The Delacorte Theatre in Central Park is once again the place to be this summer, as it celebrates 50 years of doing Shakespeare in the Park for free. Currently the Delacorte, which is an arm of the Public Theater, is offering an amazing, hilarious, beautifully set and performed production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s delightfully entertaining musical “Into the Woods.”
“Into the Woods” takes several children’s stories and brings them together in a very unique and marvelous way, with a narrator who takes the audience through the adventures of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Rapunzel,” “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Baker and His Wife.” This production will take you away to an enchanted world full of humor and brilliant wit. It is appropriate for the entire family, and what a blast! The cast includes Amy Adams, Jack Broderick, Gideon Click, Ellen Harvey, Ivan Hernandez, Tina Johnson, Josh Lamon, Bethany Moore, Jessie Mueller, Donna Murphy, Denis O’Hare, Paris Remillard, Jennifer Rias, Laura Shoop, Tess Soltau, Sarah Stiles, Kristine Zbornik, Chip Zien, Glenn Close, Victoria Cook, Johnny Newcomb, Noah Radcliffe and Eric R. Williams. The sets by John Lee Beatty and Soutra Gilmour are delightful. The puppetry by Rachael Canning, direction by Timothy Sheader, movement direction by Liam Steel and musical direction of Paul Gemignani combine to deliver an outstanding theatrical piece.
My 10-year-old and I laughed so much. We had such a good time. You have to experience this production, which will only run through Sept. 1. Tickets to Shakespeare in the Park are free and distributed, two per person, at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park on the day of the show. There is also a virtual ticketing lottery one can enter at www.shakespeareinthepark.org on the day of the show.
Make sure you go and experience this theatrical delight.