 18, in the Opera House's 400-seat Linbury Studio Theatre.

Into the Woods, directed by Will Tuckett, is the Royal Opera's second Sondheim production, following the company's December 2003 revival of Sweeney Todd. The cast, which also includes Gillian Kirkpatrick, Peter Caulfield, Elizabeth Brice, Louise Bowden, Christina Haldane, Lara Pulver, Martin Nelson, Suzanne Toase, Linda Hibberd, Nicholas Garrett, Nic Greenshields and Byron Watson, will be accompanied by 14 musicians, conducted by Opera North Head of Music James Holmes. The creative team includes set design by Lez Brotherston and lighting by Tim Mitchell.

Into the Woods, a contemporary take on several well-known fairy tales, debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987, winning Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason), The show has since enjoyed a 1988 national tour, a 1990 West End production, a 1991 television production, a 1997 tenth anniversary concert, a 2002 Los Angeles production and a 2002 Broadway revival.