I am normally loathe to share soundbyte interviews from TV -- especially when I have full delicious ones to offer with a whole slew of actors (soon, darlings, soon) -- but this little bit with Meryl Streep explaining what it's like to play Violet Weston is choice. The 'shiv in her hair' reference is perfect. But mostly I dug her enthusiasm about Into the Woods. Hey I'd squeal too if Sondheim wrote a new song for me!
He only asks that Meryl not fuck it up. (That's all we ask too) Which delights her. Because Meryl is delightful.
Sondheim already has an Oscar (for Dick Tracy's "Sooner or Later") but whatever it is he's written for the Witch will probably win him a second if the movie is popular and if the song is a worthy companion to the witch's other musical numbers. I'm curious why there's a new song since the musical is already lengthy. Might it be a *gasp* replacement (?) because the Witch already has quite a few numbers even if some are brief (The "Greens Greens" section in Act 1 - Prologue, "Our Little World," "Stay With Me," "Witches Lament," which later morphs into the "Children Will Listen" finale and the awesome "Last Midnight".
And now I'm humming to myself. So here's a little Bernadette Peters (the original and still supreme Witch) with "Witch's Lament"