My favorite part of Bernadette peters' performance is her behavior after Rapunzel dies. (Not just right after, but consistently) There's this very subtle but wonderfully present switch that goes off in her performance transitioning from flippant and sarcastic but well meaning to almost completely numb. The line "ask the wolf's mother" gave me chills because there was such bitterness in her voice.
Mr Mash, On Bernadette not being motherly enough during her interpretation of "Stay with Me"... I always took it that the witch wasn't a very capable mother in the first place. Her actions towards Rapunzel show that she lacks a lot of empathy towards her daughter, and she seems quite immature in herself. Rapunzel, up until the point of meeting the prince, has basically been groomed to be a subservient daughter; essentially how a young mother with little experience would treat a child if given no assistance. No contact with the outside world, treated like a possession more than anything, seemingly discongruent actions and feels shown from the witch (cutting her off from society and saying "it's all for you, because I LOVE you"). Daughter like a flower? A flower is pretty, but it's an object and nonreciprocal. It could even be argued that the witch never really loved Rapunzel (in a matriarchal way), until she was killed. Even when she found her with the prince after her banishment, she seemed more angry that Rapunzel had chosen him vs remorseful over her actions. After, the issue of her magic being lost seems to be more important than her daughter leaving her. For me, the witch is suppose to be a tragic parent figure, rather than a positive and well meaning one. The witch is a display of the one-sidedness of an almost abusive relationship. Bernadette portrays this completely and perfectly.
I could not agree more! Plus the unpredictability that Peters brings to the role. You never know if she is going to go tender or shout. She is pure, unchecked passion that sprouts out randomly and Rapunzel is the unhappy-adult product of that. To reduce it down to any kind of "normal" or "average" maternal mother- daughter relationship would be wrong in my opinion. That is something that the show even makes fun of, with the witches line "I was just trying to be a good mother!" - her actions leading up to this line are supposed to be twisted to the point of being ridiculous to make this line work. Not only does Bernadette Peters do this but she delivers this line in particular with unmatched comedic timing.
Demonhedge I don't see the Witch as properly abusive, not...really. She was so painfully aware of all the Hell the world had that she kept Rapunzel away not out of wanting to hurt her, but wanting to protect her, and her flights into rage are centered in pure fear for Rapunzel. Sure, she doesn't know how to properly parent, and her actions are abusive at times, but she does legitimately love Rapunzel, and it's not like her mother was a shining example of motherhood (turns her ugly because she lost some beans? Really?)
For whatever reason, Bernadette really takes it for me. Her humour, her character development, and her sense of just...incredible sorrow in the second act turning to rage is, to me, unparalleled. Your top three choices were great, and I do prefer some of the choices made by Murphy and Jocelyn for Last Midnight, but Bernadette is still my fave.
I'm extremely biased because it was the first version I saw but I will always think Bernadette Peters is the best witch. I think the mix of humour and seriousness in her performance is really good and she definitely looks the part.
I just think that Meryl really didn’t want to play a “witch” but a more human aspect of this role. But I get why people didn’t think she was right. In my opinion, I loved her interpretation. Bernadette Peters is my favorite though of course.
kevphantom your actually spot on and that’s how the witch is supposed to be. The only HUMAN AWARE character in the piece. This is clearly a opinionated surface review of performances of the actresses and not a review based on having done a actual character analysis and purpose of each character’s role in the play and the significance of interpretation.
I think her witch was more human and I think that's beautiful. I think there is a lot of humanity and beauty in that role that a lot of people don't understand or want to see.
I kinda wish you had talked about Meryl Streep's "Last Midnight". I thought it was really good. Also, I'd love to hear your insight on the best Baker's Wife. With the witch in the show, I feel like the Baker's Wife gets overshadowed sometimes...but honestly, to me, that's one of the hardest acting roles in the show.
Yeah i agree. And Joanna Gleeson will always be my favorite. She captures the comedy and the tragedy of the character perfectly. Her “i pulled it from a maiden in a tower” always has me in stitches.
Mannnnn, say what you want...but when Meryl sang 'Stay with me', WHOA! As a mother, I FELT it in my soul! The emotion in her voice, her facial expressions were so vulnerable, personal & relatable. She translated the frustration & the fears that plague motherly love beautifully... The pride of seeing the child you've reared grow in beauty & health, but also selfishly wanting to remain prominent in their lives, missing the nostalgic glint in their eyes when you were their world & knowing that you'll someday have to accept their inevitable need to expand that world beyond you. You have to adjust to a new role in their lives... They're stretching towards the sunlight & almost every protective instinct you've cultivated since their birth has to be brought into submission so you don't crush their 'bloom' or be left behind due to their survival instincts to protect it. It can be both brutal & beautiful at the same time & Meryl conveyed that perfectly💔
I agree with Sondheim that Bernadette Peters basically has a superpower when it comes to emoting with her voice, and I think she’s easily the best overall witch (although Streep did better than I had expected based on “Mamma Mia” - her “Last Midnight” was chilling). I enjoyed this review as well, especially the variety of clips, but probably won’t seek out any others. The arguments for/against each performance don’t line up with my personal takes and don’t make unusually convincing points. Maybe a detailed comparison without awarding places would be more effective and less angry-comment-provoking :) I admire the reviewer’s love and knowledge of the subject, just not the ranking aspect.
Honestly I loved Meryl Streep in the movie I think her rap was a great take on it (I swear if anyone says oh that was all autotune I will lose my marbles) but I liked her ugly witch better I don't know I think she just did a better job at it and I think Peters should have been much higher on the list (that is my opinion tho)
When Bernadette P. sang “Stay With Me” she made me think of what a mother must feel when their child wants to leave.😢 It made me cry. As I grew older, I still touches my heart. She looks like a unattractive old woman, but sounds like a beautiful Princess.
I FOR SURE like Peters more than Streep in this role. Also, I love how Donna Murphy as the ugly witch is almost deformed. It's so cool and makes "Stay With Me" so good!
