SPOTLIGHT ON THE 2011 TONY AWARDS: DAY 5 - Phylicia vs. Vanessa

As a super-special Spring extension of BroadwayWorld's SOUND OFF column, every day until the Tony Awards on June 12 we will be presenting a spectacular new entry in the SPOTLIGHT ON THE 2011 TONY AWARDS series featuring a particularly entertaining, interesting, relevant and exciting Tony Awards-related clip from the last sixty-three years of the ceremonies (and subsequent seasons on Broadway) with a rundown and commentary on the sights, sounds and showmanship on display in each carefully chosen selection - all, of course, coming in anticipation of Broadway's biggest night, which will be broadcast on CBS this year, as always. Once again this year, BroadwayWorld is the official home of the 2011 Tony Awards and we will also be featuring exclusive interviews, articles, photos, video content, interactive features and more in the coming days and weeks leading up to the event so be sure to check back daily for your theatre fix!

Today we are focusing on Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's 1988 fairy tale-themed musical INTO THE WOODS which was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and which also made a return to Broadway in 2002, winning Best Revival Of A Musical. The original production took home three Tony Awards including Best Score (Stephen Sondheim), Best Book (James Lapine) and Best Actress In A Musical (Joanna Gleason) in one of the most tight races in recent Tony Awards memory, where it faced off against Andrew Lloyd Webber's international sensation THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA - directed by Sondheim's old partner Harold Prince - in nearly every category, losing many. PHANTOM is still running on Broadway to this day, but the allure of INTO THE WOODS is much longer-lasting than the ephemeral affection we may have felt for fairy tales in our youth… this is the work of Stephen Sondheim, after all! Go deeper. Much, much deeper…

Once Upon A Tony Awards (or Two)

Many of the most fondly remembered stories from childhood that we still have to cherish as adults start with those four epic, unmistakable words: Once upon a time. When Stephen Sondheim, along with James Lapine, took on not only "Once upon a time" and everything that is associated with it in our hearts, minds and souls - besides the catalog of characters from The Brothers Grimm and Bettelheim's psychological examination of them - but, also, "happily ever after", it was a surefire recipe for a cross-generational work of staggering genius that could have only come from the Master's pen. The score is awe-inspiring in its inventiveness and ingenuity, and the multitudinally diverse music covers seemingly every genre known to man, from Broadway-styled melodies with a Arthurian flair ("Ever After") to illusory character pieces ("It Takes Two"), bravura near-operatic solo moments ("On The Steps Of The Palace"), pop ("Giants In The Sky"), a searingly emotional quartet ("No One Is Alone"), perhaps Sondheim's most plaintive ballad ("No More"), one of his most beloved and rightfully-adored anthems ("Children Will Listen"), as well as surely one of the most impressive montage sequences in any Sondheim musical - and that is certainly saying something - coming in the form of the opening sequence. Heck, there's even rap in this score! It has it all and this show acts as the perfect introduction to the world of Stephen Sondheim for Broadway babies of all ages.

So, let's now go back to the 1988 Tony Awards hosted by Angela Lansbury - who also participates in and narrates this slightly-truncated version of the opening sequence from the show - and enjoy the original cast of INTO THE WOODS with cast replacement Phylicia Rashad (stepping in for already-departed Bernadette Peters) as The Witch, who leads "Children Will Listen". Careful the things you say, indeed - especially if they begin with "Once upon a time…."

Now, for comparison, we have the 2002 revival, also directed by James Lapine, featuring Laura Benanti, John McMartin, Vanessa Williams and the rest of the Tony Award-winning Best Revival cast of INTO THE WOODS performing a montage of "Into The Woods", "Ever After" and "Children Will Listen".

Which version do you prefer? I prefer to pick and choose, myself - I mean, who will ever top Joanna Gleason as the Baker's Wife or Laura Benanti as Cinderella? No one - that's who.

That's all for today. Be sure to stay tuned to BroadwayWorld for all things Tony Awards and subscribe to this column to be the very first to check out the clips, commentary and take part in the conversation in our deluxe toast to the one and only Antoinette Perry every day until June 12 - and, especially, on that day! Until then…

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