Public Theater Announces Additional Casting for Shakespeare in the Park's 'Into the Woods'

Photograph by Peter Ash Lee

We featured Gideon Glick in our young Hollywood portfolio, "Heat Wave," in March (pictured above with his friend Sarah Steele) because he'll be starring in Gods Behaving Badly opposite Sharon Stone this year, and spoke with him when he was starring in the Off-Broadway production of Wild Animals You Should Know (aka, the gay Boy Scouts play). Now we've learned that Glick has joined the cast of the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods.

Glick will play Jack and will be joined by Cooper Grodin (Rapunzel's Prince), Ivan Hernandez (Cinderella's Prince/Wolf), Tina Johnson (Granny), Josh Lamon (Steward), Jessie Mueller (Cinderella), Laura Shoop (Cinderella's Mother), and Tess Soltau (Rapunzel).

Yeah, we're excited that Jessie Mueller, last seen in the unfortunately Broadway revival On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, will be Cinderella. And, knowing how recent productions have played out for the Public's summer series (hello, Hairspray), we wonder how many of these wonderful performers may end up in any sort of transfer of Into the Woods to Broadway (please?).

Not to forget the actual Shakespeare, As You Like It, being performed: David Furr (Orlando) and Stephen Spinella (Jacques)--who is currently starring in the one-man production An Illiad at New York Theatre Workshop--join the previously announced MacIntyre Dixon (Adam), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Celia), Omar Metwally (Oliver), and--yes, thank you, thank you--Lily Rabe (Rosalind).

So far this year's Shakespeare in the Park is shaping up to be a bigger spectacle than the most recent ho-hum years. And we plan to be there.