By Elazar Abrahams

When I heard that the New York Public Library was hosting an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the film adaptation of Into the Woods, I knew I had to be in attendance. The stage play is my absolute favorite musical, and the movie, which premiered when I was a high school freshman, introduced me to the wonder of Stephen Sondheim, master composer and lyricist. Thanks to the library’s gracious team, I secured a spot for the intimate panel with star Emily Blunt and director Rob Marshall.

The talk was hosted at the organization’s Library for the Performing Arts branch on the Lincoln Center campus on Monday, February 6, and moderated by Doug Reside, Curator of the Billy Rose Theatre Division. Lasting about an hour, the conversation was tremendously insightful, as Marshall and Blunt gushed about their fond memories on set, the genius of the layered songs and story, and the challenges of transitioning theatricality into something that works on the big screen. Here were four takeaways:

1) THE CUTS CAME FROM THE CREATOR

Diehard Sondheim fans will tell you that there are undoubtedly problems with the 2014 adaptation, stemming from the stripping down and sanitization of the original source material. It’s long been assumed that this was due to studio interference from Disney, who feared a nearly three-hour movie with a back half that focuses too much on infidelity and many character deaths. While there is some truth to that, Marshall said that actually, the cuts came from James Lapine, who wrote and directed the original production and wrote the screenplay for the movie. Not only was he fine with cutting tracks like “Ever After” and removing entire subplots from this version, he wanted to leave out even more! According to the panelists, Lapine suggested scrapping the iconic 10-minute opening number in favor of something new. No chance, countered Marshall, “That’s the most cinematic thing in the whole piece!”

2) THE STRESS OF SONDHEIM

Blunt, who played the Baker’s Wife, shared an anecdote from Sondheim’s sole visit to the production, which came before the cameras started rolling. The composer was present for the cast recording the tracks they would sing over on set, and naturally, some of the actors felt intimidated knowing that as they were in the studio booth, this legendary figure was just outside the room, listening to them attempt his complex lyrics. Emily said that Sondheim heard her sing “Moments in the Woods,” and entered the room to give her a key piece of advice that she took to heart. “Don’t focus on singing the song so technically perfect,” said Stephen. “The scene is about her emotion, her realization of her sorting out her life. Lean into the journey of the words.”

3) GIANTS IN THE SKY

In the latter half of Into the Woods, a mythical giant attacks the kingdom, killing several characters. Written in the 1980s, many have called this a metaphor for the AIDS crisis, and others liken it to a reference to wars. Whatever it may be, there will always be something going on in the world that makes audiences yearn for the message that “no one is alone.” When asked if he brought any specific thinking to that aspect of the plot, Marshall revealed that the way he storyboarded and shot the chaos and ruin caused by the giant was directly inspired by his experience in Downtown Manhattan during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. Upon a rewatch of those scenes, it’s certainly true. The debris, dust, and general mayhem, definitely invoke that sense of horror and chaos.

4) CHILDREN WILL LISTEN

During the audience Q&A segment, a young woman shared that she was 10 years old when the movie first came out and fell in love with it. She’s now 20 and still holds it dear, but relates to the material in a completely different way. When making Into the Woods, was the intention for it to be a kids’ movie that adults could also enjoy or a movie for adults that kids could also connect with? Marshall thought it was a fantastic question, as studios are always so obsessed with “who the movie is for” and ensuring the content can satisfy “all four quadrants.” But the truth is that Into the Woods is such a success because Marshall and his collaborators didn’t bother with that. They simply focused on making the best possible version of this that they could and trusted that the results would be worth it. That’s why Into the Woods continues to endure in the public consciousness — children discover it and can grapple with some of the meaning, and adults can view it through the eyes of a grown-up, understanding some of the more mature pieces. Being that one of the themes throughout the musical is that of parent and child relationships, that feels very appropriate.

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has a packed schedule of events coming up! Check them out HERE.