Liza Minnelli heads "Into the Woods" in this TV musical featuring the songs by Jule Styne of "Gypsy" and "Funny Girl" fame. This enjoyable classic holiday special stars Cyril Ritchard (already known to TV audiences for "Peter Pan" and "Aladdin"), narrating the story from the wolf's point of view. Of course, Liza, is off to her grandmother's house to visit her for Christmas, finding adventure in the woods with song and dance, and eventually danger when she meets the hungry wolf.
This isn't any better or worse than other TV musicals of the time, sadly only available in a black-and-white kinescope, but that's better than not being available at all. The songs aren't anything to start requesting at piano bars, but they are filled with energy and well performed.
It's amazing how close this is in story to "The Wizard of Oz" where a little girl on a specific journey faces danger. As much as Liza is a lot like mother Judy Garland, Cyril Ritchard is very close to Bert Lahr in comic timing, more music hall than burlesque, and even emulating Margaret Hamilton when he pretends to be the grandmother.
Vic Damone, a recent guest on mama Judy's TV show, has a nice cameo as the woodsman, his voice still as heavenly as it was a decade before when he was a musical romantic hero at MGM. Musical highlight is Minnelli duet with Richard, "Ding-A-Ling", which is delightfully silly and instantly memorable. Liza is refreshing, definitely her own young lady, and not a carbon copy of her mother or father. Maybe one day, this will come out in color, so fans of all ages can take pleasure in this delightful piece of nostalgia.
This isn't any better or worse than other TV musicals of the time, sadly only available in a black-and-white kinescope, but that's better than not being available at all. The songs aren't anything to start requesting at piano bars, but they are filled with energy and well performed.
It's amazing how close this is in story to "The Wizard of Oz" where a little girl on a specific journey faces danger. As much as Liza is a lot like mother Judy Garland, Cyril Ritchard is very close to Bert Lahr in comic timing, more music hall than burlesque, and even emulating Margaret Hamilton when he pretends to be the grandmother.
Vic Damone, a recent guest on mama Judy's TV show, has a nice cameo as the woodsman, his voice still as heavenly as it was a decade before when he was a musical romantic hero at MGM. Musical highlight is Minnelli duet with Richard, "Ding-A-Ling", which is delightfully silly and instantly memorable. Liza is refreshing, definitely her own young lady, and not a carbon copy of her mother or father. Maybe one day, this will come out in color, so fans of all ages can take pleasure in this delightful piece of nostalgia.