Bradley Johnson Meryl’s makeup as the witch wasn’t that unattractive, it didn’t feel like that big of a switch as opposed to The hideous makeup that’s usually done , and Meryl’s take on the Greens was uninspiring .
I won't disagree with Donna Murphy, she was definitely a great choice for number one, the only witch I don't agree with was Bernadette Peters. Personally, she was the first witch I saw in high school on DVD so I have always loved her as my favorite witch, and yes I agree, she took a comical turn with moments in the Broadway show, but at the same time, I feel like there were moments where she did show the motherly tenderness that you spoke of, especially with Stay with Me. I definitely thought she showed the mothering feeling towards Rapunzel and I feel that was one of her strongest moments in the show, least that is my opinion, but other than that, I can agree with the vast majority of the list
Your number 1 pick was off key...a lot. How can a pitchy witch be #1? Peters should be first because she played every inch of that character. From body language to face making to off key "you're so nice" to make the point that nice for nice isn't whats needed. The reason I like Peters so much, especially her Stay With Me is because when she gets loud, theres a reason. It's not just to "belt to the back of the house". She wants things the way she wants them and when she doesn't have her way, she has a witchy temper tantrum. The point of her getting loud at that point is to be LOUD and to try and scare her "daughter" into staying. Thats what shes done her whole life. The witch uses fear of the outside world to keep Rapunzel with her. Streep, well, she was actually really fantastic. But for a real classic musical theater nerd, movies are always going to lose out to stage productions. I think Streep would have fallen a little flat on stage, but on camera, she was everything the witch needed to be. And the song that Sondheim wrote just for her but they sadly had to cut...I mean, cmon. You have to go find it if you haven't seen it already. She'll Be Back was such a good commentary on how the witch is. How she wants what she wants and is devastated when she can't have it. She's used to people doing what she wants because she's THE WITCH (queue spooky music and lightning). I mean, look at the ridiculous quest she sends the baker and his wife on just so she can be pretty again. She doesn't care about giving them a child. She wants her youth and beauty. And lastly, your claim that #3 "nailed the rap"...what rhythm are you referring to? Because I didn't hear her nailing the rhythm at all. I in fact heard her being off rhythm. Is there another recording where the audio might be better to help prove your point? To be honest, I've watched a few of your videos and this is the only comment I'm leaving, though I've thought about leaving lots of them. I don't want to be one of those bitchy commenters that tried to tear you apart, but its opinion. My opinion is that your lists are...not well put together.
Zacary Landolt that’s only in the movie. In the play she is just old. She regains her youth with a potion, and loses her magical abilities. Just another example of an interesting way to take the character, but not an accurate example of what the character should be.
First of all, you’re adorable. Second of all, I think it’s unfair to compare Streep’s Witch-a performance that clearly works in a cinematic portrayal since she’s not having to act to the balcony-with the other women who are clearly giving stage performances with necessary larger than life portrayals. I found the selection of Murphy to be interesting considering your complaints of Rashad’s pitch problems. Murphy, even in the clip you show, is highly inconsistent in her pitch during “Stay With Me.” I’d agree with you on her very fine tuned acting performance-there are few actresses who can match her dimension in that regard-but as the whole package? Probably not. I don’t know who my favorite is. I’ll always love Bernadette’s performance because she was first; I’ll always love Rashad because she was the first I saw live; and I’ll always love how completely different Williams was. But I think the Witch that made me FEEL the most was definitely Streep-and that’s because of the reasons you seemed to NOT like her...which was her completely human approach. I think having a Witch that is like us makes her easier to empathize with. But that’s just me. Keep being adorable.
I was almost upset when Bernadette wasn't in the top 3, but then, you just introduced me to a whole WORLD of Witches that I never knew I needed, thank you so much
Honestly surprised you chose Donna Murphy. I saw the recording of her performance. I'm not a huge fan of her delivery, in most parts. Granted, that might just be because she was flat, for the performance I saw. My personal favorite is really just a tie between Peters and Streep, which is weird, considering they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Take for instance, The Last Midnight. Peters is very good at letting her emotions subtly creep out through her actions and facial cues, while Streep just smashes open a can of crazy. Both are very satisfying performances of telling off a bunch of idiots.
Yep, MSTe98, I agree. Although I adore Bernadette like nobody's business, Meryl Streep is just transcendent. You can't take your eyes off her. She's beautifully effective in the role.
Peters will always be my #1. She captures the sass and humor of the witch so well, all while being very smart. I thought she did a great job as the mother to Rapunzel, and every time she's on stage, I can't keep my eyes off of her. Her voice, as well, is to die for.
I understand where you're coming from with the Bernadette Peters motherly instinct stay with me point. But I think it's either an acting choice or I'm reading to much into it. I think the whole point is she doesn't know how to be a mother, she doesn't have that motherly instinct. But that's just what I think.
@@MattHarropActor The same way the movie producers didn't hear that flat ass note LOL no way they would've kept that unless it was a style choice or something
I was lucky enough to have attended Hannah Waddingham's Regent's Park Open Theatre Into the Woods performance back in 2010. I cried my heart out listening to her singing Children will Listen. Simply unforgettable. She's my number one.
I ADORE Hannah and Donna's Witches - I love that they seem to be turning into trees or dryads - it lends so much creepiness and scariness to every scene they appear in, and gives Stay With Me a beautifully sinister feel and look - definitely think they deserved #1 and #2 - my only real personal change would be to switch Meryl and Phylicia, but that's just my own opinion - otherwise this list is truly perfect, at least to my taste. Thanks for a month of the Master of Musicals, Mr. Mash!
Hmmmm... Definitely an interesting list. I'm SO happy to see Waddingham and Joselyn toward the top of the list. I gotta say, I'm not the biggest fan of Murphy's rendition of Stay With Me. IDK, it always sounded pitchy and flat in places. Definitely pretty in others, but there are parts that don't sound good to me and it just distracts me from the song. I have yet to watch the full production so maybe I need to see her in the whole thing to get the full effect but from what I've seen of her my thoughts were just generally... "yeah, she's pretty good." My favourite spot prolly goes to Peters or Waddingham, and I definitely wish Meryl were higher on the list. She brought that motherly quality to the role like nothing I've ever seen before and I just loved how she played it with that smug "I know more than all of you idiots" and that torture she feels from her plight. But overall, fantastic list, and BRILLIANTLY presented as always.
