Nia Attends the Tale of Sweeney Todd

[insomniak]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 10:21pm

Over Thanksgiving break, I was lucky enough to revist New York for a day and a half, and nothing could have made it better than the opportunity to see this show.

It's been said a dozen times, but I can't help repeating it: The demon barber is back in bloody good form.

I walked in expecting to enjoy most of it. I thought that lugging cellos and triangles around the stage would be more cumbersome than beneficial to the story. I'd say I was half right. Watching the actors play the instruments does not enhance the story, but in John Doyle's capable hands, it provides an opportunity for innovative staging. The show felt like a subtly well-choreographed ballet. Set, actor and instrument all seemed to fit perfectly- if you knew what was going on. There were a few times in which it puzzled me. In the opening, Anthony is upstage right while Sweeney is in the coffin. The Beggar Woman is closer to Sweeney, but she's talking to Anthony. None of them ever make eye contact. It was nice to be able to hear every word projected, but if you didn't know they were on a dock, you'd probably never figure it out. Part of that lends itself to this new idea of taking the context away in order to exemplify the universal possibilty of these feelings and stories, but it confuses an audience member with no prior knowledge of this show. It's more difficult to get into a story when the backdrop is missing and if you happened not to catch a few expository lines, the entire premise could be lost.

There were several notably good uses of this method, though. I loved the assembly of Johanna's window, but again, the staging banks on the audience members being able to think outside the box and realize that Anthony is below her, even though he's standing behind.

I was afraid the constant motion and crazy multitasking would ruin the concentrated, intense feel of the score, but it doesn't. The music is as well kept as ever. It's not so much revamped as it is unwound. The outer layers are peeled away to the core of the music. This is the bare bones of Sweeney Todd's score, which fits the attitude of the production very well. I only once missed the full, lush orchestrations of the 1979 recording. Kiss Me/Ladies in Their Sensitivities doesn't quite reach full potential, but it was so very well made up for in other areas that I didn't mind losing that little moment.

Part of that number's slight lack can be attributed to the actors. I'd say that Lauren Molina and Benjamin Magnuson slightly overplayed their roles. Yes, they're silly, innocent people who don't really know how to be in love, but I could have gotten the point without some of the bumbling. In another show, their style might have worked, but next to the subtle Patti Lupone and Micheal Cerveris, it seemed a bit off. To be fair, though, the exaggeration did bring out some of the humor in their duet that was glossed over on the OBCR. She still doesn't know his name? Really? Oh well, kiss me!

A hardcore, straightlaced Sweeney Todd addict might not go for Patti's Mrs. Lovett. A few critics said that she never fully realized the role, but I didn't feel that at all. Angela Lansbury is a true entertainer and her Mrs. Lovett has that signature silly charm and endearing cockney accent. When listening to her, I always felt like she first drew from that accent. Mrs. Lovett's grammar is imperfect, so she's slightly 'off' and uneducated- typical of a member of her class in the time period. Patti's Lovett stemmed from intention rather than the verbatim script. Her love and obsession with Sweeney are well crafted. When she reached the finale, her last confession makes perfect sense, but it wasn't blantantly obvious that it was going to happen. She's streetsmart. Her words aren't always right, but she knows what she needs to- exactly what she wants and how to get it. It makes for a much creepier character. In my opinion, she was also more believable. I felt her motivations, history and understood her flat humor not to come from idiocy, but from the dog-eat-dog attitude that leads her to revise her ingredient list.

Micheal Cerveris is again different. Less anger, more hurt. His Sweeney is an accessible one. He's a very natural Sweeney Todd; nothing is overdone. That unto itself is scary. Sweeney becomes an 'everyman' sort of character in Micheal's interpretation. He focuses on Sweeney's love of his family and the place that pain leads him to. It was truly fascinating and wonderfully countered with his sense of humor and timing.

Manoel Feliciano. What can I say? This review is far too long, so I'll summarize. He was beautiful and watching him transform from the twitchy, frightening being from the prologue into his formerly sweet self was eerie. "Not While I'm Around" was gorgeous and he carried its purpose well. I recall hearing that some scenes between Mrs Lovett and Tobias were cut and so anything that would have been established then had to be done in that scene. I've nothing to compare it to, but I think it was. Yes, I'dve liked to see the progression of their relationship, but whatever they lacked in quantity was completed by that song. She was ominous, he was suspicious and they were both perfect.

The finale was scary. I had chills from the time he began his segment to the very end. It was a bit awkward to go from the final feeling of the end of the epilogue to the last song, but I think it was better to return to the motif than to leave it out. The closing was so memorable. I watched Tobias for nearly all of it and when he played his little violin solo, every bit of the madness and fear came through.

There's not a lot I can think of to conclude with. This show is so stark that a neat closing defies its principals. But while I'm on the topic of reviewing, I'd like to discuss intermission. It was too short. After a year and a half of friendship, I finally got to meet our one and only Emcee. Like the show, she was even better than what I was told. Go see them both.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 10:35pm

I don't really have a lot to say, being that I arrived at the theatre knowing maybe three songs from the score, and a basic outline of the plot. I knew that Sweeney was a barber who made people into pies.

I feel like Sondheim's material is something of an acquired taste, and I refuse to be one of those people who doesn't like it. I do like it, but I find that it takes a bit of time. This was only the second live production I've ever seen of one of his shows, so I'm moving slowly on the project. I *liked* the show, but it took me a while to get into what was going on, and I don't know exactly what to fault for that. Maybe the production, maybe my unfamiliarity. Everyone tells me to know a Sondheim score before you see the show, which I did not. I didn't feel much of a huge impact until almost the very end of the show, though, for what it's worth.

