Into the Woods

A lavishly produced (and expensive) retelling of the popular Broadway musical: a tongue-in-cheek amalgam of "Red Riding Hood," "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Cinderella," and "Rapunzel," with a darker second-act sequel. Adults and teen-agers will be most amused by the humor here - especially the sly modern dialogue, much of it incorporating the show's adroitly phrased lyrics; and there are a good many bits that are more appropriate to a mature audience than to lit, tie children (e.g., Rapunzel receiving her prince, modestly posed but quite bare; Cinderella's prince seducing the Baker's Wife). On the other hand, older children will enjoy the lively action and the extension of these familiar stories - the giant's wife turns up seeking revenge, and there are a number of new alliances as well as some unexpected deaths in the second act. The transposition from the stage has been achieved with unusual panache; and the generous, colorful illustrations are splashy and dramatic, appropriately capturing moments satirical (Red Riding Hood elegantly dressed in the wolf's skin), idyllic (a wedding dance amid pink blossoms), or fearsome (the Baker's Wife about to be trampled by a giant). Good fun. (Kirkus Reviews)