“ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE WOODS.”

Creatively staged and powerfully performed with a perfect line-up of talent, the Writers Theatre revival of “Into the Woods” debuted Wednesday in a magnificent Gary Griffin-directed production. Stephen Sondheim’s epic musical journey to the other side of happily-ever-after of the Baker and his wife, masterfully conjoined with the familiar fairy tales of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Rapunzel” earned eight 1988 Tony Award nominations, and received three, including best original score for Sondheim, best book for James Lapine (who was also nominated for best director), and best performance for Joanna Gleason. (Lapine was nominated again as best director in 2002, in which the show won, among ten other nominations, best revival).