Into The Woods - Prologue Act I Lyrics - Broadways

NARRATOR 

Once upon a time 

CINDERELLA 

I wish... 

NARRARATOR 

in a far-off kingdom 

CIDERELLA 

More than anything... 

NARRARATOR 

lived a fair maiden, 

CINDERELLA 

More than jewels... 

NARRARATOR 

a sad young lad 

JACK 

I wish... 

NARRATOR 

and a childless baker 

JACK 

More than life... 

CINDERELLA & BAKER 

I wish... 

NARRARATOR 

with his wife. 

JACK 

More than anything... 

CINDERELLA, BAKER & JACK 

More than the moon... 

BAKER'S WIFE 

I wish... 

CINDERELLA 

The King is giving a Festival. BAKER & WIFE 

BAKER 

More than life... 

JACK 

I wish... 

CIDERELLA 

I wish to go to the Festival. 

BAKER 

More than riches... 

JACK 

I wish my cow would 

give us some milk. 

CINDERELLA 

And the Ball... 

BAKER'S WIFE 

More than anything... 

JACK 

Please, pal- 

BAKER 

I wish we had a child. 

BAKER'S WIFE 

I want a child... 

JACK 

Squeeze, pal... 

CINDERELLA 

I wish to go to the Festival. 

JACK 

I wish you'd give us some 

milk or even cheese... 

CINDERELLA 

I wish... 

BAKER'S WIFE 

I wish we might have a child. 

I wish... 

I wish... 

STEPMOTHER 

You wish to go to the Festival? 

NARRATOR 

The poor girl's mother had died, 

STEPMOTHER 

You Cinderella, you wish to go to the festival? 

FLORINDA 

What, you, Cinderella, the Festival? 

The Festival?! 

LUCINDA 

What, you wish to go to the Festival? 

ALL THREE 

The Festival? 

The King's Festival? 

NARRATOR 

And her father had taken for his new wife 

STEPMOTHER 

The Festival... 

NARRARATOR 

a woman with two daughters of her own. 

FLORINDA 

Look at your nails! 

LUCINDA 

Look at your dress! 

STEPMOTHER 

People would laugh at you- 

CINDERELLA, STEPMOTHER, & STEPSISTERS 

Nevertheless, 

I/she still want/s to go to the Festival 

And dance before the Prince. 

NARRATOR 

All three were beautiful of face, but vile and black of heart. 

Jack, on the other hand, had no father, and his mother- 

JACK'S MOTHER 

I wish... 

NARRATOR 

Well, she was not quite beautiful- 

JACK'S MOTHER 

I wish my son were not a fool. 

I wish my house was not a mess. 

I wish the cow was full of milk. 

I wish the house was full of gold- 

I wish a lot of things... 

You foolish child! 

What are you doing with a cow inside the house? 

JACK 

A warm enviroment might just be 

what Milky White needs to produce 

his milk. 

JACK'S MOTHER 

It's a she! 

How many times must I tell you? 

Only shes can give milk! 

BAKER'S WIFE 

Why, come in, little girl. 

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 

I wish... 

It's not for me, 

It's for my Granny in the woods. 

A loaf of bread, please- 

To bring my poor old hungry 

Granny in the woods... 

Just a loaf of bread, please... 

NARRATOR 

Cinderella's Stepmother had a surprise for her. 

STEPMOTHER 

I have emptied a pot of lentils into the ashes for you. 

If you have picked them out again in two hours' time, 

you shall go to the ball with us. 

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 

And perhaps a sticky bun?... 

Or four?... 

CINDERELLA 

Birds in the sky, 

Birds in the eaves, 

I the leaves, 

In the fields, 

In the castles and ponds... 

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 

And a few of those pies... please... 

CINDERELLA 

Come, little birds, 

Down from the eaves 

And the leaves, 

Over fields, 

Out of castles and ponds... 

JACK 

Now, squeeze, pal... 

CINDERELLA 

Ahhh... 

Quick, little birds, 

Flick through the ashes. 

