The Life Of An 'into The Woods' Prince Can Be Pure 'agony'

Frustrated because they can't be with the women they desire, the brothers bemoan their fate very dramatically - climbing on rocks, sloshing around at the base of a waterfall and ripping their shirts open to bare pained, heaving chests to the skies as they try to outdo each other for self-pity. Even in a story that is hardly realistic - it merges well-worn tales with an original one about a baker, his wife and a witch's curse - the number provides the most over-the-top comedy in the film. The filmmaker in this case was Rob Marshall, who cut his teeth as a choreographer ("Cabaret" on Broadway, among other credits) and went on to direct the film musicals "Chicago" (2002) and "Nine" (2009). Though there are more movie musicals today than when he did "Chicago," Marshall said in a recent telephone interview, "they're still few and far between, so you're not aware of all of the people who can actually sing." Pine, who has plenty of stage cred - he's performed at the Williamstown Theater Festival and the Mark Taper Forum - said he was nervous about the tryout, having never done a musical. Windsor Great Park, about an hour west of London, had been chosen for many of the film's outdoor scenes, partly for ancient stately pine trees that offer a sense of regal grandeur. [...] a vital ingredient for good comedy is character, and though the humor in "Agony" is largely based on the narcissism of the princes, the scene won't work if the actors don't give their roles some serious underpinnings. [...] the team felt not only that it pulled together but also that it was a fun scene to create, Marshall said, adding, "I can tell when the crew is laughing or the crew is humming the song after, when you have grips walking around doing 'Agony.' "