I agree with you; at least in this video, Donna Murphy sounds slightly flat throughout much of Stay With Me. (My top spot will probably always go to Peters because I got to know and love the show through that video and CD - back when that was pretty much all that was available.) Haven't seen the movie yet but your endorsement of Streep certainly makes me want to - and soon! Thanks for the great post!
Same--I love Meryl Streep's performance because I felt her pain and I saw how much she loves Rapunzel, even just by the way she looks at her. And I think her Last Midnight doesn't get a lot of love--the way she sang "Alright mother, WHEN?" is amazing--for me it was one of the best cinematic ragequit moments of all time.
Summer Latimer agreed. Peters is a very obvious number 1, and he seems to have picked and chose aspects (and songs) of each witch to rank them. While I agree that some of the other witches sang certain songs better than Bernadotte, none of them come close to her acting and portrayal of the character as a whole. To be honest the ONLY witch I have ever seen who nailed the whole performance was Peters. MTM has this problem in a lot of his videos. He talks about how much he hates critics and yet acts in the same fashion. He talks about theatre fans going crazy about certain performers and yet praises every Patti Lapone performance (no offense but the fact that people even praise her bad portrayals of characters is astounding). An example is his Miscast Mrs. Lovet video. He basically claimed that Angela Lansbury, the original Lovet mind you, was miscast as the role. The person selected by Sondheim himself to play it. Then claims that Lapone, who many fans think was not great in the role, is the best version. While I understand that all this is his opinion, he present it so objectively (from a speech standpoint) that it just angers me. I don’t even have a problem with that though, it’s that he seems to choose one performance over another for questionable reasons.
ok I am not trying to be ugly but you missed a lot of parts of the Broadway version from the movie, Peters owned it in its all entirety Disney ruined this show. It wasn't even Streep's real voice!.
I loved reading the disclaimer haha! You didn't make very many funny faces, it was mostly your face slowly turning to the right and being blurry. I personally like Bernadette, it was the first one I ever saw and it was so powerful to me. I didn't know about the other versions so that was cool to see!
Dude, Bernadette peters is by far the perfect into the woods witch. And when she sang that out there in the woods song, it made me tear up. Her singing was so beautiful, it made me cry. I love her as the witch that much
Wow, I need to watch more versions of Into the Woods. This is my favorite musical of all times and I had literally only seen two of these witches (you can guess which two.) Thank you for the introduction to other versions!
Personally think Bernadette should have been first, and Meryl deserved a hire ranking as the director screwed that up. She was obviously better then the 2002 mess.
My favourite was, without a doubt, Meryl Streep. Her delivery of Last Midnight was just phenomenal to me - the witch going pretty much batshit crazy at the end is what i had always imagined for the witch.
Love the video! I had no idea there were so many previous witches. I only knew of Streep and Peters. I really love Meryl Streep's rendition of Last midnight but I adore the style, wit, and delivery Peter gives with every line and her stay with me was gorgeous. Meryl and Peters are my favorites but I enjoyed seeing the ones I had not heard of before, great video.
I just found this, and watched all the warnings :) This is my favorite show ever. I once flew to Seattle for 24 hours to watch a production of it. I loved the description of the show in the warnings too. I also have a t-shit that says "This is ridiculous, what am I doing here, I'm in the wrong story!" I really enjoyed the comparison between the witches. Thanks!
I paused randomly during the disclaimer and fully agree with you 100% that "Sunday" is a song that makes me cry every single time I hear it. Ugh, it's so beautiful.
Hmm. I think Meryl's Stay With Me is my favorite. So layered and nuanced. And she's one of the only people that uses dynamics to her advantage. She def needs to be higher on the list! Side note, Wottingham was acting!!! Goodness. She might be my new fave tbh.
Love Donna Murphy. She did awesome in her voice over as Evil Mother in Disney's Tangled so I am sure she would have played fantastic as a witch here too! She's got great knack from switching to vulnerable to sinister really quickly with her tone of voice and singing.
Please re-do this with Patina Miller!! She played The Witch in the recent Hollywood Bowl production and was absolutely FANTASTIC!! I had the pleasure of going opening night, she gave me chills every time she sang, brought me to tears during Stay With Me, and it was awesome hearing the subtle but audible “wow, she’s amazing!” from the audience around me.
One time I went to go see into the woods in person in a small music theater and the Lady playing the witch had a great singing voice but she would constantly yell and scream out her lines it wasn’t playing for the back row she was playing for the people down the street
i always loved that hannah version included the line from the solo version "what do you say to a child in the night.." wich at that point of the story is very poignant and significative and never understood why no one else included it ,that is actually my favourite version of the song
I completely agree with this and the closer we were getting to the number one I knew who you would choose. She's absolutely amazing. One thing I will say is that I was much more impressed with Meryl Streep. It seems to me that the things that didn't work were more of a director's choice than her own.
Man....I love this musical! I have listened to this so many times and it is an emotional ride every time! I cry virtually everytime. Life is full of choices but number one is Bernadette Peters! She is just spectacular as is that production and the cast. They all just nail it. Bravo and a continuous standing ovation! I'm tearing up just writing this.
Thanks for doing this video as Into the Woods is an absolutely brilliant musical, so great work! However I can't say I agree with your analysis of Meryl Streep's version of the witch. I see your point in that you want more of the Witch to come through, but the meaning of the song shouldn't really reflect that until the end when she is cutting the hair of Rapunzel and letting the Witch take over again. What you see in Stay With Me is parental fear coming through or at the very least what the Witch is trying to demonstrate as parental love which I think Meryl captures perfectly.
