Aaron Tveit, Sutton Foster will next star in ‘Sweeney Todd’- Page 6

[BJR]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 9:06am

I can't imagine Hugh wasn't one of the 17 names they asked first.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 10:09am

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "I think the mistake was why not have it be Hugh as Sweeney and keep Sutton as Mrs. Lovett?

I think Hugh could really do an incredible Sweeney if this is about box office draw."

 

You make it sound like they just keep actors on a shelf until they're ready to rent them out again. Hugh is not replacing anyone in a Broadway show,

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 12:25pm

TotallyEffed said: 
"You make it sound like they just keep actors on a shelf until they're ready to rent them out again. Hugh is not replacing anyone in a Broadway show,"

Huh? That's not how it works?!?!?!?! Well, I'll be....

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 12:54pm

I heard they keep 'em in a storage locker facility somewhere in Long Island.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 1:02pm

BJR said: "I can't imagine Hugh wasn't one of the 17 names they asked first."

Yes, with all due respect to Mr. Tveit, I cannot imagine that he was the first choice.

That said, if they were willing to go with a Broadway "name" with a few TV credits but not widely known outside of theatre circles, why not Raul Esparza? He is a tenor as well, but has a darker quality to his voice, and at his age I imagine his voice has dropped a good deal. Esparza also specializes in these kinds of characters. According to an interview Esparza did during Sunday in the Park way back when, Sondheim even literally said to Esparza that he should do Sweeney Todd. Was Esparza not willing to replace? Or otherwise engaged? There's no way they didn't even offer him the role.

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 1:14pm

PianoMann said: "Jonathan Cohen said: "For me, casting Angela Lansbury, who was perfect as Mrs. Lovett, at least in retrospect, seems like a bigger example of casting against type. The nice old lady from Murder She Wrote is turning her customers into cannibals?"

Sweeney Todd preceded Murder, She Wrote by ~4-5 years."

For sure no one was thinking about Murder She Wrote when Lansbury was actually playing Sweeney. 

Rather what I'm getting at far more people have experienced her performance for the first time years later, through the album and the pro-shot video than ever saw her perform it on Broadway (including myself). In that context, there's likely at least a generation of people who primarily associate Lansbury with Jessica Fletcher.  

[poto19882023]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 1:14pm

Soooo…no word on Gaten’s replacement even still? Are they just going to rotate the understudies for a bit? I can’t imagine they wouldn’t have announced the replacement if they had someone set to start next week. They announced Daniel Yearwood by this point when Jordan was leaving. 

[OhHiii]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 1:46pm

Yeah, safe to assume the understudies will rotate for the time being until they have a permanent replacement. If they had one, they'd have made an announcement.

[B212323]

Posted: 11/3/23 at 1:52pm

poto19882023 said: "Soooo…no word on Gaten’s replacement even still? Are they just going to rotate the understudies for a bit? I can’t imagine they wouldn’t have announced the replacement if they had someone set to start next week. They announced Daniel Yearwood by this point when Jordan was leaving."

Agreed maybe they'll announce on Monday? 

[jo]

Posted: 11/4/23 at 9:28am

BJR said: "I can't imagine Hugh wasn't one of the 17 names they asked first."

Interestingly, a few years back when Hugh & Patrick Stewart were promoting their movie LOGAN, they talked about dream theatre projects.  Hugh said he would want to do SWEENEY TODD and Patrick said he would like to be Judge Turpin ( but he would only do it for  a  few shows a week). 

If Hugh did do Sweeney, I would like to see Allison Janney as Mrs. Lovett ( I think she did theatre before although I am not sure if she could sing). They were perfect partners in Bad Education - excellent actors without batting an eyelash as criminals!

Unfortunately, Hugh is now on standby awaiting  resolution of the actors strike so filming can resume on his return to the role of Wolverine! The day he was announced to return to the role, it broke the internet so to speak. 

[binau]

Posted: 11/4/23 at 9:30am

My dream would be after Tveit and Sutton they get Mandy and Bernadette to close the show. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/4/23 at 10:11am

binau said: "My dream would be after Tveit and Sutton they get Mandy and Bernadette to close the show."

What other septuagenarians might they be able to work into the cast?

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 11/4/23 at 11:07am

JasonC3 said: "binau said: "My dream would be after Tveit and Sutton they get Mandy and Bernadette to close the show."

What other septuagenarians might they be able to work into the cast?"

Lorna Luft as Beggar Woman.

[binau]

Posted: 11/4/23 at 11:29am

Other oldies: Sarah Rice as the Beggar Woman. George Hearn as the Judge. Mandy and Bernadette as Sweeney/Lovett. Ok maybe it feels more like a production of FOLLIES than SWEENEY but I feel it would be a sweet send off to this production and homage to some of Sondheim’s ‘old friends’. The production itself could easily accomodate in my opinion because it feels more like a generic palette aimed to present the Sweeney material rather than a specific concept or interpretation. I would guess that without some kind of event casting the show won’t survive a third round of replacements by mid next year. The audience will have run dry. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/4/23 at 11:42am

When I asked, what other septuagenarians might they be able to work into the cast? I was being facetious.

