Brian d’Arcy James (‘Into the Woods’) on finding new meanings in Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics [Exclusive Video Interview]
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“It was an extraordinary group of people,” says Brian d’Arcy James as he thinks of his “Into the Woods” co-stars. The actor notes that he was “the new kid on the block” given that the hit revival transferred to Broadway after a limited run at City Center, in which he did not partake. But the all-star cast who welcomed him into the fold. Magic-like chemistry with his fellow actors, combined with the extraordinary lyrics and dialogue of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, created a true fairytale experience for James. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
In the lead role of the Baker, James spent a majority of his scenes with Sara Bareilles as the Baker’s Wife. The pair journey through the titular woods on a quest to break a curse so that they can finally have a child. Their duet on the Sondheim classic “It Takes Two” was a comedic, and emotional highlight of the production, which showcased the playfulness of each performer. “It’s very helpful when you’re completely enamored with the person you’re working with,” mentions James when asked about their successful on-stage chemistry. He reveals that the pair were constantly “tickled” by each other’s surprising acting choices during the song.
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James also shined during “No More,” a song of quiet regret and reconciliation towards the end of his journey. The actor admits he looked forward to the number each night because he got to perform it alongside David Patrick Kelly as the Mysterious Man, revealed as the Baker’s absent father. The duo spent time “filling in the history” between their characters, which allowed a richness and authenticity on stage. ”When things are cooking along, and there are people that you’re working with that are so present and so powerful, that’s really half the battle,” describes James, “I feel really lucky that I got to do that with him.”
“Into the Woods” is a beloved musical, regularly ranking as one of the most produced musicals in the county each year. So, many audience members entered the theater with their own ideas of what these characters should feel like due to their reverence for the material. James admits that he felt a “responsibility” to uphold the legacy of the piece. Yet the stripped-down nature of this revival, and vision of director Lear DeBessonet, afforded the actor room to play and forge his own path. “We felt like we had our own particular world,” he explains.
That world, which placed the music and text at the center of this revival, offered the opportunity for the actor to find new meanings in the lyrics each night. “There are shades of things that you’ve never heard before. There are different meanings that you never realized,” exclaims James. “It’s kind of an endless plumbing of the depths.” Most theater fans have long committed Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” lyrics to memory. But the prominence of the music in this staging (unencumbered by any massive set pieces to steal the spotlight) allowed James to focus on connecting with his scene partners, bring life experiences to the words, and find new revelations every night. “If you have your eyes open and your heart is open as well,” he explains, “you’re going to constantly find new meanings.”
James is a three-time Tony nominee, earning bids for “Sweet Smell of Success,” “Shrek the Musical” and “Something Rotten!” He was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for “The Cathedral” and is a Grammy winner for the “Into the Woods” revival cast album.
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