For me the best actress I have ever seen play this role was actually Heather Headley. She was apart of the 2015 Muny Production. For me she took the strongest parts of Williams' and Peters' performances as inspiration for the performance she created. She was able to portray motherly affection and concern, without abandoning her witchiness. I don't know if there is any surviving footage of her performance lurking around on the internet, but I would recommend looking it up for anyone who is a fan of this role.
She came in at SEVEN? Oh my...Meryl wasn't the best but I found a deleted scene they cut called 'She'll be back', and it would of made her part so much more memorable. That transformation in the last clip made the others cower in the corner.
Only my second video of yours, but I paused through the entire 'rules' section of the video and read every word. Your humor and musical knowledge is more than enough to earn a sub! My hat off to YOU, sir! :)
I love your miscast videos! It's so refreshing to listen to someone's opinion about my favorite musicals and you really have a great educational vibe. Thank you.
Dante Hellsing I’ve never seen the movie but I’ve heard a bunch of people say that they cut too much out. I don’t think they even needed to cut that much out. The movie’s only like 20 minutes shorter than the original play.
yes yes, I like Bernadette Peters best, yada yada yada, BUT, I like aspects of the other witches too. Streep's motherly affection, Joslyn's manic witchiness, Murphy's tender voice, Williams' being just so friggin extra. Peters can never be duplicated or bested, but credit where it is due.
My favorite part of Bernadette peters' performance is her behavior after Rapunzel dies. (Not just right after, but consistently) There's this very subtle but wonderfully present switch that goes off in her performance transitioning from flippant and sarcastic but well meaning to almost completely numb. The line "ask the wolf's mother" gave me chills because there was such bitterness in her voice.
I'm sorry I will always side with Bernadette Peters as the best Witch. She makes me laugh, makes me emotional, and she looks amazing!
I find her diction a bit muddled at times but that could just be the quality of the recording.
I agree. No one is better than Bernadette
Agree 💯
Same but the belting in stay with me definitely doesn't fit the theme that well
Petes The best
Mr Mash,
On Bernadette not being motherly enough during her interpretation of "Stay with Me"... I always took it that the witch wasn't a very capable mother in the first place. Her actions towards Rapunzel show that she lacks a lot of empathy towards her daughter, and she seems quite immature in herself.
Rapunzel, up until the point of meeting the prince, has basically been groomed to be a subservient daughter; essentially how a young mother with little experience would treat a child if given no assistance. No contact with the outside world, treated like a possession more than anything, seemingly discongruent actions and feels shown from the witch (cutting her off from society and saying "it's all for you, because I LOVE you"). Daughter like a flower? A flower is pretty, but it's an object and nonreciprocal.
It could even be argued that the witch never really loved Rapunzel (in a matriarchal way), until she was killed. Even when she found her with the prince after her banishment, she seemed more angry that Rapunzel had chosen him vs remorseful over her actions. After, the issue of her magic being lost seems to be more important than her daughter leaving her.
For me, the witch is suppose to be a tragic parent figure, rather than a positive and well meaning one. The witch is a display of the one-sidedness of an almost abusive relationship. Bernadette portrays this completely and perfectly.
I could not agree more! Plus the unpredictability that Peters brings to the role. You never know if she is going to go tender or shout.
She is pure, unchecked passion that sprouts out randomly and Rapunzel is the unhappy-adult product of that.
To reduce it down to any kind of "normal" or "average" maternal mother- daughter relationship would be wrong in my opinion.
That is something that the show even makes fun of, with the witches line "I was just trying to be a good mother!" - her actions leading up to this line are supposed to be twisted to the point of being ridiculous to make this line work.
Not only does Bernadette Peters do this but she delivers this line in particular with unmatched comedic timing.
I agree. I always viewed the role as an abusive parent, which I feel like Peters really captures.
Demonhedge I don't see the Witch as properly abusive, not...really. She was so painfully aware of all the Hell the world had that she kept Rapunzel away not out of wanting to hurt her, but wanting to protect her, and her flights into rage are centered in pure fear for Rapunzel. Sure, she doesn't know how to properly parent, and her actions are abusive at times, but she does legitimately love Rapunzel, and it's not like her mother was a shining example of motherhood (turns her ugly because she lost some beans? Really?)
Well put!
Yes. Agreed
Bernadette Peters owns this role as much as Patti Lupone owns Evita.
AxelQC Yes. Thank you!
AxelQC yass boi
Berrnet As The Witch Yes Lupon As Evita HAH"
LuPone owns Mrs Lovett as well
Did y’all know that LuPone was originally asked to play The Witch? She wanted to play Cinderella, so she ended up playing no one at all.
For whatever reason, Bernadette really takes it for me. Her humour, her character development, and her sense of just...incredible sorrow in the second act turning to rage is, to me, unparalleled. Your top three choices were great, and I do prefer some of the choices made by Murphy and Jocelyn for Last Midnight, but Bernadette is still my fave.
I'm extremely biased because it was the first version I saw but I will always think Bernadette Peters is the best witch. I think the mix of humour and seriousness in her performance is really good and she definitely looks the part.
What The Fuck Fucking Rhymes With Florida ? I second that.
Kremit and we cant forgot that epic scream either
I just think that Meryl really didn’t want to play a “witch” but a more human aspect of this role. But I get why people didn’t think she was right. In my opinion, I loved her interpretation. Bernadette Peters is my favorite though of course.
kevphantom your actually spot on and that’s how the witch is supposed to be. The only HUMAN AWARE character in the piece. This is clearly a opinionated surface review of performances of the actresses and not a review based on having done a actual character analysis and purpose of each character’s role in the play and the significance of interpretation.
I think her witch was more human and I think that's beautiful. I think there is a lot of humanity and beauty in that role that a lot of people don't understand or want to see.
@@flame246848 yh I think so too
I love her witch😢
I personally would have ranked Bernadette Peters as #1 but I still loved the video!!!
Agreed
@@aurorathorosn5266 same nobody could play the witch better then Bernadette Peter's
Berndette ..who I saw 5 times on Broadway...Broke my heart. She is the Witch.
