Meryl Streep discusses her witch's rap for 'Into the Woods'

NEW YORK, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Three-time Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep hinted that the rap skills she demonstrates as the witch in the movie Into the Woods only scratch the surface of her ability.

Asked at a press conference in New York Sunday how she prepared for her "big rap scene" during "The Prologue" in the screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's 1987 stage musical, Streep joked: "I haven't really done my REAL rap scene.

"I'm saving that up. I don't want to show you everything," she added, as the crowd of reporters laughed. "I don't know. When Stephen wrote that, was he aware that he was...? Did they even call it a rap then?"

Told by the film's producers Sondheim always called her portion of the multi-character song "The Witch's Rap," Streep mused: "Yeah, but was he influenced by like...? Who were his influences? Ice Cube or where are we?"

When someone suggested Run-D.M.C., Streep and her co-star Tracey Ullman said in unison, "Run-D.M.C.!"

"Well, we'll have to ask Stephen, who is not here today," Streep concluded.

Directed by Rob Marshall and featuring Christine Baranski, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Chris Pine and Johnny Depp, Into the Woods is to open Dec. 25.