Pick and peck, but swiftly, 

Sift through the ashes, 

Into the pot... 

JACK'S MOTHER 

Listen well, son. Milky-White must be taken to market. 

JACK 

But, mother, no- he's the best cow- 

JACK'S MOTHER 

Was! Was! SHEEEEE'S been dry for a week. 

We've no food, no money, 

and no choice but to sell her. 

JACK 

But mother... 

JACK'S MOTHER 

Look at her! 

There are bugs on her dugs. 

There are flies in her eyes. 

There's a lump on her rump 

Big enough to be a hump- 

JACK 

But- 

JACK'S MOTHER 

Son, 

We've no time to sit and dither, 

While her wither's wither with her- 

And no one keeps a cow for a friend! 

Sometimes I fear you're touched. 

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 

Into the woods, 

It's time to go, 

I hate to leave, 

I have to, though. 

Into the woods- 

It's time, and so 

I must begin my journey. 

Into the woods 

And through the trees 

To where I am 

Expected ma'am, 

Into the woods 

To Grandmother's house- 

Into the woods 

To Grandmother's house- 

BAKER'S WIFE 

You're certain of your way? 

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 

The way is clear, 

The light is good, 

I have no fear, 

Nor no one should. 

The woods are just trees, 

The trees are just wood. 

I sort of hate to ask it, 

But do you have a basket? 

Into the woods 

And down the dell, 

The path is straight, 

I know it well. 

Into the woods, 

And who can tell 

What's waiting on the journey? 

Into the woods 

To bring some bread 

To Granny who 

Is sick in bed. 

Never can tell 

What lies ahead. 

For all that I know, 

She's already dead. 

But into the woods, 

Into the woods, 

Into the woods 

To Grandmother's house 

And home before dark. 

CINDERELLA 

Fly, birds, 

Back to the sky, 

Back to the eaves 

And the leaves 

And the fields 

And the- 

FLORINDA 

Hurry up and do my hair, Cinderella! 

Are you really wearing that? 

LUCINDA 

Here, I found a little tear, Cinderella. 

Can't you hide it with a hat? 

CINDERELLA 

You look beautiful. 

FLORINDA 

I know. 

LUCINDA 

She means me. 

FLORINDA 

Put it in a twist. 

LUCINDA 

Who will be there?... 

CINDERELLA 

Mother said be good, 

Father said be nice, 

That was always their advice. 

So be nice, Cinderella, 

Good, Cinderella, 

Nice good good nice- 

FLORINDA 

Tighter! 

CINDERELLA 

What's the good of being good 

If everyone is blind 

And you're always left behind? 

Never mind, Cinderella, 

Kind Cinderella- 

Nice good nice kind good nice- 

(Florinda slaps Cinderella hard across the face.) 

FLORINDA 

Not that tight! 

CINDERELLA 

I'm sorry. 

FLORINDA 

Clod. 

NARRATOR 

Because the Baker had lost his Father 

and his Mother in a baking accident... 

Well, at least that's what he believed, 

he was eager to have a family of his own, and was concerned 

that all efforts until now had failed. 

BAKER 

Who might that be? 

BAKER'S WIFE 

We've sold our last loaf of bread. 

BAKER 

It's the witch from next door! 

BAKER & BAKER'S WIFE 

We have no bread. 

WITCH 

Of course you've got no bread! 

BAKER 

Then what is it you wish? 

WITCH 

It's not what I wish! It's what you wish! 

(points to Baker's Wife) 

Nothing cooking in there now is there? 

NARRATOR 

The old enchantress told the couple she had 

placed a spell on their house. 

BAKER 

What spell? 

WITCH 

In the past, when you were no more than a babe, 

your Father brought his young wife and you here to this cottage. 

They were a handsome couple, 

but not handsome neighbours! 

You see, your mother was with child, 

and she had developed an unusual appetite. 