I kinda wish you had talked about Meryl Streep's "Last Midnight". I thought it was really good. Also, I'd love to hear your insight on the best Baker's Wife. With the witch in the show, I feel like the Baker's Wife gets overshadowed sometimes...but honestly, to me, that's one of the hardest acting roles in the show.
Yeah i agree. And Joanna Gleeson will always be my favorite. She captures the comedy and the tragedy of the character perfectly. Her “i pulled it from a maiden in a tower” always has me in stitches.
Mannnnn, say what you want...but when Meryl sang 'Stay with me', WHOA! As a mother, I FELT it in my soul! The emotion in her voice, her facial expressions were so vulnerable, personal & relatable. She translated the frustration & the fears that plague motherly
love beautifully... The pride of seeing the child you've reared grow in beauty & health, but also selfishly wanting to remain prominent in their lives,
missing the nostalgic glint in their eyes when you were their world & knowing that you'll someday have to accept their inevitable need to expand that world beyond you. You have to adjust to a new role in their lives... They're stretching towards the sunlight & almost every protective instinct you've cultivated since their birth has to be brought into submission so you don't crush their 'bloom' or be left behind due to their survival instincts to protect it.
It can be both brutal & beautiful at the same time & Meryl conveyed that perfectly💔
I would've put Bernadette first hahaha
Beth Marie ikr
Beth Marie yeah me too, her rendition of stay with me always makes me cry from all the emotions
she's great, but for some reason, during the rap... it's like her voice is stabbing me... i get annoyed with her very easily, specially in the 1st act
Beth Marie THATS EXACTLY HOW I FEEL !
Beth Marie same
Lets be honest, Bernadette Peters was the best.
Well the role was written specifically for her :)
Definitely agreed
y e s .
Definitely!
NO WAY, meryl streep is the best
I agree with Sondheim that Bernadette Peters basically has a superpower when it comes to emoting with her voice, and I think she’s easily the best overall witch (although Streep did better than I had expected based on “Mamma Mia” - her “Last Midnight” was chilling). I enjoyed this review as well, especially the variety of clips, but probably won’t seek out any others. The arguments for/against each performance don’t line up with my personal takes and don’t make unusually convincing points. Maybe a detailed comparison without awarding places would be more effective and less angry-comment-provoking :) I admire the reviewer’s love and knowledge of the subject, just not the ranking aspect.
Honestly I loved Meryl Streep in the movie I think her rap was a great take on it (I swear if anyone says oh that was all autotune I will lose my marbles) but I liked her ugly witch better I don't know I think she just did a better job at it and I think Peters should have been much higher on the list (that is my opinion tho)
Peters definitely should have been higher!
When Bernadette P. sang “Stay With Me” she made me think of what a mother must feel when their child wants to leave.😢 It made me cry. As I grew older, I still touches my heart. She looks like a unattractive old woman, but sounds like a beautiful Princess.
We can all agree that Bernadette Peters is an amazing witch, but can we also talk about how amazing she was in Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella?
YES!! LOVE her as the Stepmother in that movie!!!
She was also insanely good in the Gypsy revival.
I FOR SURE like Peters more than Streep in this role. Also, I love how Donna Murphy as the ugly witch is almost deformed. It's so cool and makes "Stay With Me" so good!
Bradley Johnson Meryl’s makeup as the witch wasn’t that unattractive, it didn’t feel like that big of a switch as opposed to The hideous makeup that’s usually done , and Meryl’s take on the Greens was uninspiring .
I won't disagree with Donna Murphy, she was definitely a great choice for number one, the only witch I don't agree with was Bernadette Peters. Personally, she was the first witch I saw in high school on DVD so I have always loved her as my favorite witch, and yes I agree, she took a comical turn with moments in the Broadway show, but at the same time, I feel like there were moments where she did show the motherly tenderness that you spoke of, especially with Stay with Me. I definitely thought she showed the mothering feeling towards Rapunzel and I feel that was one of her strongest moments in the show, least that is my opinion, but other than that, I can agree with the vast majority of the list
I think a miscast of Glindas from Wicked would be interesting. Comparing the iconic Kristen Chenoweth to the over the top Alli Mauzey
Seneca Jo yes!!! That would be super interesting!
Alli Mauzey was funny to me tho hahaha
Brittany Johnson solos them all
Kara lyndsay and Meagen Hilty; the former for comedy, the latter for acting.
Bernadette Peters wins hands down, she's unbeatable.
Your number 1 pick was off key...a lot. How can a pitchy witch be #1? Peters should be first because she played every inch of that character. From body language to face making to off key "you're so nice" to make the point that nice for nice isn't whats needed. The reason I like Peters so much, especially her Stay With Me is because when she gets loud, theres a reason. It's not just to "belt to the back of the house". She wants things the way she wants them and when she doesn't have her way, she has a witchy temper tantrum. The point of her getting loud at that point is to be LOUD and to try and scare her "daughter" into staying. Thats what shes done her whole life. The witch uses fear of the outside world to keep Rapunzel with her.
Streep, well, she was actually really fantastic. But for a real classic musical theater nerd, movies are always going to lose out to stage productions. I think Streep would have fallen a little flat on stage, but on camera, she was everything the witch needed to be. And the song that Sondheim wrote just for her but they sadly had to cut...I mean, cmon. You have to go find it if you haven't seen it already. She'll Be Back was such a good commentary on how the witch is. How she wants what she wants and is devastated when she can't have it. She's used to people doing what she wants because she's THE WITCH (queue spooky music and lightning). I mean, look at the ridiculous quest she sends the baker and his wife on just so she can be pretty again. She doesn't care about giving them a child. She wants her youth and beauty.
And lastly, your claim that #3 "nailed the rap"...what rhythm are you referring to? Because I didn't hear her nailing the rhythm at all. I in fact heard her being off rhythm. Is there another recording where the audio might be better to help prove your point?
