NewsPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone Introduce Into the Woods Veteran "Twan Baker"Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone, currently starring in the Westport Country Playhouse-Baltimore CenterStage production of Into the Woods, introduce an unsung hero and veteran of the show: Twan Baker, the doll who is playing the Baker's baby in his third production of the musical.
By
Matthew Blank
April 10, 2012
Most of the time, when theatregoers think of the stars of Into the Woods they think of characters like The Witch, The Baker's Wife, Jack, Little Red, but they may have been passing over the true star of Sondheim and Lapine's classic masterpiece.
Don't fret, Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Graff Lanzarone are here to set the record straight.
Meet Twan Baker, stalwart of the regional theatre stage, fighting to make his big break on Broadway!
Twan first hit the scene in the Pittsburgh CLO production of Woods starring Hunter Foster, Brynn O'Malley and Jen Cody. He then went on to warm the hearts of many in the Moisés Kaufman adaptation of Into the Woods at Kansas City Rep.
We are here in Baltimore now, showing how rising star Twan Baker prepares and performs. Here is a glimpse of a grueling two-show-day at CenterStage!
-Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone Introduce Into the Woods Veteran "Twan Baker"
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone Introduce Into the Woods Veteran "Twan Baker"
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone, currently starring in the Westport Country Playhouse-Baltimore CenterStage production of Into the Woods, introduce an unsung hero and veteran of the show: Twan Baker. Owned in his off-time by Hunter Foster, Twan has played the Baker's baby in two previous productions. He spends a two-show day with his castmates. Read the Playbill.com story.
29 PHOTOS
Howdy y’all! Meet Twan Baker. This is his 3rd production of Into the Woods. His knowledge of the show has really helped us craft this production! Wanna spend a 2-show day with him? Here he is, waking up at a sensible 11:13 AM.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Gotta walk the dog! Charlie and Twan find the perfect spot to pee.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Time for Starbucks! I know he's only a baby, but he can't function AT ALL without that morning pick-me-up.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Twan and Charlie chill on the couch watching "Smash" on the DVR. He does not want to end up like the Megan Hilty character all hopped up on Prednezone and so he always stay bundled up to protect himself.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Breakfast time! Most babies like strained peaches, but he's more of a standard toast man.
He's always gotta check the facebook page and keep up with friends and family while away working. It's nice to be able to stay in touch this way. You should friend him, too!
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Now properly fed and caffeinated, it's time to do his Liz Caplan vocal warm-ups. What a gem of a woman!
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Finally at the theatre! Nikka and Twan sign in together.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
He's still working on the writing thing, but It's getting better! You should have seen his last production of this show, it was just a big scribble!
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Matthew, our PSM, offers a few notes. Looks like some of Twan's gestures have gotten out of control. Oops!
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
It's half hour! Time to get ready! Cheryl Stern helps make sure that microphone is in the exact right spot.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Jeremy, Jeffry and Erik help him apply his makeup.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Twan and Jenny Latimer bond between scenes. She says he is her favorite scene partner in the whole piece!
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Danielle Ferland plays Twan’s mother, The Baker’s Wife. He gets to be held by all the pretty ladies. All in a days work!!!
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Here he is with with Dana and Danielle, in action!
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Dana and Twan worked together in the Kansas City production of Into The Woods, so they go way back.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
After a little chanting, time to go over some lines. He keeps forgetting his cues in the Giant scene!
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
They have decided where to eat and now they are off incognito, Twan does not like to be approached for autographs!
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Check them out! Don't Danielle, Erik and Twan make the perfect family?
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Twan hanging with his boyzzz: Jeffry Denman, Nik Walker, Erik Lieberman and Bob Lenzi.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Time for show #2! Nikka and Twan stretch together and talk about what they ate for dinner. She had Thai food, he had a burger.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Lauren always fixes him tea at half hour. He sure does LOVE to hang out in the girls dressing room.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Relaxing with his candle and a glass of Sauv Blanc after a grueling two-show day!
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Erik Lieberman and Twan always meditate to get into character as father and son.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Twan buckles up in Lauren Kennedy’s car to head back to NYC because he has his final callback for the production of Into The Woods at The Delacorte in the park!!!! Wish him LUCK!!! Here's hoping he and Amy Adams will get along.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
In other news - the cast is also in the process of working on a series of Awkward Family photos: Jack and his new mom, Little Red Ridinghood. Justin Scott Brown and Dana Steingold.
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
The Royal Family: Nikka Lanzarone, Alma Cuervo, Eleni Delopoulos
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
The Brother Princes: Nik Walker and Bob Lenzi
Lauren Kennedy and Nikka Lanzarone
Jack’s Mother loves Jack a bit too much... and her killer. Jeremy Lowrence, Justin Scott Brown, Cheryl Stern.
Stay tuned! We're off to Westport next, with more photos to come!
A co-production between Baltimore CenterStage and the Westport Country Playhouse, Into the Woods will run through April 15 in Baltimore. Westport artistic director Mark Lamos helms the production that will arrive in Connecticut May 1-26.
Into the Woods features a Tony-winning score by Sondheim and Tony-winning book by Lapine.
Danielle Ferland (Sunday in the Park With George), who created the role of Little Red Riding Hood on Broadway, appears as the Baker's Wife in a cast that also features Lauren Kennedy (Side Show, Sunset Boulevard) as the Witch, Erik Liberman (LoveMusik, Fiddler On the Roof) as the Baker, Jeffry Denman (White Christmas, Yank!) as the Narrator, Cheryl Stern (La Cage aux Folles, The Women) as Jack's Mother, Dana Steingold (Spelling Bee) as Little Red, Justin Scott Brown (Spring Awakening) as Jack, Jenny Latimer (Les Miserables) as Cinderella, Alma Cuervo (Titanic, Women on the Verge...) as Cinderella's Stepmother, Nikka Lanzarone (Chicago, Women on the Verge...) as Florinda, Eleni Delopoulos (The Phantom of the Opera) as Lucinda, Nik Walker (Rent) as the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince, Robert Lenzi (South Pacific) as Rapunzel’s Prince, Britney Coleman (Stop the Virgens) as Rapunzel/Cinderella's Mother and Jeremy Lawrence (What the Public Wants) as the Mysterious Man.
The production has choreography by Sean Curran, music direction by Wayne Barker, set design by Allen Moyer, costume design by Candice Connelly, lighting design by Robert Wierzel and sound design by Zachary Williamson.
Into the Woods premiered on Broadway in 1987 at the Martin Beck Theatre starring Bernadette Peters, Chip Zien, Joanna Gleason, Kim Crosby and Robert Westenberg. A 2002 Broadway revival played the Broadhurst Theatre. The Public Theater will stage an outdoor revival of the musical this summer as part of the 2012 Shakespeare in the Park season.
