By Jeremiah Bang
Into the Woods (1987) is a stage musical that combines four fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm – Cinderella, Jack and The Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel. The story largely focuses around a baker and his wife, two original characters created by writer James Lapine, as they venture “into the woods” to fulfill their wish. The musical, in juxtaposing the different fairy tales, raises a lot of interesting points on morality and worldview. Through the writing of Lapine and the music of the late musical composer Stephen Sondheim, ideas on simple binaries of good and evil are questioned, and the fairy tale notion of “wishes” are challenged. In the musical, Sondheim uses lyrics, musical techniques, and motivic development to flip conventional ideas of morality and recontextualize the function of “witches” and “wishes” in fairytales.
The musical begins with a 14 minute long opening prologue that establishes all of the moving parts that will be explored in the next two hours. The audience is introduced to every character and what it is they want. Cinderella wants to “go to the festival”, Jack’s mother wishes “the cow would give [them] some milk”, The baker and his wife “want a child”, etc. (Lapine). Within minutes, the character motives are laid out to the audience. This exposition is supported through the music being sung.
Figure 1: Excerpt from Into The Woods: Act I Opening Part 1 (Sondheim)
Sondheim begins the number with two notes – shown in the figure above. These two notes serve to represent the idea of “wishes”. Cinderella sings “I wish” with this short melodic whole step up. Although simple, this single musical motion encompasses the concept of a “wish” in the whole show. Any time the words “I wish” are sung, they are coupled with these notes specifically. As the number continues, the other characters chime in with their wishes, again using the two note theme that links them all together. Sondheim leads the audience through an otherwise overwhelming amount of exposition by establishing a connection between the short phrase and the narrative “wish”. This is Sondheim’s first use of musical motif in the musical score of the show.
A musical motif refers to the use of a short musical phrase as a representation of an idea, person, place, or thing. This connection is associative, serving as a direct musical callback. Such a term, however, can be broad and restrictive in analysis. Therefore, another phrase of similar background can be used; the leitmotif. Similar in concept, the leitmotif also utilizes short musical phrases given semantic and narrative value. However as Matthew Bribitzer-Stull writes, “Leitmotifs are developmental in nature, evolving to reflect and create new musico-dramatic contexts.” (Bribitzer-Stull). Developing a motif through any kind of rhythmic, melodic, or harmonic technique can be used to recontextualize an associative idea with dramatic beats. Although the “wish” theme shows up across the entire show, it remains largely unchanged. The narrative idea of a wish and what a character wants stays the same. There is a consistency in the action of “wishing” for something, although those wishes themselves can shift and change. The “wish” theme itself is simply an associative motif. However, Sondheim utilizes the leitmotif in the musical as well.
Halfway through the opening number, the audience is introduced to the character of “the witch”. At the head of her entrance, the music shifts to dissonance. The chords that are driving the narrative along are given a “sharp” and “clashing” quality. This is done to musically establish the discomfort and dissonance of the character of the witch itself. However, above these chords a single melodic line is played.
Figure 2: Excerpt from Into The Woods: Act I Opening Part 4 (Sondheim)
These five notes show up countless times across the entire musical in all matter of forms. As the witch explains the steps needed to reverse the curse placed on the baker’s family, the five notes are played in the orchestra. The same melody can be heard after the baker and his wife unsuccessfully feed Milky White the different items they were sent to fetch at the end of act one. As Jack sings of “giants in the sky” his melody is made of these five notes. Across the narrative, the notes are used to represent any action or moment related to the beans. Their influence on the story is shown musically. Put simply, the five notes “are and will represent the beans, the magic beans” (Sondheim). There were five beans found in the baker’s coat pocket, all five of which are attached to this musical idea. Although, in the moment, the theme serves to simply represent the witch and her beans, the application of this thematic material changes.The theme becomes a framework for a lot of the musical. Sondheim alters different aspects of the five notes to represent the changing context of the beans – specifically, in relation to morality.
