In a move that won't really surprise anyone who has seen the lines in Central Park, producers are reportedly actively looking to transfer the Public's Shakespeare in the Park production of Into The Woods to Broadway. Impressive since the show didn't get the best of reviews (though we liked it with some caveats).
Of course, though the Public has had good luck with them before, a transfer isn't a sure thing. The stars need to align so that a suitable theater is available, the budgets work out so a profit is possible, and the actual stars are available (or new ones can be found—which might not be a bad idea, as nice as Denis O'Hare and Amy Adams are). Still, as commercial producer Joey Parnes tells the Times, there is unusually intense audience interest in the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical itself. If it does move this season, the transfer would be the show's third time on the Great White Way in 25 years!
Anyway, the problems many critics saw in the show are not insurmountable:
"Some critics made good points about the park production that we would take to heart, and it’s worth remembering that when we moved 'Hair' from the park to Broadway, it changed, it got tighter, it got better," Mr. Parnes said. "The reviews might make my job a little harder. But I think a lot of the production’s issues would be assuaged indoors - the lighting and sound and staging focus issues would all change in an intimate Broadway house, and story-telling issues would be addressed with time and rehearsals."
In other words, a move to Broadway would give the production team time to work out the more obvious kinks that were not fixable in the short time period that Shakespeare in the Park shows get to rehearse (*cough* the singing *cough*). Or, to paraphrase Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters: When transferring to Broadway know how to get there. And how to get back. And study the reviews first!
