Fuck Yeah Stephen Sondheim
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Ellen Foley, who was the final actress to portray the witch in the original Broadway production of Into the Woods — and, incidentally, the one I saw on my very first trip to Broadway — performs “Last Midnight.”
You are more likely to be familiar with Foley as Meatloaf’s duet partner in “Paradise By The Dashboard Light.”
(Thanks to Jo for helping me relive my childhood with this recording.)
“Last Midnight” from the Barcelona production of Boscos Endins, aka Into the Woods, featuring Mone as the Bruixa.
Last Midnight - Into The Woods (Original London Cast Recording)
Julia Mckenzie as The WitchI prefer this recording over the Broadway cast recording. The London cast has a darker feel to it…..
From the 2005 San Francisco Simply Sondheim concert, Amy Dondy performs “Last Midnight.”
The other day I put out a call for requests. minivandicamp asked for some Into the Woods to help get excited for the Public Theater’s production in Central Park. Here’s Hannah Waddingham’s rendition of “Last Midnight” from the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production that forms the basis of the forthcoming New York mounting.
Boom, Crunch // Into the Woods Demo Recording
This song was replaced by Last Midnight which, I think, is far better. But it’s interesting to listen to what could have been.
I’m not sure who’s singing.
Pretty sure it’s Ellen Foley.
You might know her as Meatloaf’s duetting partner in “Paradise By the Dashboard Light.”
She played the witch in La Jolla, and then eventually as part of the final cast of the original Broadway production. (She was in the show when I saw it. I don’t remember much about her particular performance, though. I was 11 years old.)
I’ve been told it’s Maureen Moore. Oops! Loved her in Night Music!
(And while I’m making corrections, it was San Diego, not La Jolla. Apparently I’m off my game today.)
Lea Salonga ~ Last Midnight
Nothing else really needs to be said.
There are times when she sounds eerily like Bernadette Peters.
Hannah Waddingham, who played the Witch in the Regents Park production of Into the Woods, performing “Last Midnight” at West End Live 2010.
Billy Porter, “The Last Midnight” from Into the Woods, At the Corner of Broadway and Soul (Live)
Last week I saw Billy Porter do King Lear as “Queen Lear”, reproducing (and exponentially expanding upon) a Reggie Jackson production from the early ’90s, setting Billy Shakes’ play in the drag balls of Paris Is Burning. It was, perhaps, the best theatrical event I’ve ever seen. At the very least, the best Shakespeare I’ve seen since my youthful days at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I mean, so good I don’t really have any words.
And then today, listening to the Sirius XM Broadway channel at work, I came across this. Seth Rudetsky (the host for a few hours in the afternoon) introduced the song by saying he asked Billy to sing something at a recent show, and Billy tried to defer, “But why? I’m an actress now.” And so he is! But oh sweet Jesus, what a voice!
Long story short: if Billy Porter in drag can be the best King Lear I’ve ever seen, I can’t even fathom how good he would be as the Witch in Into the Woods. I know it was just revived recently and all, but Broadway producers/Steve Sondheim: can’t we make this happen?!? He’s like Vanessa Williams, but with actual balls.
Actually—using The Witch as a reference point makes a lot of sense for Billy’s LEAR (which I also so and liked, though not as unequivocally or enthusiastically as Macartney). But, regardless, this song is FIERCE. I can honestly say I’ve never enjoyed listening to it until now.
When the Vanessa Williams revival was first announced, there were murrmurs that Billy was actually considered for the witch, and may have gone as far as doing a workshop to try out the concept. And it wasn’t so recently — both Gypsy & La Cage (and soon Follies) have had two Broadway productions with less time elapsed.
I saw this production during its pre-Broadway tryout in Los Angeles and came away so disappointed. I don’t think a single change to the text of this show for this production was beneficial. Feh.