She took one look at my beautiful garden, 

and told your father that what she wanted more than 

anything in the world was 

(rapping) 

Greens, greens and nothing but greens: 

Parsley, peppers, cabbages and celery, 

Asparagus and watercress and 

Fiddleferns, lettuce-! 

He said, "All right," 

But it wasn't, quite, 

'Cause I caught him in the autumn 

In my garden one night! 

He was robbing me, 

Raping me, 

Rooting through my rutabaga, 

Raiding my arugula and 

Ripping up my rampion 

(My champion! My favorite!)- 

I should have laid a spell on him 

Right there, 

Could have changed him into stone 

Or a dog or a chair... 

But I let him have the rampion- 

I'd lots to spare. 

In return, however, 

I said, "Fair is fair: 

You can let me have the baby 

That your wife will bear. 

And we'll call it square." 

BAKER 

I had a brother? 

WITCH 

No! But you had a sister. 

NARRATOR 

But the witch refused to tell him anymore of his sister. 

Not even that her name was Rapunzel. 

WITCH 

I though I had been more than reasonable. 

And that we all might live happily there after. 

But how was I to know what your father 

had also hidden in his pocket? 

You see, when I had inheireted that garden, 

my mother warned me that I would be punished 

if I were to ever loose any of the BEANS! 

BAKER & WIFE 

Beans? 

WITCH 

The special beans. 

I let him go, 

I didn't know 

He'd stolen my beans! 

I was watching him crawl, 

Back over the wall-! 

Then bang! Crash! 

And the lightning flash! 

And- well, that's another story, 

Never mind- 

Anyway, at last 

The big day came, 

And I made my claim. 

"Oh, don't take away the baby," 

They shrieked and screeched, 

But I did, 

And I hid her 

Where she'll never be reached. 

Your father cried, 

your mother died. 

And for extra measure- 

I admit it was a pleasure- 

I said, "Sorry, 

I'm still not mollified." 

And I laid little spell on them- 

You, too, son- 

That your family tree 

Would always be a barren one... 

BAKER'S WIFE 

No!! 

WITCH 

So there's no more fuss 

And there's no more scenes 

And my garden thrives- 

You should see my nectarines! 

But I'm tellling you the same 

I tell kings and queens: 

Don't ever never ever 

Mess around with my greens! 

Especially the beans. 

JACK'S MOTHER 

Now closely to me, Jack. Lead Milky-White to market and 

fetch the best price you can. 

Take no less than five pounds. 

Are you listening to me? 

Jack Jack Jack, 

Head in a sack, 

The house is getting colder, 

This is not the time for dreaming. 

Chimney stack 

Starting to crack, 

The mice are getting bolder, 

The floor's gone slack, 

Your mother's getting older, 

Your father's not back, 

And you can't just sit here dreaming pretty dreams. 

To wish and wait 

From day to day 

Will never keep 

The wolves away. 

So into the woods 

The time is now. 

We have to live, 

I don't care how. 

Into the woods 

To sell the cow, 

You must begin the journey. 

Straight to the woods 

and don't delay- 

We have to face 

The marketplace. 

Into the woods to journey's end- 

JACK 

Into the woods to sell a friend- 

JACK'S MOTHER 

Someday you'll have a real pet, Jack. 

JACK 

A piggy?! 

JACK'S MOTHER 

(groan) 

NARRATOR 

Meanwhile, the Witch, for purposes of her own, 

explained how the Baker might lift the spell; 

WITCH 

You wish to have 

The curse reversed? 

I'll need a certain 

Potion first. 

Go to the woods and bring me back 

One: the cow as white as milk, 

Two: the cape as red as blood, 

Three: the hair as yellow as corn, 

Four: the slipper as pure as gold. 

Bring me these 

Before the chime 

Of midnight, 

In three day's time, 

And you shall have, 

I guarantee, 

A child as perfect 

As child can be. 

Go to the wood! 

STEPMOTHER 

Ladies. 

Our carriage waits. 

CINDERELLA 

Now may I go to the Festival? 

STEPMPTHER 

The Festival-! 

Darling, those nails! 

