Witch's Transformation

Channa · Witch's Transformation

Hi Everyone. Im not sure if this is a question that has been asked before, but i couldnt find anything on it so i thought i should ask...

Can everyone share some ideas with me about how to do the witch's transformation?

Ive done transformations before as a director in HONK! and some other shows, but they all had suggestions on how - where as into the woods did not.

I cant seem to figure out how bernadette peters does it in the broadway cast recording?

Some help would be greatly appreciated.

ConverseSneaker

What I have heard from others was that the girl playing Snow-White did the transformation scene in the OBC as the ugly Witch and then Peters came out as the pretty Witch. The scene with Peters as the Ugly Witch was taped for the dvd.

In my production. We had her take off the fake nose, fingers, and chin, take off the wig and get changed into her costume. She stayed under her cloak, hood up for that whole scene. She threw off the cloak, turned around and posed.

Channa

Hey

Thanks for your advice, and for clearing up how they did it in the OBC cast - i couldnt figure it out!

So what was the audiences reaction to her chin, nails and wig being taken off?

Did many people pick up on it or did the illusion work?

I cant see that the doubling thing is such a good idea because she actually does a lot of talking in the scene prior to the transformation and that might be a dead giveaway?

ConverseSneaker

Well, her hood was up, so the audience didn't know she looked different until after in my production. As for the doubling, I suppose the Witch could say her lines offstage.

Lara

In the show at my new school they did last year, I think they just had her transform offstage and she on... but I don't quite remember.

Beagle On Stage

There was a time when Tyler and I flooded this board with transformation ideas. Those were the days.

I think the "old reliable" of having her change after "Stay With Me," but wearing her hooded cloak over her new costume, with a simplified version of the makeup (just her wig and nose) that she can take off quickly works well. It's almost midnight, so even though some of her face shows, the right lighting combined with the hood shadows her enough that it won't be obvious. Give her a flash pot to tear off the nose and wig behind, then she turns around and discards the cloak, and ta-da.

A really simple way to do it is to have the witch fall coughing and sputtering into a ball, then reveal a sexy leg into the air. She has plenty of time to change afterwards in the stepsisters' scene, so all she needs to have ready to go for the transformation would be that one leg, which no one will notice until she calls attention to it on purpose.

The only way a double works is if you're miced - then the witch can say her lines from where she's hidden pre-transformed, and it will all go through the same sound system. But there's so much movement in the scene that if you try to just throw in her real voice from off stage, it will be really obvious that it's coming from the wings. I really don't like the doubling idea in most situations...unless it's a professional production where you can hire someone who actually matches the witch fairly closely, you can usually tell pretty blatantly that it's really some other chick wearing the same costume.

I love it when, whatever they do for the effect, productions have a loud wolf whistle heard when she appears transformed.

Channa

Hey, all of those a quite good ideas.

We have the capability to do mics, and our little red looks a lot like our witch....

But maybe the simplified make up and cloak disguise is the best one to go with...

i like the reveal of the leg idea, but part of the "ooooh" and "ahhhh" factor of the transformation comes from seeing her in full just pop out so quickly and magically and leaving the audience guessing how we did it...

ConverseSneaker

Good choice of character, Little Red's not in that scene or any near it. So you would have plenty of time after her and Jack's little scene to change her and then unchange her quickly before the act 1 finale. I would help our witch get beautiful and collect her ugly parts to put back in her box as well as collect props for that scene as well as help our witch get into her impossible to get on in a hurry shoes as the sexy witch.

Channa

Its pretty tricky. Thanks for all the ideas guys. I'll let you know what we decide to go with.

If anyone has anymore suggestions id reall appreciate it...

Channa	Witch's Transformation Hi Everyone. Im not sure if this is a question that has been asked before, but i couldnt find anything on it so i thought i should ask... Can everyone share some ideas with me about how to do the witch's transformation? Ive done transformations before as a director in HONK! and some other shows, but they all had suggestions on how - where as into the woods did not. I cant seem to figure out how bernadette peters does it in the broadway cast recording? Some help would be greatly appreciated.
ConverseSneaker	What I have heard from others was that the girl playing Snow-White did the transformation scene in the OBC as the ugly Witch and then Peters came out as the pretty Witch. The scene with Peters as the Ugly Witch was taped for the dvd. In my production. We had her take off the fake nose, fingers, and chin, take off the wig and get changed into her costume. She stayed under her cloak, hood up for that whole scene. She threw off the cloak, turned around and posed.
Channa	Hey Thanks for your advice, and for clearing up how they did it in the OBC cast - i couldnt figure it out! So what was the audiences reaction to her chin, nails and wig being taken off? Did many people pick up on it or did the illusion work? I cant see that the doubling thing is such a good idea because she actually does a lot of talking in the scene prior to the transformation and that might be a dead giveaway?
ConverseSneaker	Well, her hood was up, so the audience didn't know she looked different until after in my production. As for the doubling, I suppose the Witch could say her lines offstage.
Lara	In the show at my new school they did last year, I think they just had her transform offstage and she on... but I don't quite remember.
Beagle On Stage	There was a time when Tyler and I flooded this board with transformation ideas. Those were the days. I think the "old reliable" of having her change after "Stay With Me," but wearing her hooded cloak over her new costume, with a simplified version of the makeup (just her wig and nose) that she can take off quickly works well. It's almost midnight, so even though some of her face shows, the right lighting combined with the hood shadows her enough that it won't be obvious. Give her a flash pot to tear off the nose and wig behind, then she turns around and discards the cloak, and ta-da. A really simple way to do it is to have the witch fall coughing and sputtering into a ball, then reveal a sexy leg into the air. She has plenty of time to change afterwards in the stepsisters' scene, so all she needs to have ready to go for the transformation would be that one leg, which no one will notice until she calls attention to it on purpose. The only way a double works is if you're miced - then the witch can say her lines from where she's hidden pre-transformed, and it will all go through the same sound system. But there's so much movement in the scene that if you try to just throw in her real voice from off stage, it will be really obvious that it's coming from the wings. I really don't like the doubling idea in most situations...unless it's a professional production where you can hire someone who actually matches the witch fairly closely, you can usually tell pretty blatantly that it's really some other chick wearing the same costume. I love it when, whatever they do for the effect, productions have a loud wolf whistle heard when she appears transformed.
Channa	Hey, all of those a quite good ideas. We have the capability to do mics, and our little red looks a lot like our witch.... But maybe the simplified make up and cloak disguise is the best one to go with... i like the reveal of the leg idea, but part of the "ooooh" and "ahhhh" factor of the transformation comes from seeing her in full just pop out so quickly and magically and leaving the audience guessing how we did it...
ConverseSneaker	Good choice of character, Little Red's not in that scene or any near it. So you would have plenty of time after her and Jack's little scene to change her and then unchange her quickly before the act 1 finale. I would help our witch get beautiful and collect her ugly parts to put back in her box as well as collect props for that scene as well as help our witch get into her impossible to get on in a hurry shoes as the sexy witch.
Channa	Its pretty tricky. Thanks for all the ideas guys. I'll let you know what we decide to go with. If anyone has anymore suggestions id reall appreciate it...

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Witch's Transformation