Writer of the musical, James Lapine discusses the moral ambiguity of the lead characters:
“You can look at Cinderella and see her as someone who changes her identity, deceives everyone at the ball… basically is a character who is not all that forthright in a way… The idea for Jack of Jack and the beanstalk was a fellow that stole… Little Red Riding Hood seemed interesting from the viewpoint of blood thirsty kid, as opposed to an innocent… What [Sondheim] and I were very interested in, in the character of the witch, was someone who was honest all the time… though she comes in the most unpleasant package of the lot, she is in many ways the most direct and most honest.” – Lapine
(Into the Woods a Conversation Piece)
In traditional fairytale storytelling, witches are the “evil” that try to stop the protagonist from achieving their goal. A regular narrative of “good” versus “evil” is constructed between the hero and the witch. Max Lüthi writes, “Genuine folktales only speak of an ‘ugly old hag,’ an ‘old witch,’ am ‘evil witch,’…” (Tatar, 375). What Lüthi describes is the common lack of description in character depth to further benefit the simple plot. Many fairytales and folktales forgo any development of characters such as the simple “evil witch” to further drive a simplified dichotomy of morally good and morally evil. However, in Into the Woods, Lapine and Sondheim reexamine that dichotomy.
“Witches can be right
Giants can be good
You decide what’s right
You decide what’s good”
From No One Is Alone, Into the Woods. (Sondheim)
The musical introduces the function of the witch not as an evil but rather as a blunt truth. While the other characters that are normally considered “good” seek to fulfill their own wishes utilizing trickery and deception, the witch simply states things as they are. Musically, her clarity is reflected.
The “bean” theme, consisting of the five notes, is somewhat hidden across all of the different characters’ songs and orchestral backings. However in most cases, the theme is somewhat obscured. At times it is attached to another melodic idea, added in a contrasting instrumentation, or played in a different key than the rest of the piece, as if the theme is not central but rather alluded to in the music. For example, in the number “Maybe They’re Magic,” the baker’s wife sings about the beans and reflects on how she and the baker essentially deceived Jack to trade his cow, Milky White. Lyrically, she sings of the moral ambiguity of their actions all while a sharp accented brass instrument plays the two notes of the “I wish” motif. This correlation tells the audience, in a subtle way, that this moment in the woods is still connected to the baker’s wife, her husband, and their wish. However, in a clever play on words, Sondheim ends the short number with the baker’s wife surmising that “if the end is right, it justifies the beans”.
Figure 3: Excerpt from Into The Woods: Maybe They’re Magic (Sondheim)
In the final measures of this number, the orchestra builds to the final declaration of “the beans”. After those last words are sung – measure two of the figure above – the orchestra builds for what would normally be a strong ending to such a number. However, Sondheim chooses to introduce a subito piano, where the entire orchestra drops in volume to have one final melodic figure – the “bean” theme. The motif feels deliberately out of place, orchestrated to be much higher and sharper than any of the previous sonorities in the piece. Not only does this emphasize its place within the music, but it also separates the theme from the body of the number itself. The beans are affecting the baker and his wife lightly, almost as an afterthought. The theme played quickly, much like how the baker duo treat the beans themselves. This moment directly contrasts the number, Stay with me – sung by the witch to Rapunzel. The entire structure of the vocal melody is constructed using the five notes of the “bean” theme. The music lingers on this thematic idea, as the maternal figure of the witch convinces Rapunzel to stay in the tower. This also alludes to Rapunzel herself, who’s upbringing was a direct result of the beans. In fact, Rapunzel sings a melody up in her tower that is just the “bean” theme. In the character of the witch and Rapunzel, the “bean” motif is at its most sonorous. The melodic line is clear and at home its harmonic and narrative context. The sense of morality, however it is packaged, is at its most pure and truthful.