After seeing it, I felt sort of like I cheated myself, going into it that way. I not only want to, but feel like I have to see the DVD of the OBC, because I feel like what I experienced is very incomplete without knowing a more conventional production of the show. So that said, I don't really feel very fair critiquing it. I don't know what I'm saying, for the most part.

(On a similar note, if scenes between Tobias and Mrs. Lovett were cut, I missed them. I felt like "who are you?" when I saw Tobias most of the time -- their relationship needed a lot more explaining.)

I certainly *liked* the unconventional staging; I just think I'd have benefited from knowing the traditional way... maybe then I'd have appreciated it more, or something. Like nia said, the idea of having the actors be the orchestra worked perfectly. If this revival's mantra is its unconventional being, then this goes right with it. And the actors are all quite good at playing those instruments! I think the staging and the vision are good, and they work, but I don't know that I'd call them beneficial to the material.

Anyway, I thought that LuPone and Cerveris were phenomenal. Of course. I know Michael "stole Raul's Tony," etc, etc, but he's a huge talent. And one of the most glorious voices I've ever heard. And hell, I was scared of him. (Though, on that note, I thought I would be scared out of my pants of the show. It's eerie, but I wasn't as creeped out as I thought I would be.) One of the reviews said Patti was sexy. I'd go with that. I also enjoyed Lauren Molina very, very much.

So, there's my jumbled pocket change. I'd be interested in seeing it again after I familiarize myself better with the show.

And... *big hug!* to nia. Too short, but I'm glad we made it happen. *blush* and I thank you for the compliment, in head-bowing honesty. I looove youuuu!

Updated On: 11/29/05 at 10:35 PM

[insomniak]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 10:41pm

I love you, even as I saw you, even as I still haven't talked to you for more than fifteen minutes!

I'm glad you added your bit in. I was going to, but then I got lazy.

I haven't seen a production either, but I know the story and the music very well. I completely agree that you need to know at least a the bare outline before you go. That saddens me a bit; I wish it were easier to just walk in and 'get it', but it is what it is.

[ElphieDefiesGravity]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 10:55pm

Lovely reviews.
I really need to see this show...

[Chloe]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 11:04pm

Nia, with this and your Rent movie review, you've made a blazing return to BWW. I'm so glad you and Emcee got to meet, too.
Updated On: 11/29/05 at 11:04 PM

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 11:06pm

YAY! I'm so glad you ladies enjoyed the show. I am in love with this production!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 11:06pm

How many times, Chrys?

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 11/29/05 at 11:10pm

Only three so far! But I will be returning VERY soon!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 10:11am

heh, I expected a much higher number!

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 10:42am

Great reviews, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I agree with you about the staging and the wonderful sublties of Cerveris and LuPone. The starkness is very, very effective. You have a marvelous writing style.

Interestingly, I felt Johanna was very toned down in this production, I love Molina's take, and I think that she and Anthony are the place were the instruments do the most to help with the characterization, although the beadle and judge are also enhanced. I never thought they overplayed their scenes at all, and I loved the way in which Molina played every emotion even when she was "offstage."

[LariTheLoud]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 10:28pm

Great reviews, both of you. It sounds like you both had a great time at Sweeney.

Now I wanna see the show, though. Alas...!

[insomniak]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 10:45pm

Thanks.

Penguin, hm. To each his/her own. Maybe they were doing it differently when you saw it?

I forgot to mention that white coffin. It didn't bother me except for when Sweeney first got it. To my memory, the lyrics were exactly the same as the ones used for the barber chair. The chair needs no explanation, but when he refers to this little box as another friend, you have to wonder what purpose it serves. It is otherwise symbolic; it never plays a real role. That works fine, but if they're going to use it literally like that, with Sweeney actually buying it as part of the story, they need to tell us what it IS.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 10:48pm

See, this is the kind of stuff I mean when I say specifics flew over my head; but such is the nature of Sondheim, I guess. I have no idea what you're talking about, nia.

I need a Sondheim crash-course.

Updated On: 11/30/05 at 10:48 PM

[amasis]

Posted: 12/5/05 at 9:51pm

nia -

this was beautifully written. As you know, it's one of my favorites, and it's making me very sad not to be able to see this. Would have been interesting to compare it to what I've seen in the past. Reading about it is fun, though. Especially cause you write very nice reviews :). Thank you.

*edit: and I'm glad to hear you and Emcee got to meet! Updated On: 12/5/05 at 09:51 PM

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/5/05 at 9:52pm

Emcee, I'm sure your school library has the cast recording. Listen and love.

amasis, thanks. If there's any way at all you could make it to the states, this is a must see.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 12/5/05 at 11:06pm

Oh, I am glad this thread is back on top, I have been meaning to bump it.

I just say Sweeeney again and apparently I was watching a different show. I still love Molina's interpretation of Johanna, but I love it because it is over the top. I think they fit well because you can see that she is on edge and really close to snapping from the begining, and really is only going with this freak because he can get her away from the judge.

The coffin means many things to me, I really think it works on several levels, just like all the other set pieces it must all be in your head though.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/5/05 at 11:13pm

Do theyhave day of tickets for cheap? Partial view? (besides back of mezz)

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/5/05 at 11:18pm

Partial View and Box seats. 36 dollars.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 12/5/05 at 11:21pm

And if they sell out Standing Room for $26.50, they were sold on Saturday night.

[StageWhore]

Posted: 12/6/05 at 4:04am

Is this revival to be a limited run, or would I have a chance to see it say... next year when I finally get the money?

Updated On: 12/6/05 at 04:04 AM

[pab]

Posted: 12/6/05 at 4:17am

The run is open-ended so for you to see it next year depends on how it does at the Box Office.
Sweeney Todd

[StageWhore]

Posted: 12/6/05 at 4:41am

Thanks.
BTW, I love your tagline.