3 Questions With Into the Woods Stars Gaten Matarazzo, Skylar Astin, and More
From July 26-28, the Hollywood Bowl is putting on a star-studded Into the Woods — Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's fairy tale musical filled with witches, curses, and not-so-happily-ever-afters.
Ahead of their weekend in the woods, we asked the ensemble a few questions to help them channel their inner Grimm. Read below to learn the fairy tales and Sondheim quotes of choice for Sierra Boggess (Cinderella), Patina Miller (Witch), Skylar Astin (Baker), Cheyenne Jackson (Cinderella's Prince/Wolf), Gaten Matarazzo (Jack), Chris Carmack (Rapunzel's Prince), and Shanice Williams (Little Red).
Growing up, which fairy tale did you enjoy the most?
(© Ed Krieger)
Sierra Boggess: I actually loved Sleeping Beauty because I loved the idea of her getting to grow up in a cottage in the middle of the woods and sing to birds. Haha!
Patina Miller: Cinderella. Cinderella represents a person who through adversity was able to overcome her circumstances.
Skylar Astin: Three Little Pigs because my mom used to tell it to me often and act out the winds!
Cheyenne Jackson: My first real foray into fairy tales was Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre. They were creepy and wonderful. My favorites were Snow White with Vanessa Redgrave in a red fright wig as the evil queen, and Rapunzel with Gena Rowlands as the witch. A must-watch.
Gaten Matarazzo: Rapunzel. Probably because Tangled is still my favorite Disney movie.
Chris Carmack: As a child my favorite fairy tale was Snow White…primarily because I loved the dwarfs. Curiously, I now play a prince who is afraid of them!
Shanice Williams: Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I just think this story is hilarious! First of all, this little girl just walks into a stranger's house —who does that? — then after trespassing, she has the audacity to say hmm, let me try their food. I mean even as a little girl I was like… this girl is crazy. The part that gets me the most, however, is that after eating their food and breaking their furniture, she falls asleep in the bed in their house! Whaaaat? She definitely wouldn't have run away so easily if I came home and found her sleeping in my bed!
What is your favorite Into the Woods song lyric?
(© Ed Krieger)
Sierra Boggess: I have to pick just one? There are so many extremely poignant lyrics in this piece, but I have always loved the raw beauty and truth of "witches can be right, giants can be good. You decide what's right, you decide what's good." Ugh! This is just such a heartbreakingly beautiful lyric… and so true.
Patina Miller: My favorite lyric among many beautiful lyrics in this show would have to come from the Witch during "Children Will Listen:" "Children will look to you for which way to turn, to learn what to be, careful before you say listen to me." Children are a reflection of ourselves and what we say and do deeply affects who and what they will become.
Skylar Astin: "Oh, if life were only moments, even now and then a bad one. But if life were only moments, then you never knew you had one." Because duh.
Cheyenne Jackson: "Any moment big or small is a moment, after all, seize the moment skies may fall any moment." Because it's the ultimate reminder of being here now.
Gaten Matarazzo: "Someone is on your side, someone else is not." Because it's so true and the idea that everyone has to be on your side is ridiculous.
Chris Carmack: My favorite lyric in the show is, "Careful the things you say, children will listen." This lyric resounds with me in two ways. First, as a father of a young child it strikes me as a succinct and important lesson in parenting. Second, on a cultural note, it reminds us that we should be kinder to one another. Every word we say, or tweet, is an example to our children.
Shanice Williams: At the end of "I Know Things Now," Little Red says, "Nice is different than good." This is one of my favorite lyrics in the show because I think it's important to teach our youth this while they're young. There are people in this world who will try to take advantage of you, use you and a lot of other things that are not good. You might not realize it in the moment because they're being extremely nice, but there is a difference between someone who is nice and someone who is actually good. Although we can't always be completely sure, we do have to teach them to listen to their instincts and try to decipher the two.
Between the cow, the cape, the hair, and the slipper, which magic ingredient would you personally find the most difficult to acquire?
(© Ed Krieger)
Sierra Boggess: The slipper for sure! No one is gonna want to give up a glitteringly awesome shoe like that! Haha!
Patina Miller: The hair. I mean who has the time or the patience to go around trying to match a piece of corn to some hair. First of all, there are way too many different shades of yellow, blond…there's highlights, lowlights, strawberry blond, et cetera…not to mention the awkwardness of plucking out a strand of a stranger's hair…lawsuit waiting to happen.
Skylar Astin: I guess the slipper because, if it's entirely made of gold, that's pretty pricey. For the hair I'd ask politely, for the cow I'd find a farm, and for the cape I'd go vintage shopping!
Cheyenne Jackson: The cape. Does anyone…still wear…a cape?
Gaten Matarazzo: Probably the slipper. It was always pretty vague to me. I never knew if it was made of gold or if it was just a really nice shoe that could compare to gold. I would be too confused!
Chris Carmack: I'm with Jack on this one. He couldn't take the cape off of that little girl in the woods and I don't think I could either!
Shanice Williams: Hardest ingredient to acquire? Probably the gold shoe…because it's a freaking gold shoe. And who has a gold shoe that I know? No one.
