(upbeat music)
- So glad you could be here
for another amazing episode of The Broadway Show.
I'm Tamsen Fadal. Let's get started.
(upbeat music)
Into the Woods is back on Broadway,
featuring a who's who of our favorite stars of the stage.
Including Patina Miller,
Sara Bareilles, Gavin Creel, Phillipa Soo,
and one of my favorites,
Brian d'Arcy James.
(audience applauds)
- [Tamsen] Great to see you, as always.
- [Brian] Great to see you.
- Let's jump in and talk about
what we're standing outside of,
Into the Woods.
Congratulations, first off.
- [Brian] Thank you.
- This is an incredible show, right?
- It is an incredible show,
and it's coming from an incredible production
at New York City Center.
The show is gorgeous.
It's Stephen Sondheim, James Lapine.
Most people know it,
but if you don't, it's a real treat.
It's a real treat.
- Stephen Sondheim, sadly, you know, we lost him.
And for you to be part of a show like this,
what does that mean?
It's gotta have some extra meaning, really right now.
- [Brian] It does.
We're all absorbing his loss in this community and beyond,
and to be able to have the chance to give voice
and embodiment to the things that he's written,
and the way he's constructed these beautiful,
you know, contributions
to musical theater is really special.
So we all miss him,
but I think we all feel a certain sense of pride
and responsibility and keeping that legacy very much alive.
♪ Into the woods to lift the spell, ♪
♪ Into the woods to lose the longing ♪
♪ Into the woods to have a child ♪
♪ To wed the prince, to get the money ♪
- Talk a little bit about this cast you're with,
because you got some special names up there with you.
You know?
- One of the great things about this show,
and there are many, is that it is a true ensemble piece
in that all of the weight is distributed very equally
and importantly, among all these great characters.
And I, what I love about it, is there is a true sense of
community within the--
It feels like an acting troop that might go on the road
and just really live and breathe together for a long time.
We already have that, which is, I think kind of lucky.
- Gotcha, yeah.
- When everyone, and anyone and everyone gets up to bat,
it's like an all-star assembly of people.
- [Tamsen] Nice.
And so, when you have that caliber of talent
delivering this kind of material,
which is intricate, and complex, and profound,
and deeply moving, and very funny,
I mean, it's everything.
It really is.
The match between material and the people that are doing it
is, it's quite astounding.
So I'm very proud to have been inserted into this equation.
♪ Gee, Officer Krupke ♪
♪ Krup you ♪
- I feel like you have so many,
so much experience working in all different areas,
because every time I look up, I'm like, he's on my TV.
He's like, he's in this movie.
He's in that.
I mean, you really, you really do have that.
You always make sure though that you have a foot
here on the stage, too. Right?
- Well, I wish I could say that's my plan,
to kind of design it that way.
It certainly is a desire of mine to, you know,
when given the chance, I'm more than happy to take it
because it is the thing that I started doing.
It's been the bulk of my career.
I've spent most of my time in my career on stage,
and to be here at the St. James,
where I did Something Rotten,
it is coming back to an incredible theater
with such history.
And again, to be in a Stephen Sondheim show.
And again, James Lapine should not,
shall not be overlooked as well.
It's a really special thing.
This is my first Broadway show.
My first theatrical job back, since COVID
- Right.
- It's a profound feeling to know that
I still have an opportunity to work.
People still do have a chance to come to the theater.
All of my compatriots have jobs here and elsewhere,
regionally as well.
I mean, there is a sense
of trying to kind of make things happen.
So I'm very happy about that.
- What does it feel like?
I think that it hit me, you know, hit me at the Tonys.
I went, oh, wow.
It really is.
It really is back.
And we're here, and it's really happening.
But I have to imagine when you stand
up on stage and you look out and you
you realize everybody's back,
and a little scared at first right?
- Sure, sure.
- It's gotta feel that much better.
- Sure. It feels great.
I mean, there's uncertainty, of course.
But I think, you know,
the ratio of confidence to uncertainty is increasing
in confidence's favor,
but, you know, look we're--
And that's what this show is about.
I mean, not to be too hap about it,
but it is about going into the metaphorical woods
of life and trying to understand where do I go,
the decisions that I make,
and the responsibilities I have to other people,
what does that mean?
There's so many questions that are asked,
and I hope answered.
I think they are quite beautifully,
within the context and the words of this show.
It's been said many times,
and way more eloquently than I will,
but this show pops up when we need it.
It started during the AIDS crisis in the late '80s.
It came about again after 9/11, in the shadow of that.
And here we are, you know,
kind of absorbing the shock of complete societal
you know, transformation based on COVID.
So there is a certain sense of urgency,
and special pride in telling this story.
- That's really interesting to note though,
the different times that this has happened.
- Yeah.
- So before I let you go,
talk to me about the other projects
you're working on right now.
I saw one for HBO Max with Nicole Kidman, right?
- Yes.
Nicole Kidman is producing an HBO Max series called
"Love and Death", starring Elizabeth Olson.
It's a true crime story based on a 1981 murder.
- Isn't it amazing how obsessed we are with true crime?
- Yeah. Yeah.
It's, people want to see that.
- Yeah, I know.
- I don't want to delve into why that may be, but
I have a job because of it.
- I know.
- So I guess I can't complain too much.
And then I'm also doing a show on Apple+ called
"Dear Edward."
I'm doing a fantastic movie that Rebecca Miller
has written and has directed called
"She Came to Me" starring Anne Hathaway.
Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei.
- That's exciting. - That's fantastic.
- That is all shot here in New York city.
So yeah, I've got some, I've got some irons in the fire.
(upbeat music)