To be honest, I've watched a few of your videos and this is the only comment I'm leaving, though I've thought about leaving lots of them. I don't want to be one of those bitchy commenters that tried to tear you apart, but its opinion. My opinion is that your lists are...not well put together.
u ended her
Thank you! I thought I was going crazy. That was actually painful to my ears.
why is Bernadatte number 4 she should be number 1
I wasn't upset with your choice at all shes so good but Bernadette will always be my #1!!!
you see I think that stay with me should be very human and not witch, which is why I like Meryl Streep's performance
Wow! Somebody who also likes Meryl!
@@komomn its the last midnight
Yes
Also people forget that she was transformed into an ugly old witch. She’s a prisoner in her body.
Zacary Landolt that’s only in the movie. In the play she is just old. She regains her youth with a potion, and loses her magical abilities. Just another example of an interesting way to take the character, but not an accurate example of what the character should be.
First of all, you’re adorable.
Second of all, I think it’s unfair to compare Streep’s Witch-a performance that clearly works in a cinematic portrayal since she’s not having to act to the balcony-with the other women who are clearly giving stage performances with necessary larger than life portrayals.
I found the selection of Murphy to be interesting considering your complaints of Rashad’s pitch problems. Murphy, even in the clip you show, is highly inconsistent in her pitch during “Stay With Me.” I’d agree with you on her very fine tuned acting performance-there are few actresses who can match her dimension in that regard-but as the whole package? Probably not.
I don’t know who my favorite is. I’ll always love Bernadette’s performance because she was first; I’ll always love Rashad because she was the first I saw live; and I’ll always love how completely different Williams was.
But I think the Witch that made me FEEL the most was definitely Streep-and that’s because of the reasons you seemed to NOT like her...which was her completely human approach. I think having a Witch that is like us makes her easier to empathize with.
But that’s just me.
Keep being adorable.
Matthew MacDermid 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
EXACTLY!!
Same❤
To point out, Donna Murphy also played a variation of the role in Tangled
I was almost upset when Bernadette wasn't in the top 3, but then, you just introduced me to a whole WORLD of Witches that I never knew I needed, thank you so much
I hope I wasn't the only one who just read the disclaimer... 😂😂😂
Jamming Rag No you're not
I decided to pause during the disclaimers and read every paragraph. I was not disappointed😂 Oh, and nice
video too!
Coaster Critic stop taking pictures right now, you heard the announcement! who do you think you are?
Otis Williams Or I could just read the entire script for Minute-ish musicals Into the woods😂
The Gilbert and Sullivan lyrics killed me.
Me too!!
same
i can not accept the fact that Bernadette isn’t first on the list, shame
Honestly surprised you chose Donna Murphy. I saw the recording of her performance. I'm not a huge fan of her delivery, in most parts. Granted, that might just be because she was flat, for the performance I saw.
My personal favorite is really just a tie between Peters and Streep, which is weird, considering they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Take for instance, The Last Midnight. Peters is very good at letting her emotions subtly creep out through her actions and facial cues, while Streep just smashes open a can of crazy. Both are very satisfying performances of telling off a bunch of idiots.
I agree with your opinion on Streep's performance. And I love her The Last Midnight the best--I love how she was losing her shit near the end.
Aya Papaya Cause really, what is she saving it for, at that point?
Yeah, she was flat in all of his examples of her on this video too
Yep, MSTe98, I agree. Although I adore Bernadette like nobody's business, Meryl Streep is just transcendent. You can't take your eyes off her. She's beautifully effective in the role.
MSTe98 The
I'm still not over the fact that Donna Murphy played both Mother Gothel and The Witch. That's some a+ freaking casting
Peters will always be my #1. She captures the sass and humor of the witch so well, all while being very smart. I thought she did a great job as the mother to Rapunzel, and every time she's on stage, I can't keep my eyes off of her. Her voice, as well, is to die for.
Bernadette Peters.
Saw Donna Murphy live...still going with Bernadette.
FOUR?!
Jillbles ikr
Jillbles that's my favorite
Jillbles I know right? 4?
I know right????
Ikr
I understand where you're coming from with the Bernadette Peters motherly instinct stay with me point. But I think it's either an acting choice or I'm reading to much into it. I think the whole point is she doesn't know how to be a mother, she doesn't have that motherly instinct. But that's just what I think.
"She has the pipes to get it done!"
**Plays clip of Donna Murphy singing flat as hell**
Just my thought. How can he not hear she’s flat as a pancake! Bernadette all the way.
Yesss
@@MattHarropActor agreed Bernadette's vocals for her portrayal of the witch were really well done and she fits the character perfectly
@@MattHarropActor The same way the movie producers didn't hear that flat ass note LOL no way they would've kept that unless it was a style choice or something
@@MattHarropActor shut up
I was lucky enough to have attended Hannah Waddingham's Regent's Park Open Theatre Into the Woods performance back in 2010. I cried my heart out listening to her singing Children will Listen. Simply unforgettable. She's my number one.
Not all witches need witch voices. :/ (glinda witch of the north)
7b7Ben or Elphaba
7b7Ben But this one does
But Glinda is a good witch; this witch is not good, she's not nice, she's just right
Not starting argument since I’m a year late but Glenda wasn’t old and was the supposed good one
I ADORE Hannah and Donna's Witches - I love that they seem to be turning into trees or dryads - it lends so much creepiness and scariness to every scene they appear in, and gives Stay With Me a beautifully sinister feel and look - definitely think they deserved #1 and #2 - my only real personal change would be to switch Meryl and Phylicia, but that's just my own opinion - otherwise this list is truly perfect, at least to my taste.
Thanks for a month of the Master of Musicals, Mr. Mash!
Hmmmm... Definitely an interesting list. I'm SO happy to see Waddingham and Joselyn toward the top of the list. I gotta say, I'm not the biggest fan of Murphy's rendition of Stay With Me. IDK, it always sounded pitchy and flat in places. Definitely pretty in others, but there are parts that don't sound good to me and it just distracts me from the song. I have yet to watch the full production so maybe I need to see her in the whole thing to get the full effect but from what I've seen of her my thoughts were just generally... "yeah, she's pretty good." My favourite spot prolly goes to Peters or Waddingham, and I definitely wish Meryl were higher on the list. She brought that motherly quality to the role like nothing I've ever seen before and I just loved how she played it with that smug "I know more than all of you idiots" and that torture she feels from her plight. But overall, fantastic list, and BRILLIANTLY presented as always.