Despite my deep affection for Ms. Peters and Mr. Patinkin, I don't think either make sense as viable replacements should there be another round of casting. 

Edit: Why?  Because both are too old for the roles.  In addition, I don't know if Bernadette's voice could handle Lovett for 7 or 8 shows a week.  I wish that wasn't the case, but having seen her twice in London recently, once she was just OK and once was not particularly pleasant listening.

Updated On: 11/4/23 at 11:42 AM

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 11/4/23 at 1:18pm

Can I ask why not? Practical reasons relating to age, or just not right for the part?

I totally agree with binau, I would LOVE to see Mandy and Bernadette in these roles. I actually think older actors suit the characters better. It helps with the convincing passage of time, to the point where they don't even recognize each other. Sweeney and his wife, daughter, the judge etc. An aged widow longing for company suits and older actress. Aaron Tveit just turned 40, but looks younger. Just how old are these characters supposed to be...?

Not to mention there would be a strong chemistry between M and B because of their history. Something which can only bring pleasure to the audience.

[poto19882023]

Posted: 11/15/23 at 6:44am

Per the box office, from January 17-February 8 the roles will be played by Nicholas Christopher and Jeanna De Waal for 6 shows a week, while Paul Jordan-Jansen and DeLaney Westfall will get one show a week.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 12/5/23 at 2:08pm

[binau]

Posted: 12/5/23 at 2:28pm

I prefer this to the original Groban Ashford design. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 12/5/23 at 2:33pm

Agreed. Great poster.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/5/23 at 2:35pm

At least they look menacing.

 

 

(A first for this production)

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 12/5/23 at 3:41pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Can I ask why not? Practical reasons relating to age, or just not right for the part?

I totally agree with binau, I would LOVE to see Mandy and Bernadette in these roles. I actually think older actors suit the characters better. It helps with the convincing passage of time, to the point where they don't even recognize each other. Sweeney and his wife, daughter, the judge etc. An aged widow longing for company suits and older actress. Aaron Tveit just turned 40, but looks younger. Just how old are these characters supposed to be...?

Not to mention there would be a strong chemistry between M and B because of their history. Something which can only bring pleasure to the audience."

Tveit is 40, and he looks like a 40 year old with a 25 year old's hair (I'm not jealous). He is the same age as Len Cariou was when he created the role.

While May-September marriages were fairly common in Victorian England, more frequently than not, young men were still marring young women, especially in the working class. Sweeney has only been away for fifteen years. His daughter must be between 15 and 17. If Sweeney is in his early 40s, he would have been in his mid 20s when he was married and had his child. I can't speak for whether or not Tveit is vocally right for the role, but in terms of age, he is within the realistic sweet spot.

As for the recognition by other characters, that has always been a major suspension of disbelief. If it is relatively easy for Lovett to recognize him almost immediately, it should be just as easy for the judge and beadle. That is just a story contrivance we have to deal with. 

[thirtythirtyninety]

Posted: 12/5/23 at 4:06pm

It looks great, but they should either switch the names or the faces for symmetry’s sake

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/5/23 at 5:18pm

poto19882023 said: "Per the box office, from January 17-February 8 the roles will be played by Nicholas Christopher and Jeanna De Waal for 6 shows a week, while Paul Jordan-Jansen and DeLaney Westfall will get one show a week."

Well now I’m going twice that month! I have only seen Groban and Ashford x 2 so I need to see these because I heard they aren’t to be missed

[Kad]

Posted: 12/5/23 at 5:54pm

jimmycurry01 said: "Jay Lerner-Z said: "Can I ask why not? Practical reasons relating to age, or just not right for the part?

I totally agree with binau, I would LOVE to see Mandy and Bernadette in these roles. I actually think older actors suit the characters better. It helps with the convincing passage of time, to the point where they don't even recognize each other. Sweeney and his wife, daughter, the judge etc. An aged widow longing for company suits and older actress. Aaron Tveit just turned 40, but looks younger. Just how old are these characters supposed to be...?

Not to mention there would be a strong chemistry between M and B because of their history. Something which can only bring pleasure to the audience."

Tveit is 40, and he looks like a 40 year old with a 25 year old's hair (I'm not jealous). He is the same age as Len Cariou was when he created the role.

While May-September marriages were fairly common in Victorian England, more frequently than not, young men were still marring young women, especially in the working class. Sweeney has only been away for fifteen years. His daughter must be between 15 and 17. If Sweeney is in his early 40s, he would have been in his mid 20s when he was married and had his child. I can't speak for whether or not Tveit is vocally right for the role, but in terms of age, he is within the realistic sweet spot.

As for the recognition by other characters, that has always been a major suspension of disbelief. If it is relatively easy for Lovett to recognize him almost immediately, it should be just as easy for the judge and beadle. That is just a story contrivance we have to deal with."

I always thought it was relatively easy to justify. Lovett recognizes Sweeney because she’s been in love with him- of course she would know his face even after 16 years (or however many, I cannot recall but know the script gives an exact number). The Judge and the Beadle likely never thought of him very much at all, even while ruining his life- he is just one of many people they’ve destroyed, so to them he just seems vaguely familiar.