Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-5094906-20131201182905/@comment-6124046-20131214220950

One character I can think of is the witch from Rapunzel, either portrayed by Bernadette Peters or Vanessa Williams. Both were amazing as the witch in Into the Woods and it would be interesting to see either one on the show. If it were Bernadette Peters, they could have her as the person who taught Rumplestiltskin how to use his powers when he first became the dark one and taught him that "All magic, comes with a price." In the original story, the witch wanted a child more than anything and made the deal when the father stole the radishes from her garden. So maybe she could teach Rumple how to make a spell to amplify desire in a person, since maybe she cannot do the spell herself, but he knew that she would want the dark one's powers one day, so he put a clause in the spell that should Rapunzel learn to love anyone other than the witch, the witch will die because Rapunzel does not need her anymore to feel true love. If it were Vanessa Williams, she could show the side of the witch that was obsessed with immortality. Same story as with Bernadette Peters, but focusing more on her need to be immortal than her love for a child. Both give the price of magic message and the message that you have to be careful that desire does not become obsession, or it can destroy you in the end.