Darling, those clothes! 

Lentils are one thing but 

Darling, with those, 

You'd make us the fools of the Festival 

And mortify the Prince! 

CINDERELLA'S FATHER 

Our carriage is waiting. 

STEPMOTHER 

We must be gone. 

CINDERELLA 

Good night, Father. 

I wish... 

BAKER 

Look what I found in father's hunting jacket. 

BAKER'S WIFE 

Six beans. 

BAKER 

I wonder if they are- 

BAKER'S WIFE 

The Witch's beans! We'll take them with us! 

BAKER 

No! You are not to come. 

BAKER'S WIFE 

I know you are fearful of the woods at night. 

BAKER 

No! The spell is on my house. 

Only I can lift the spell, 

The spell is on my house. 

BAKER'S WIFE 

No, no, the spell is on our house. 

We must lift the spell. 

BAKER 

No. You are not to come and that is final. 

Now what am I to return with? 

BAKER'S WIFE 

You don't remember? 

The cow as white as milk, 

The cape as red as blood, 

The hair as yellow as corn, 

The slipper as pure as gold- 

BAKER 

The cow as white as milk, 

The cape as red as blood, 

The hair as yellow as corn, 

The slipper as pure as gold... 

NARRATOR 

And so the Baker, reluctantly, set off to meet the 

enchantress' demands. 

And as for Cinderella: 

CINDERELLA 

I still wish to go to the Festival, 

But how am I ever to get to the Festival? 

BAKER 

The cow as white as milk, 

The cape as red as blood, 

The hair as yellow as corn- 

CINDERELLA 

I know! 

I'll visit Mother's grave, 

The grave at the hazel tree, 

And tell her I just want to 

Go to the King's Festival... 

BAKER 

The slipper as pure as gold... 

The cow, the cape, 

The slipper as pure as gold- 

BAKER'S WIFE 

The hair-! 

CINDERELLA & BAKER 

Into the woods, 

It's time to go, 

It may be all 

In vain, I know. 

Into the woods- 

But even so, 

I have to take the journey. 

CINDERELLA, BAKER & WIFE 

Into the woods, 

The path is straight, 

You know it well, 

But who can tell- 

BAKER 

Into the woods to lift the spell- 

CINDERELLA 

Into the woods to visit Mother- 

BAKER'S WIFE 

Into the woods to fetch the things- 

BAKER 

To make the potion- 

CINDERELLA 

To got to the Festival- 

CINDERELLA, JACK, JACK'S MOTHER, BAKER, WIFE 

Into the woods 

Without regret, 

The choice is made, 

The task is set. 

Into the woods, 

But not forget- 

Ting why I'm on the journey. 

(Little Red Riding hood Joins) 

Into the woods 

to get my wish, 

I don't care how, 

The time is now. 

JACK'S MOTHER 

Into the woods to sell the cow- 

JACK 

Into the woods to get the money- 

BAKER'S WIFE 

Into the woods to lift the spell- 

BAKER 

To make the potion- 

CINDERELLA 

To go to the Festival- 

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 

Into the woods to Grandmother's house... 

Into the woods to Grandmother's house... 

ALL 

The way is clear, 

The light is good, 

I have no fear, 

No no one should. 

The woods are just trees, 

The trees are just wood. 

No need to be afraid there- 

CINDERELLA & BAKER 

There's something in the glade there... 

ALL 

Into the woods, 

Without delay, 

But careful no 

To lose the way. 

Into the woods, 

Who knows what may 

Be lurking on the journey? 

Into the woods 

To get the thing 

That makes it worth 

The journeying. 

into the woods- 

STEMOTHER & STEPSISTERS 

To see the King- 

JACK & MOTHER 

To sell the cow- 

BAKER & WIFE 

To make the potion- 

ALL 

To see- 

To sell- 

To get- 

To bring- 

To make- 

To lift- 

To go to the Festival-! 

Into the woods! 

Into the woods! 

Into the woods, 

Then out of the woods, 

And home before dark!