In their fairy-tale musical Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine drew on Jungian psychology and revisionist storytelling to create a work that is accessible and intellectually rigorous. Jansson J. Antmann examines its structure and talks to Shannon Burns and Patrick Nolan about their new productions for two of our opera companies.

Charles Davis and Elizabeth Gadsby’s set and costume designs for Opera Queensland’s Into the Woods. Image courtesy of Opera Queensland

The creation of the 1986 musical Into the Woods marked a significant turning point in the career of composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, following the end of his long and defining collaboration with director and producer Hal Prince. Together, they had shaped the modern “concept musical” in works...