Blame plays an important role in the conclusion to the musical. After the “happy ending” of act one, act two follows the kingdom as chaos ensues and a giant goes on a rampage. In the number “Your Fault”, the surviving cast stumble through a recollection of the events passed to try to figure out who’s fault the entire situation truly was. This interaction, however, is less of a logical tracing and rather a lot of pointed fingers, as everyone tries to avoid the blame. Trickled throughout are iterations of the “bean” theme, unclear and somewhat dispersed. The influence of the beans is being reflected musically. The beans are at the heart of this moment. The cast then turns to the witch blaming her for the events that unfolded, and “Last Midnight” begins.
“I’m what no one believes,
I’m the Witch.
You’re all liars and thieves,”
From Last Midnight, Into The Woods. (Sondheim)
This is the witch’s final number. Here she criticizes everyone who remains for their wavering morals and need for blame. Sondheim and Lapine emphasize the reimagined view of the witch versus world dichotomy in the words the witch sings. We once again see the “bean” theme, this time however, harmonically rather than melodically. In most previous iterations of the motif, we are given the five notes played separately. However, on select occasions, the five notes are played simultaneously.
Figure 4: Excerpt from Into The Woods: Act I Opening Part 6 (Sondheim)
In this moment in the opening number, the witch describes for the first time what the baker and his wife must do to reverse the curse. As she begins listing the items, a chord plays. This specific chord shows up in different forms across the musical. All of them, however, are in relation to the witch and her beans. The chord itself is constructed of the five notes already established as the “bean” motif. It is now played together, in one large cluster.
Figure 5: Excerpt from Into The Woods: Last Midnight (Sondheim)
In this excerpt from Last Midnight, we see a similar chord outlined in harmonic context in the second measure. However unclear or unpleasant, this is the “bean” theme at its most direct. The theme in this form reflects the morality of the witch, the most direct and honest character of the entire musical.
Before the final number, the narrative closes with “No One is Alone”, lyrics referenced earlier. Among the many poetic lyrical moments that discuss the ambiguity of “real life” morals, this number also utilizes musical technique to establish a conclusion – narratively using the “bean” motif once more. For the first time, we hear the “bean” theme in its most soothing and comforting nature. The surviving cast sing of the lessons they learned while the orchestra accompanies with a sweeping, consonant iteration of the motif.
“This is where the bean theme finally becomes calm. It is neither sinister anymore nor is it agitated… And it’s at its most simple harmonically and at its most legato.” – Sondheim
(Into the Woods a Conversation Piece)
The surviving cast has learned to understand the beans and the morality connected to it. They understand that their initial wishes caused a selfishness that corrupted the power of the beans and brought their world crashing down. Only now, as they sing that “no one is alone” do they realize the moral implications of their actions. Another interesting musical moment to note is the melody as the words “people make mistakes” is sung.
Figure 6: Excerpt from Into The Woods: No One is Alone (Sondheim)
As Cinderella and the baker sing to Jack and Little Red Riding Hood, we hear this melodic figure. This is a reversal of the “bean” motif. Every note in “people make mistakes” is an inverted motif – the theme is played backwards. As the cast learn that these mistakes are made, the power of the beans are musically reversed, concluding the arcs of the four remaining characters.
Sondheim displays a variety of techniques to associate musical elements to the narrative at play. However when looking through the use of motivic development in hand with the literary themes being written by Lapine, the true nature and exploration of morality is uncovered. The “witch” is musically represented as our most direct and in a way “righteous” character, regardless of her depiction. The main cast is shown to be tricksters, cheating, and having a loose grasp on the power of the beans – on morality. By exploring these ideas through the music of the stage production, Sondheim and Lapine bend traditional fairy tale structures to show that “nice is different than good.”
Works Cited
Bribitzer-Stull, Matthew. Understanding the Leitmotif: From Wagner to Hollywood Film Music. Cambridge University Press, 2015.
“Into the Woods A Conversation Piece.” Music Theatre International, 29 Aug. 2019, https://www.mtishows.com/into-the-woods-a-conversation-piece.
Lapine, James, librettist. Into the Woods. Composed by Stephen Sondheim, Rilting Music, 1987.
Tatar, Maria. The Classic Fairy Tales. 2nd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2017.
