If you love Into the Woods, start with Once Upon a Mattress, Shrek the Musical and Sweeney Todd, then explore more shows built on the same threads: fractured fairy tales, Stephen Sondheim’s wit, wishes that come with consequences, and ensemble storytelling where every character gets a turn in the spotlight and a lesson to learn.
Sondheim and James Lapine’s 1987 Broadway hit keeps finding new audiences; its most recent Broadway revival opened at the St. James Theatre on July 10, 2022 (IBDB, Playbill), closed January 8, 2023, and then launched a US national tour in February 2023 (Playbill tour, Playbill closing). Below are 10 shows that scratch the same itch, US and Broadway history first. For a refresher on the original, see our Into the Woods songs explained and Into the Woods characters explained guides.
What makes a musical feel like Into the Woods?
Into the Woods weaves Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel around an original story about a childless Baker and his Wife. Act One plays like a storybook; Act Two asks what happens after “happily ever after,” when wishes come due. That two-part shape is the show’s signature.
A musical feels like Into the Woods when it does at least one of these things:
- Twists familiar fairy tales so that heroes are flawed and villains have a point.
- Uses wit as a weapon, with lyrics that are funny on first listen and sad on the second.
- Makes wishes costly, showing that getting what you want can change you.
- Trusts an ensemble, letting a big cast of characters share the story.
Which musicals twist fairy tales like Into the Woods?
1. Once Upon a Mattress. Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer’s musical comedy turns “The Princess and the Pea” into a loud, lovable farce about a princess who swims the moat to arrive early. It opened on Broadway in 1959 and returned in a revival that opened on August 12, 2024 (IBDB). It shares Into the Woods’ affection for poking holes in royal fairy tales, minus the darkness.
2. Shrek the Musical. With music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek opened on Broadway in December 2008, then toured the US and played the West End. It fills the stage with fairy-tale misfits, from Pinocchio to the Three Little Pigs, and argues that the “monster” may be the hero. If you liked seeing storybook figures collide in Woods, this is the family-friendly version.
3. Wicked. Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s hit retells The Wizard of Oz from the witches’ point of view, asking the same question Woods asks about its Witch: who decides who is wicked? It opened at the Gershwin Theatre in 2003. Our musicals like Wicked list goes deeper into this corner of the map.
4. Peter and the Starcatcher. Rick Elice’s play with music is a prequel to Peter Pan, inventing backstories for Peter, Tinker Bell and Hook. It opened on Broadway on April 15, 2012. Like Woods, it is ensemble storytelling at its most playful, with a small cast conjuring a whole world from ropes and imagination.
Which other Sondheim shows should Woods fans see?
5. Sweeney Todd. If Into the Woods is Sondheim’s fairy tale, Sweeney Todd is his penny dreadful: a barber’s revenge in Victorian London, scored with thrilling, operatic menace. It shares Woods’ dark wit and its interest in what desire does to people. Read our Sweeney Todd characters explained guide before you go.
6. Sunday in the Park with George. This is Sondheim’s first collaboration with Lapine, the Woods team’s earlier show. Inspired by Georges Seurat’s painting of a Sunday afternoon on La Grande Jatte, it opened on Broadway in 1984 and won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Its second act jumps forward a century, much as Woods’ second act jumps past the happy ending. It is less a fairy tale than a meditation on art and legacy, but Woods fans will recognize the shape.
Beyond these two, Company, Follies and A Little Night Music are all worth exploring, and our best Sondheim musicals for beginners guide explains where to start.
Which musicals explore wishes and growing up?
7. Pippin. Stephen Schwartz’s 1972 musical follows a young prince searching for a fulfilling life, guided by a troupe of players led by the Leading Player. It asks Woods’ question in a different key: what happens when you chase something extraordinary and find it is not what you wanted? The 2013 Broadway revival opened on April 25, 2013.
8. Big Fish. Andrew Lippa and John August’s musical, which opened on Broadway in 2013, moves between real life and the tall tales of salesman Edward Bloom, featuring a witch, a giant and a mermaid. Like Woods, it is about parents, children and the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of growing up.
9. Matilda the Musical. Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel began with the Royal Shakespeare Company, opened in the West End in 2011 and reached Broadway on April 11, 2013. A clever girl, terrible grown-ups and a story about courage: it has the same blend of storybook darkness and sly humor that makes Woods click.
10. Hadestown. Anaïs Mitchell’s musical folds together the myths of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone, then asks whether the old story could end differently. It shares Woods’ interest in how familiar tales repeat and what it would take to break the pattern.
Where should an Into the Woods fan start?
Here is a quick guide by mood.
| If you loved… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The fairy-tale comedy | Once Upon a Mattress, Shrek | Storybook characters, played for laughs |
| Sondheim’s wit and darkness | Sweeney Todd | Sondheim at his most thrilling |
| The two-act structure | Sunday in the Park with George | Same writing team, same bold leap |
| The Witch’s side of the story | Wicked | A villain retold with sympathy |
| Wishes and growing up | Pippin, Big Fish, Matilda | Young people learning what they want |
| The ensemble storytelling | Peter and the Starcatcher, Hadestown | Small casts, big imagination |
If you only see one, make it Sweeney Todd for more Sondheim, or Once Upon a Mattress if you want the lighter fairy-tale fun. Many of these shows are widely licensed, so school and community productions are a great, affordable way to see them.
Frequently asked questions
What musical is most like Into the Woods?
For fairy-tale fun, Once Upon a Mattress and Shrek the Musical are the closest matches, since both twist familiar stories for laughs. For Sondheim’s wit and darkness, Sweeney Todd is the best follow-up. Sunday in the Park with George, by the same writing team of Sondheim and James Lapine, shares its bold two-act structure.
What other musicals did Sondheim write?
Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for many classic shows, including Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George and Assassins. He also wrote the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy. Sweeney Todd and Sunday in the Park with George are good next steps after Into the Woods.
Is Shrek the Musical like Into the Woods?
In some ways, yes. Both put a crowd of fairy-tale characters on stage and question who the real heroes and villains are. Shrek, with music by Jeanine Tesori, is lighter and more family-friendly, while Into the Woods turns darker in its second act. Fans of one usually enjoy the other’s storybook mash-ups.
What should I watch after Into the Woods?
Try Sweeney Todd for more Sondheim, Once Upon a Mattress or Shrek the Musical for fairy-tale comedy, and Wicked for a retold villain story. If you enjoyed the themes of wishes and growing up, Pippin, Big Fish and Matilda the Musical are excellent choices that mix humor with real emotional depth.
Are there other fairy-tale musicals for adults?
Yes. Into the Woods itself is the gold standard, but Hadestown retells Greek myths with adult themes of poverty, love and power, and Sweeney Todd is a dark Victorian tale. Wicked and Big Fish also play well for grown-ups, mixing storybook imagery with serious questions about identity, family and choice.
