Patina Miller (‘Into the Woods’) on how motherhood helped her understand what The Witch is ‘fighting for’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
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“What’s exciting for me is being able to appreciate what’s come before me, but also not letting that cloud me in any way,” explains Patina Miller when discussing her portrayal of The Witch in this season’s revival of “Into the Woods.” The part has been embodied by a plethora of celebrated Broadway actresses, but that doesn’t intimidate Miller. The Tony-winning actress describes drawing on her “own personal experience…for a new interpretation” of this iconic role. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Motherhood is a core component of The Witch’s character and as a new mother herself, was the number one way in which Miller was able to pour herself into the role. “At the end of the day, The Witch is just this woman who loves her daughter so much and will do anything to protect her,” notes the actress. “When you’re younger, you don’t really interpret it the same way…you don’t really realize how the Witch hits…what she’s fighting for.” But as an adult now raising a young woman, she identifies with the Witch’s instinct to protect Rapunzel at all costs.
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This centering of motherhood has also affected the way Miller relates to the music and lyrics of “Into the Woods” composer Stephen Sondheim. Not only is the material musically complex, but the words are filled with poignancy and specificity. “What I love about his work is that you can take it as a monologue,” says Miller. That’s how she approached the tender song “Stay With Me,” as the Witch bargains with her daughter. She starts out with an aggressive tactic, but soon turns into a child herself as the Witch begs with her own child to stay safely at home. “I take it as text,” explains Miller, a strategy that also helps her navigate the lightning fast specificity of “The Witch’s Rap.” According to the actress, “elevating it to this Shakespearean-like way” helps her connect with the emotion behind Sondheim’s complex rhythms and rhyme schemes.
“Into the Woods” marked Miller’s first time back on a Broadway stage in eight years. Her much-anticipated return to the theater world was accompanied by some much needed change in the industry. The actress has memories of audition rooms where every Black woman was forced to compete for the same type of stereotypical roles. “I felt a little bit alone. I felt detached in a way, walking into those rooms sometimes,” she admits. Thankfully, there is more diversity when it comes to who is on stage and what types of characters they are portraying. “People aren’t allowing things to happen the way that they used to,” says Miller, ”everybody wants to see themselves reflected. And now is the time where everyone is amplifying their voices.” Entering the first rehearsals for “Into the Woods,” with its diverse ensemble, was a marked shift from her past experiences. “I’ve never felt more comfortable,” she notes of the experience. “I was just so proud to be a part of a cast that looked like mine, where people who came to see the show could see themselves reflected in ways they never saw.”
Miller won a Tony Award for her performance as the Leading Player in the 2013 revival of “Pippin.” She received a prior nomination for “Sister Act.” The actress has already become a Grammy winner thanks to “Into the Woods,” as a principal vocalist on the cast album.
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