GUTHRIE THEATER PRESENTS THE TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL INTO THE WOODS, BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM AND JAMES LAPINE, DIRECTED BY SARNA LAPINE

This illustrious storybook musical lights up the Guthrie stage this summer, creating a magical adventure for audiences to enjoy

Previews begin Saturday, June 17; Opening on Friday, June 23
Playing through Sunday, August 13 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage

First look at Into the Woods at the Guthrie Theater →

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — The Guthrie Theater (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) today announced the cast and creative team for Into the Woods, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine and directed by Sarna Lapine. Into the Woods will play June 17 – August 13, 2023, on the Wurtele Thrust Stage. Single tickets start at $20 for preview performances (June 17–22). All other performances range from $36 to $94. Single and group tickets are on sale now through the Box Office at 612.377.2224 (single), 1.877.447.8243 (toll-free), 612.225.6244 (group) or online at guthrietheater.org. Accessibility services (ASL-interpreted, audio-described, open-captioned and relaxed performances) are available on select dates.

“Stephen Sondheim was inarguably one of the greatest musical minds in the history of American theater. Some could say his unparalleled approach to storytelling through music, both innovative and stimulating, created the very foundation on which modern musicals are built today,” said Artistic Director Joseph Haj. “With her extensive background and visionary mindset, Sarna Lapine is the ideal director to lead a production of this magnitude. I’m excited for audiences to experience this extraordinary summer musical full of whimsy and imagination.”

Into the Woods, the second collaboration between James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim, first opened on Broadway in 1987 for a nearly two-year run. Also directed by James Lapine, with orchestration from Jonathan Tunick, the musical was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and won three, including Best Original Score. It has become a staple of professional, college and high school productions during the past 30 years, delighting adults and children alike. The Guthrie has previously produced three musicals with music and lyrics by Sondheim: Sweeney Todd in 1999, Merrily We Roll Along in 2001 and Sunday in the Park With George in 2017. The Guthrie also produced West Side Story, with lyrics by Sondheim, in 2018.

In this unexpected musical journey of enchanting storybook characters, Cinderella pines to make a cameo at the ball, Jack (of beanstalk fame) tends to his pet cow, Little Red Riding Hood sets off toward grandmother’s house and a baker and his wife discover they are barren, thanks to a curse from the neighboring witch. They all head into the woods and embark on remarkable journeys that include falling in love, slaying a giant, facing off with a wolf and more. Just when all wishes appear to be granted, a stray magic bean sprouts a second stalk and the giant’s vengeful wife disrupts everyone’s happy ending. Featuring beloved music and classic fairy tale characters, this heartfelt musical explores what happens after “happily ever after.” Musical numbers include “I Know Things Now,” “Giants in the Sky,” “Agony,” “Ever After,” “No One Is Alone,” “Children Will Listen” and the remarkable 12-minute opening number.

The cast of Into the Woods features Sasha Andreev (Guthrie: Sunday in the Park With George, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) as Wolf/Rapunzel’s Prince, Cat Brindisi (Guthrie: A Christmas Carol, The Tempest, Sunday in the Park With George) as Florinda, Kym Chambers Otto (Guthrie: debut) as Cinderella’s Stepmother, Anna Hashizume (Guthrie: debut) as Cinderella’s Mother/Rapunzel, Lisa Howard (Guthrie: debut) as Witch, Trevor James (Guthrie: debut) as Jack, Suzie Juul (Guthrie: debut) as Little Red Riding Hood, Kim Kivens (Guthrie: debut) as Jack’s Mother/Granny, Robert Knight (Guthrie: debut) as Baker, Greta Oglesby (Guthrie: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Harvey, The Crucible) as Voice of the Giant, Madeline Trumble (Guthrie: debut) as Baker’s Wife, Emily Tyra (Guthrie: debut) as Cinderella, Regina Marie Williams (Guthrie: Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, The Tempest) as Narrator/Mysterious Man, Olivia Wilusz (Guthrie: A Christmas Carol, Sense and Sensibility) as Lucinda, Max Wojtanowicz (Guthrie: Hamlet, As You Like It, Sunday in the Park With George) as Cinderella’s Father/Steward and John Yi (Guthrie: debut) as Milky White/Cinderella’s Prince.

The creative team for Into the Woods includes Sarna Lapine (Director), Alison Solomon (Choreographer), Denise Prosek (Music Director), Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams (Scenic Designer), Valérie Thérèse Bart (Costume Designer), Donald Holder (Lighting Designer), Beth Lake (Sound Designer), Fred Lassen (Orchestrator), Jason Hansen (Copyist), Kathryn Brown (Assistant Music Director), Carla Steen (Resident Dramaturg), Aaron Preusse (Fight Director), Alli St. John (Intimacy), Jennifer Liestman (Resident Casting Director), Lori Lundquist (Stage Manager), Matthew Meeks (Assistant Stage Manager), Nate Stanger (Assistant Stage Manager), Derek Prestly (Assistant Director) and McCorkle Casting, Ltd. (NYC Casting Consultant).

Sarna Lapine (Director) is a New York-based director of musicals, operas and plays. She is currently focused on developing new work as well as radically reimagined revivals. Recent credits include Fiddler on the Roof performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra; Lillian Hellman’s Watch on the Rhine (Spotlight on Plays); the world premiere of Kate Hamill’s Dracula (Classic Stage Company); the New York premiere of Kate Hamill’s Little Women (Primary Stages); and The Rape of Lucretia (Boston Lyric Opera), named Best Opera of 2019 by The Boston Globe. Lapine also directed the critically acclaimed 2017 Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park With George starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford, which reopened the Hudson Theatre on Broadway. In addition to working on Broadway, she has worked regionally, Off-Broadway and internationally, including the Japanese premiere of Anna Ziegler’s Photograph 51. Lapine has taught at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute and been a guest artist at The Juilliard School, Fordham University, The Hartt School at University of Hartford, Rutgers University, CalArts and Mountview Academy in London. She holds an M.F.A. in Film from Columbia University.

Into the Woods is generously sponsored by RBC Wealth Management. Special thanks to Taft for their significant contribution toward the scenic design for this production.

Related Events

Relaxed Performance – Sunday, July 30 at 1 p.m.

A relaxed performance is intended to be sensitive to and accepting any audience member who may benefit from a more relaxed environment. It is intentionally modified to accommodate patrons with sensory and vestibular sensitivities, anxiety, dementia, autism spectrum disorders, learning differences and/or other challenges attending the theater. Single tickets may be purchased online or by calling the Box Office at 612.377.2224. 

Land Acknowledgment
The Guthrie Theater would like to acknowledge that it resides on the traditional land of the Dakota People and honors with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations, including the Ojibwe and other Indigenous nations.

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joseph Haj, Artistic Director) is an American center for theater performance in Minneapolis, Minnesota, celebrating 60 years of artistic excellence during its 2022–2023 Season. Under Haj’s leadership, the Guthrie has continued its dedication to producing a mix of classic and contemporary plays and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. Since its founding in 1963, the theater has set a national standard for excellence in the field and served the people of Minnesota as a vital cultural resource. The Guthrie houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms, restaurants and dramatic public spaces. guthrietheater.org.