I agree with you; at least in this video, Donna Murphy sounds slightly flat throughout much of Stay With Me. (My top spot will probably always go to Peters because I got to know and love the show through that video and CD - back when that was pretty much all that was available.) Haven't seen the movie yet but your endorsement of Streep certainly makes me want to - and soon! Thanks for the great post!
Same--I love Meryl Streep's performance because I felt her pain and I saw how much she loves Rapunzel, even just by the way she looks at her. And I think her Last Midnight doesn't get a lot of love--the way she sang "Alright mother, WHEN?" is amazing--for me it was one of the best cinematic ragequit moments of all time.
Um............. I don't agree with your #1.... The fact that she is singing off-pitch in much of your examples is really off-putting
Summer Latimer omg I agree
i have to say, she is.. , through the entire sequence,. i was taken aback!
I did not find her that off pitch. She was a bit flat when she pulled back on vibrado, but that’s usually a mic problem and not a issue during live.
@@boundary2580 SInging flat is not a mic problem... Mind you, nobody is perfect. It was just a really bad choice of clip to show
Summer Latimer agreed. Peters is a very obvious number 1, and he seems to have picked and chose aspects (and songs) of each witch to rank them. While I agree that some of the other witches sang certain songs better than Bernadotte, none of them come close to her acting and portrayal of the character as a whole. To be honest the ONLY witch I have ever seen who nailed the whole performance was Peters.
MTM has this problem in a lot of his videos. He talks about how much he hates critics and yet acts in the same fashion. He talks about theatre fans going crazy about certain performers and yet praises every Patti Lapone performance (no offense but the fact that people even praise her bad portrayals of characters is astounding). An example is his Miscast Mrs. Lovet video. He basically claimed that Angela Lansbury, the original Lovet mind you, was miscast as the role. The person selected by Sondheim himself to play it. Then claims that Lapone, who many fans think was not great in the role, is the best version.
While I understand that all this is his opinion, he present it so objectively (from a speech standpoint) that it just angers me. I don’t even have a problem with that though, it’s that he seems to choose one performance over another for questionable reasons.
My personal favorite is Meryl Streep. her performance is really impressive in the movies especially when she sang "Last Midnight"
ok I am not trying to be ugly but you missed a lot of parts of the Broadway version from the movie, Peters owned it in its all entirety Disney ruined this show. It wasn't even Streep's real voice!.
Um, not real voice? Proof?
@@amychesnut9824 nah disney's is overhated, Streep ate
Im sorry, Meryl has never been a 7 lol
Ik
that's literally what i said lol
Thank you this man tells the truth
I loved reading the disclaimer haha! You didn't make very many funny faces, it was mostly your face slowly turning to the right and being blurry. I personally like Bernadette, it was the first one I ever saw and it was so powerful to me. I didn't know about the other versions so that was cool to see!
Murphy's "Stay a child, while you can be a child" broke me. I'm in tears, rn. I need to track this version down!
This was great! I would love to see a Miscast Grizabella
Anthony Rosenthal me too
Wait until the movie comes out so Jennifer Hudson can be evaluated
Dude, Bernadette peters is by far the perfect into the woods witch. And when she sang that out there in the woods song, it made me tear up. Her singing was so beautiful, it made me cry. I love her as the witch that much
Wow, I need to watch more versions of Into the Woods. This is my favorite musical of all times and I had literally only seen two of these witches (you can guess which two.) Thank you for the introduction to other versions!
Mine is Bernadette peters
Personally think Bernadette should have been first, and Meryl deserved a hire ranking as the director screwed that up. She was obviously better then the 2002 mess.
My favourite was, without a doubt, Meryl Streep. Her delivery of Last Midnight was just phenomenal to me - the witch going pretty much batshit crazy at the end is what i had always imagined for the witch.
Love the video! I had no idea there were so many previous witches. I only knew of Streep and Peters. I really love Meryl Streep's rendition of Last midnight but I adore the style, wit, and delivery Peter gives with every line and her stay with me was gorgeous. Meryl and Peters are my favorites but I enjoyed seeing the ones I had not heard of before, great video.
I saw Bernadette, Betsy Jocelyn and Donna Murphy (in Central Park. And the added bonus was Chip Zien, as the Mysterious Old Man.)
Hannah Waddington is my fave. As you said, the 'Children will listen' is spectacular. The whole production is above anything ever 💜
Wow, Hannah Waddingham is amazing! I think Bernadette also holds too special of a place in my heart, but I can appreciate all of your choices.
Y'all should definitely do a Mama Rose Miscast.
Probs.
Musical Theatre Mash do tracy turn bad miscast
Oooooooohhhhh I'd watch the hell out of that. My money's on Imelda Staunton landing high on the list. She's fantastic!
NoLifeButTheater ...spoiler, He'll choose LuPone. He's a superfan/apologist.
We all know Patti would be No. 1 💜
Also, for GOT watchers...Hannah Waddingham is better known as Septa Unella (ie the "shame nun" )
MIND. BLOWN.
Did Meryl place lower because she's in the film version ;-;
Aidan F of course! That version was awful, love meryl streep just not for that role
I just found this, and watched all the warnings :) This is my favorite show ever. I once flew to Seattle for 24 hours to watch a production of it. I loved the description of the show in the warnings too. I also have a t-shit that says "This is ridiculous, what am I doing here, I'm in the wrong story!" I really enjoyed the comparison between the witches. Thanks!
Peters was my first witch so she'll always hold a place in my heart! As for the rest of these I will look to them for inspiration as well!
I paused randomly during the disclaimer and fully agree with you 100% that "Sunday" is a song that makes me cry every single time I hear it. Ugh, it's so beautiful.
