Into the Woods: Denis O’Hare joins cast

Tony Award winner Denis O'Hare has been cast as the 'Baker' in the Public's 2012 Shakespeare in the Park's production of Sondheim's and Lapine's Tony Award winning musical Into the Woods, directed by Timothy Sheader, with co-direction by Liam Steel.

The musical opens at the Delacorte Theater on 9 Aug 2012, following previews from 23 Jul 2012, and running through to 25 Aug 2012. It has been rumored that the production will transfer to Broadway, but there has been no confirmation.

O'Hare has been seen at The Public in 'Take Me Out' (Obie & Lucille Lortel Awards), 'Helen,' 'Silence,' 'Cunning,' 'Exile' and 'Woyzeck.'

His Broadway credits include 'Elling,' 'Inherit the Wind,' 'Sweet Charity,' 'Assassins' (Tony Award nom.), 'Take Me Out' (Tony Award), 'Major Barbara,' 'Cabaret' and 'Racing Demon.' Off-Broadway he was most recently seen in the award-winning New York Theatre Workshop production of 'An Illiad,' which he co-wrote with Lisa Peterson.

His select film and television credits include "J. Edgar," "The Eagle," "The Proposal," "Duplicity," "Milk," "Changeling," "Charlie Wilson's War," "Michael Clayton," "A Mighty Heart," "Half Nelson," "Garden State," "True Blood," "American Horror Story," "The Good Wife," and "Brothers & Sisters."

O'Hare will join the previously announced Amy Adams (The Baker's Wife), Jack Broderick (Narrator), Gideon Glick (Jack), Cooper Grodin (Rapunzel's Prince), Ivan Hernandez (Cinderella's Prince/Wolf), Tina Johnson (Granny), Josh Lamon (Steward), Jessie Mueller (Cinderella), Donna Murphy (The Witch), Denis O'Hare (Baker), Laura Shoop (Cinderella's Mother) and Tess Soltau (Rapunzel).

Casting for the roles of 'Little Red' and the 'Mysterious Man' is still to be announced.

Into the Woods: A witch's curse condemns the Baker and his Wife to a life without children. They embark on a quest to find the four items required to break the spell: the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold. Will they succeed? And what happens after 'happily ever after?' A reimagining of the classic fairytales: Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella.

The creative team features sets by John Lee Beatty and Soutra Gilmour, lighting by Natasha Katz, costumes by Emily Rebholz and sound by Acme Sound Partners.

The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary season, each year presents two theatrical productions for free at Central Park's Delacorte Theater. This year the productions are Shakespeare's As You Like it and and Stephen Sondheim's and James Lapine's Tony Award winning musical Into the Woods.