Inside Peek The September Issue gives behind-the-scenes look at Vogue Movie Review

To me, Vogue magazine has never been must-read material.

For many, it’s fashion’s bible, chockfull of extravagant clothing and profiles on heiresses living an equally extravagant lifestyle that many of us can only dream of.

That being said, as an employee at a magazine who’s interested in fashion, I jumped at the chance to see The September Issue, a documentary by R.J. Cutler that gives a behind-the-scenes look at what went into creating the 5-pound September 2007 issue of Vogue, the largest consumer magazine ever published at 840 pages.

It also shines light on Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor-in-chief, who’s earned the nickname “Nuclear Wintour” for her notoriously icy and standoffish personality.

I loved getting a sneak peek at how such an influential and wide-reaching publication like Vogue creates its content. I loved seeing the photo shoots in progress and all the work and money that goes into them –– all for a mere eight pages of content.

I also enjoyed seeing how Vogue employees interact with Wintour, pitching ideas and clothing suggestions almost cautiously. It’s clear, however, that Wintour has the final say in the magazine’s content when we see her axing an entire fashion spread, one that likely cost thousands and thousands of dollars to produce.

The only one to really challenge Wintour is former model Grace Coddington, Vogue’s creative director, who styles many of the magazine’s photo shoots and really becomes the film’s second star. I ended up really liking Grace; she seemed to have fun with her job and not take it as seriously as the fashion industry takes itself.

Another part I loved: One of The September Issue’s cameramen ends up in a fashion spread. But the industry is all about weight, and that’s none more clear when Wintour suggests he hit the gym to slim down his slight potbelly.

In the end, Wintour comes off as a soft-spoken, decisive businesswoman who’s really nothing like The Devil Wears Prada’s Miranda Priestly, widely rumored to be based on Wintour. I would have liked to see more of Wintour’s personal life, however, more than the brief scenes where she asks her daughter, Bee Shaffer’s, opinion on the issue.

One other note: Wintour is famous just as much for her hair as she is her job. “The Bob” is truly mesmerizing. I couldn’t help but fixate on it in several scenes.

The film will appeal to many, although those that love fashion and/or Vogue probably will enjoy it the most.

Log on www.fandango.com for showtimes.

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by Laura Kruty

A Fairytale for Grownups Famous characters learn life lessons in ‘Into the Woods’ Theatre Review

Though narrator (Steve Callahan) opens Stray Dog Theatre Company’s “Into the Woods” with the timeworn prelude to dreamland, “Once upon a time,” audience members don’t have to worry about nodding off. This Grimm’s Fairy Tales mash-up will keep them riveted to the stage.

A diverse group of characters –– including Cinderella, Jack (of beanstalk fame), Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel –– coexist in a world on the edge of the woods. All must eventually go into the dark forest to learn important life lessons: coming out of isolation, becoming a man, learning that actions have consequences. To calm their fears, the cast sings: “The woods are just trees, the trees are just wood.”

Scene one begins with a theme of wishing. Cinderella wishes to go to the King’s ball, a baker (whose father was said to have been killed in a terrible baking accident) and his wife long for a child, and Jack yearns for his cow, Milky-White, to give milk. As each one sings of his or her plight, the others “freeze,” their mannequin-like state belied only by blinking eyes and an occasional shaky hand.

As the spirited witch, Deborah Sharn comes out rapping about Jack’s theft of her magic legumes: “I let him go, I didn’t know, he’d stolen my beans.” Other voices of note include Christina Rios as Cinderella and JT Ricroft as the baker, who must, along with his wife, collect four items –– including Little Red Riding Hood’s cape –– to make a potion that will enable them to have a child.

At the end of Act I, it seems that fairytales indeed do come true. But the light mood shifts dramatically in Act II, illustrating that sometimes the woods is a scary place after all.

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by Nancy Larson