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR THE LONGEST TIME!
SAME
Woo ooo ooo for the longest time.
I screamed when I heard you say number one because I love her playing the witch
Man Donna Murphy would make an amazing Margaret White in Carrie!
I go back to Hannah Waddingham's "Children Will Listen" over and over again. It's so good!
For me Iove I Bernadette:s performance, especially the first scene ;)
YES. I've been waiting for another Miscast video; these are the best!
Presenter: "The definitive version of the rap as sondheim intended"
Witch: *jumbled string of incomprehensible syllables*
"Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap Hot Pocket and place on baking sheet"
*deceased*
You were right about me liking #1. I was questioning Bernadette Peters' placement, but I LOVE Donna Murphy! She's such an underrated gem.
YESSSSS!!! I left a comment asking you to do this so long ago, and I'm so glad you finally decided to do it. Thanks Mr. Mash!
Hmm. I think Meryl's Stay With Me is my favorite. So layered and nuanced. And she's one of the only people that uses dynamics to her advantage. She def needs to be higher on the list!
Side note, Wottingham was acting!!! Goodness. She might be my new fave tbh.
i hated the movie but her stay with me was so so good
Love Donna Murphy. She did awesome in her voice over as Evil Mother in Disney's Tangled so I am sure she would have played fantastic as a witch here too! She's got great knack from switching to vulnerable to sinister really quickly with her tone of voice and singing.
Please re-do this with Patina Miller!! She played The Witch in the recent Hollywood Bowl production and was absolutely FANTASTIC!! I had the pleasure of going opening night, she gave me chills every time she sang, brought me to tears during Stay With Me, and it was awesome hearing the subtle but audible “wow, she’s amazing!” from the audience around me.
One time I went to go see into the woods in person in a small music theater and the Lady playing the witch had a great singing voice but she would constantly yell and scream out her lines it wasn’t playing for the back row she was playing for the people down the street
Does anyone else really want a miscast of Mama Rose?
Sending some Love!! Great video!!
Let's be real. The only witch worthy of holding the title of best witch is Titus Burgess.
Thomas Sutherland YES
Thomas Sutherland Sebastian? From the Little Mermaid?
WHO??
gdi wasnt expecting this but yasssssss
???????
i always loved that hannah version included the line from the solo version "what do you say to a child in the night.." wich at that point of the story is very poignant and significative and never understood why no one else included it ,that is actually my favourite version of the song
Agreed tha Berna should have been first, but how did Heather Headley not even make the your list?!
I came in a Peters bigot and left a Waddingham fan. Her version of “Children Will Listen” had me in tears.
I completely agree with this and the closer we were getting to the number one I knew who you would choose. She's absolutely amazing. One thing I will say is that I was much more impressed with Meryl Streep. It seems to me that the things that didn't work were more of a director's choice than her own.
Man....I love this musical! I have listened to this so many times and it is an emotional ride every time! I cry virtually everytime. Life is full of choices but number one is Bernadette Peters! She is just spectacular as is that production and the cast. They all just nail it. Bravo and a continuous standing ovation! I'm tearing up just writing this.
Thanks for doing this video as Into the Woods is an absolutely brilliant musical, so great work! However I can't say I agree with your analysis of Meryl Streep's version of the witch. I see your point in that you want more of the Witch to come through, but the meaning of the song shouldn't really reflect that until the end when she is cutting the hair of Rapunzel and letting the Witch take over again. What you see in Stay With Me is parental fear coming through or at the very least what the Witch is trying to demonstrate as parental love which I think Meryl captures perfectly.
I was just really happy to see Hannah Waddingham so high on the list. That production leaves me in absolute tears every. single. time.
For me the best actress I have ever seen play this role was actually Heather Headley. She was apart of the 2015 Muny Production. For me she took the strongest parts of Williams' and Peters' performances as inspiration for the performance she created. She was able to portray motherly affection and concern, without abandoning her witchiness. I don't know if there is any surviving footage of her performance lurking around on the internet, but I would recommend looking it up for anyone who is a fan of this role.
MERYL AT 8! NOOOO! i thought she was miles ahead of anyone else who has played the witch, finally a just representation
I'd really like to write a couple paragraph constructive response but I'm afraid you wouldn't read it
I will 100% read it. 😁
That re-heated Tim-Burton-discovers-steampunk aesthetic of the Regents Park production is...not right.
She came in at SEVEN?
Oh my...Meryl wasn't the best but I found a deleted scene they cut called 'She'll be back', and it would of made her part so much more memorable. That transformation in the last clip made the others cower in the corner.
Only my second video of yours, but I paused through the entire 'rules' section of the video and read every word. Your humor and musical knowledge is more than enough to earn a sub! My hat off to YOU, sir! :)
I’m so happy you included Hannah Waddingham, her whole performance was perfection. Leagues above Donna Murphy in my opinion.
I love your miscast videos! It's so refreshing to listen to someone's opinion about my favorite musicals and you really have a great educational vibe. Thank you.
ok ok Bernadette Peters knocked it outta the park
gosh, this video made me nostalgic about into the woods.
I think he just doesn't like movie adaptations. He never has anything good to say about them.
BabyCS123 most theater snobs don’t.
Most movie adaptations are better than Into the Woods, though. It's really.... not great....
I don't like the movie version because they cut a lot out, and it's mostly the humor they get rid of.
Dante Hellsing I’ve never seen the movie but I’ve heard a bunch of people say that they cut too much out. I don’t think they even needed to cut that much out. The movie’s only like 20 minutes shorter than the original play.
I was fortunate enough to see your #1 pick live and WOW, I couldn't agree more. It was so wonderful.
I love Donna but Bernadette has it all in my opinion she just amazing and plus she's the original and almost always the originals are the best
yes yes, I like Bernadette Peters best, yada yada yada, BUT, I like aspects of the other witches too. Streep's motherly affection, Joslyn's manic witchiness, Murphy's tender voice, Williams' being just so friggin extra. Peters can never be duplicated or bested, but credit where it is due.