June 22, 2010: Into the Woods at the Reagle Music Theatre

>> Rooney: WITH SUMMER
NOW OFFICIALLY HERE, SO IS
THE SUMMER THEATER SEASON.
JARED BOWEN VENTURED INTO
THE WOODS OF "GREATER
BOSTON," WHICH JUST OPENED
ITS 42nd SEASON WITH A
SOMETIME CLASSIC AND A
BROADWAY STAR.

>> REGAL MUSIC THEATER
CELEBRATES STEPHEN
SONDHEIM'S BIRTHDAY BY
LEADING US INTO THE WOODS.
§§§

>> Rooney: "INTO THE
WOODS" IS BASED ON THE
GRIMSBERRY FILM.
IT IS A LOT LIKE WICKED,
IN THAT IT TAKES A STORY
WE'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH
AND IT SORT OF EXAMINES
THE BACK STORY.

>> AND EVEN IN FAIRYTALES,
THERE IS NOT A HAPPILY
EVER AFTER.

>> EXACTLY.

>> SONDHEIM'S 1986 TAKES
US INTO THE FUTURISTIC
CINDERELLA, AND A JACK IN
THE BEAN STOCK, AND A
VAMOY LITTLE RED
RIDINGHOOD, AND THE LITTLE
WITCH.

>> THAT YOUR FAMILY TREE
WOULD ALWAYS BE A BARON
ONE.

>> THE WITCH, MUCH LIKE
THROUGH HISTORY, IS SORT
OF THE SCAPEGOAT OF THE
WORLD.
EVEN THOUGH SHE IS VERY
MISCHIEVOUS, SHE IS VERY
NECESSARY FOR THE BALANCE,
TO KEEP THE BALANCE OF THE
WORLD.
§§§

>> NOT THAT YOU WOULD EVER
RECOGNIZE HER, AT LEAST IN
THE FIRST ACT, BUT THE
WITCH IS PLAYED BY
BROADWAY VETERAN RACHEL
YORK.
WHO IS MAKING THE LATEST
OF STAR TURNS IN THE
BOSTON AREA.

>> WHAT DRAWS YOU HERE?

>> I SHOULD JUST MOVE
HERE, RIGHT?
WELL, GREAT THEATER.
BOSTON HAS SOME WONDERFUL
THEATER.

>> A HEFTY COMPLIMENT
GIVEN THAT SOME OF HER
FORMATIVE YEARS WERE SPENT
BEHIND JULIE ANDREWS.
AND ALSO IN VICTOR,
VICTORIA.

>> WHEN YOU TOOK OFF THAT
WIG, I COULDN'T BELIEVE
YOU WERE A MAN.

>> YES, SHE'S REALLY AS
WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL AS
YOU COULD IMAGINE OR HOPE
THAT SHE WOULD BE.

>> Reporter: ON
TELEVISION, YORK EARNED
THE PRAISE OF THE ARNEZ
FAMILY FOR HER PORTRAYAL
OF LUCILLE BALL.
UNTIL A NASTY LITTLE
DETOUR LAST YEAR AT
LORETTEA PAVILLE.

>> SHIRLEY BASSY AND ERTHA
KITT.
§§§

>> I'VE ALWAYS LOVED
DURING CHARACTER VOICES,
AND I'M VERY ATTRACTED TO
CHARACTER WORK.
AND I'M VERY FORTUNATE
THAT LATER ON IN MY CAREER
I'M ABLE TO EXPRESS THOSE
CREATURES WITHIN ME.

>> BECAUSE AS SHE GOES
FROM HAG TO CONTEMPTUOUS
TEMPTRESS, RACHEL YORK IS
DELICIOUSLY BE WITCHING.

>> Rooney: USUALLY YOU
SEE THE BEAUTIFUL HEROIN
DOESN'T WANT TO PLAY THOSE
CHARACTERS, ESPECIALLY A
WITCH.

>> AND THIS WAS MY FIRST
TIME SEEING THIS.
AND I THOUGHT I CAN'T
BELIEVE THEY'RE COVERING
UP RACHEL YORK THROUGHOUT
THIS.
BUT IN THE SECOND ACT, YOU
GET TO SEE HER LIKE THE
PICTURES WE JUST SHOWED.

>> Rooney: BUT YOU DON'T
KNOW ORIGINALLY THAT IT IS
HER.

>> UNLESS YOU'RE FOLLOWING
THEATER.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO THE REGAL JUST TO
SEE HER BECAUSE IT IS A
GREAT OPPORTUNITY WITHOUT
HAVING TO GO TO NEW YORK.

>> Rooney: IS IT
SONDHEIM'S 80th
BIRTHDAY?

>> PEOPLE LOVE SONDHEIM,
BUT IT'S THE PAST
SONDHEIM.
AND, OF COURSE, REGAL
WANTED TO DO IT BECAUSE
IT'S A CHALLENGE IN WAYS
BECAUSE HE IS SO
COMPLICATED, THE WORDING
LIKE THE VEGETABLE MEDLEYS
IS SO COMPLICATED THAT
THEATER COMPANIES WANT TO
TAKE IT ON AND BECAUSE IT
IS HIS 80th BIRTHDAY.

>> Rooney: AND THE REGAL
THEATER, IS THAT NEW?

>> THEY'RE IN THEIR 42nd
SEASON.
THEY'VE BEEN PERFORMING IN
THE WALTHAM HIGH SCHOOL.
LAST YEAR THEY HAD LEE
MERIWETHER.
AND RACHEL YORK WAS DOING
"HELLO DOLLY" AND COULDN'T
WAIT TO COME BACK THIS
YEAR.

>> Rooney: IT IS
INTERESTING WHAT SHE SAID
ABOUT COMING FROM L.A. TO
BOSTON.
MAYBE SHE OUGHT TO MOVE
HERE.

>> I'M SURE SHE WOULD BE
DYING TO.

>> Rooney: EXACTLY.
BACK TO THE PLOT OF THIS
THING.
IT IS ALL THESE SORT OF
FAIRYTALES WITH A NEW
TWIST?

>> IT IS INTERESTING
BECAUSE IT REALLY IS
WICKED, BUT IT IS WICKED
BEFORE WICKED CAME BACK.
WHERE THE NORMAL FAIRYTALE
ENDS, YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN CINDERELLA GETS
TOGETHER WITH HER PRINCE.
AND HE IS ATTRACTIVE TO SO
MANY OTHER PEOPLE.
YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO
JACK WHEN HE BEFELS THE
GIANT AND HAS TO DEAL WITH
THE REPERCUSSIONS.

>> Rooney: BEHIND THE
SCENES OF WHAT HAPPENS TO
REAL FAIRYTALES.

>> YES.
NOT SO HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
THERE IS NO HAPPILY EVER
AFTER IN LIFE.

>> Rooney: THANKS, JARED
FOR THAT PEARL OF WISDOM.
JARED BOWEN.
TOMORROW ON MY RADIO SHOW,
ON THE 89.7, SHONA
SCHILLING ON RAISING A SON
WITH ASPERGER'S SYNDROME.
FOLLOWED BY CALLIE
CROSSLEY AT ONE.
AND TOMORROW NIGHT, THE
DOWNSIDE OF 3D TELEVISION.

>> WHEN I SAW THE WORD
POTENTIAL-SEEKERS OR
STROKE, THAT WAS A BIG
ONE.

>> Rooney: POTENTIAL
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF THE
NEXT GENERATION'S
TELEVISION.
THAT'S TOMORROW NIGHT AT
7:00.
I'M EMILY ROONEY.
GOOD NIGHT.