The Officially Official Manoel Felciano Love Thread- Page 178

[ihearttheatre]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 7:58pm

Maybe the show happens in some sort of time warp that is Toby's mind? haha I have no clue.


I found a rather long explanation of the plot, which I plan on reading at some point. Right now, this discussion just making me more confused.
http://www.mtishows.com/show_plot.asp?ID=000075

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 7:58pm

Sweeney rocks, I love reviewing everything about it and rethinking it all.


Liz, what does the acromyn thing mean? The one that Mano wrote?
Guess ya didn't read my whole account of what happened! lol. It means:
"Liz Should Be At Every Sweeney Todd Show"
Updated On: 3/27/06 at 07:58 PM

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 7:59pm

lol, sorry if I added confusion!!! Like I said, my pretentious Ivy league grad student side takes hold of me, and I start to read WAY too much into the show.

Gypsy2, the acronym is : "Liz should be at every Sweeney Todd Show Club"

hehe, beat me to it! Updated On: 3/27/06 at 07:59 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:00pm

There are lots of other conceptual things that I'm still not totally with it about, but I shall return laterrrr.

[ihearttheatre]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:01pm

Well, there's a lot to read into.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:02pm

Just so you know, NONE of this whole "It's told through Toby's point of view" things are in the original production. The original is just the straightforward story. Toby plays a much smaller part. He has been given greater prominence in this production, and it just takes on a whole new life.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:05pm

I knew that it was taking place in Toby's mind from talking to people who had seen the production already. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure I would have even understood that at all, had I not known beforehand. I mean, it's not *that* obvious, right? Or am I just really slow?

Updated On: 3/27/06 at 08:05 PM

[ihearttheatre]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:08pm

I had no idea until someone told me, Fantab. It can't be THAT obvious.

[ihearttheatre]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:10pm

Another question for Chica: Why does Sweeney need to be rescued at sea to begin with? I know he was removed from London, but why would he be out floating in the ocean?

[gertrudejessalynn]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:11pm

I read the libretto that's online of the original production and listened to the music from the revival... lots to think about! I'm going to have to watch this show... oh, several times. I'm not complaining, heh.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:12pm

No, it's not obvious at all. In fact, Mano told me that a lot of these things are details that people don't, and maybe SHOULDN't notice. But I LIKE to focus on details. Which is why I go back again and again (and on Saturday, I found out about ANOTHER little detail I had never noticed before!! So I can't wait to go back, and see that)

And it's not exactly true to say that it's all happening in Toby's head. Mano explained a lot of it to me. So it made a LOT more sense after hearing his thought process. But other people have interpreted it in different ways.

For example, Patti has said that they're ALL patients in an insane asylum, who are acting out the story. Personally, I agree with Mano's interpretation: that it's years after the events took place, and what we're witnessing is the therapeutic process Toby is going through. He's trying to reconstruct the events in his head, to try to understand exactly what happened. He didn't witness it all (he never met Anthony, Johanna or the Judge), but he was there. He heard names. He saw things. So, he's put all those names together in his head, and constructed a narrative to try to make sense of it all. And in doing so, hopefully, heal his mental state.

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:14pm

I love Mano.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:14pm

"Why does Sweeney need to be rescued at sea to begin with? I know he was removed from London, but why would he be out floating in the ocean? "

Simple. He had finally managed to get transportation to London via boat. But there was a shipwreck. Anthony, who's a sailor, found him at sea, and saved his life.

eta: Again, all of these plot details are a LOT clearer in the original production.

Updated On: 3/27/06 at 08:14 PM

[ihearttheatre]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:16pm

Thanks. Sorry for the stupid questions.

I love Mano too.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:17pm

They're not stupid questions!! They're all very valid.

And we all love Mano, don't we? :)

[Bohemian1232]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:18pm

Yes, we all love Mano. If we didn't then we wouldn't be here.

I need to get my hands on the dvd.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:18pm

While we're shouting out all the silly questions, what did Sweeney do that he got sent away in the first place? I'm assuming he killed someone, but are there are more specific details?

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:19pm

Is the fact that Mano's costume is blue in comparison to the black and white pallette that everybody else is dressed in just a coincidence...or like, significant of the fact that he is almost like, the narrator, and supposed to stand out...or am I insane? I personally think it's the latter...but sometimes I read into things.

Updated On: 3/27/06 at 08:19 PM

[Bohemian1232]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:24pm

Along the lines of the maternal thing, I always used to be confused when Toby calls Mrs. Lovett mum.

[ihearttheatre]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:24pm

Fantab, listen carefully to "poor thing". Essentially, The Judge and the Beadle had him arrested and deported under false charges.

I'm sure Chica can explain that much better than me, though.

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:26pm

The Judge was attracted to Lucy, and essentially got Sweeney sent away just so that he could get to Lucy.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:31pm

Oooh. It seems like every answer brings about another question. They never end.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:34pm

Liz is correct about what happened to Sweeney. He was innocent, but the Judge pinned a crime on him, and had him sent away. The Judge then lured Lucy into his house, and raped and humiliated her in front of all the guests. The song "Poor Thing" explains it all (and it's a lot clearer in the original staging)

"Is the fact that Mano's costume is blue in comparison to the black and white pallette that everybody else is dressed in just a coincidence...or like, significant of the fact that he is almost like, the narrator, and supposed to stand out...or am I insnae? I personally think it's the latter...but sometimes I read into things. "

I agree with you. I think his costume makes him stand out. And he IS the narrative focal point of the story (again, it's in THIS production). And I'm pretty sure his costume is gray, not blue.

Also, Toby is the ONLY one whose constume reflects his state as a mental patient.

Toby calls Mrs Lovett mum as a form of affection. It's actually quite common in British culture. But it's also because she becomes his mother figure.

Updated On: 3/27/06 at 08:34 PM

[Gypsy2]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:37pm

The therapy that Toby is going through that is the whole Broadway production (the one 'Chica was talking about) is called Traumatic Incident Reduction, which I actually happened upon by myself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traumatic_Incident_Reduction

I love thinking about things like this actually happening. Just imagine... wow. Intense.

Liz: I did read your thing, I guess the acronym didn't stick in my head or something. Thanks for clearing that up.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 3/27/06 at 8:44pm

Bump, cause a friend of mine just got her first Mano Mail!! lol

(And then the thread became silly again...)