The most recent revival of the 1987 Broadway musical “Into the Woods” featuring music and lyrics from the late, great Stephen Sondheim is now making its triumphant return, playing at the St. James Theatre. It is without a doubt a fitting tribute to this musical theatre giant. Director Lear deBessonet has assembled an unrivaled cast of astute actors, who are prodigious singers who understand the lyrics, music, and phrasing to create a perfect intelligent and emotional translation. This production is a transfer from the Encore Concert series, with minor cast changes, but sticking to the formula of minimal sets and costumes, and with the orchestra appearing on stage to perform the glorious score. The focus stays on the ever so important words that will tell the story. Kudos must be given to sound designers Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann who may be one of the most essential elements of this production. Too often the audience must struggle to hear what is being sung and after much laborious concentration end up not understanding half of what is being sung. Mr. Lehrer and Mr. Neumann, along with the eloquent diction of the singers, manage to assure that every word and lyric is crystal clear. You can almost hear the commas, periods and exclamation marks delivered with each phrase, especially noted in duets and ensemble numbers.

There is no reason to examine the plot, which is based on various Grimm’s Brothers fairy tales, except to say the first act ends “happily ever after,” and everything goes downhill from there. The book by James Lapine is cleverly developed with twists and turns that allow the music and lyrics to remarkably navigate the storyline. This incredible cast easily finds its way “Into the Woods.” Patina Miller as the witch goes far beyond evil to find anger and as a loving mother convincingly conveys remorse. Phillipa Soo delivers a sensitive, but more importantly intelligent Cinderella, who grows wiser as she discovers the world she lives in. Gavin Creel and Joshua Henry explode with exaggerated bravura as the Princes seeking to attain their true loves. Mr. Creel, who also embodies the wolf, is frighteningly delightful, with saltshaker in hand ready to devour Red Riding Hood. Sara Bareilles conquers the difficult role of the Baker’s wife with compassionate comedy and droll determination. Brian d’Arcy James is astounding, creating a bewildered Baker, exuding sensitivity, vulnerability, and a sincere constitution as he faces the struggles and decisions he encounters. Julia Lester is cute and cunning as she fends for herself, with revealing expressions that turn at the drop of a hat. Cole Thompson is an innocent and charming Jack, ready to save the world. Puppeteer Kennedy Kanagawa steals quite a few scenes as the lovable cow Milky White. All three actors are making impressive Broadway debuts. The entire cast is exceptional.

No need to continue the praise of this production mainly because it is endless. This production undoubtedly will be marked as one of Broadway’s best revivals and deservedly so. The only thing left to say, is to rush to get a ticket and applaud this magnificent theatrical event and testament to one of the greatest contributors to American Musical Theatre, Stephen Sondheim.