Aaron Tveit, Sutton Foster will next star in ‘Sweeney Todd’- Page 16

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 1:23am

Aaron Tveit, on ''Live With Kelly and Mark,'' dishing about his favorite shows; ''Sweeney'' mishaps, and the best ways to fake stage blood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrb116dp9a0&t=17s

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 1:32am

Do Aaron and Sutton stage door?

[Huss417]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 3:28pm

I'm thinking about going back to see the show this week for Ruthie Ann Miles. Last time I saw the show she was out for A Light in the Piazza. But the plus was I was able to see her in that.

For those who have seen the show in the past few days have Aaron and Sutton pretty much settled into their roles?

[Dionysus3]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 4:50pm

Re: Stage Door. I’m not sure about Aaron, but as I was walking back to my hotel Wednesday night after seeing Doubt, I came upon the crowd gathered around the stage door at the Lunt. Sutton came out and was immediately whisked into a car, so it doesn’t appear she does.

Updated On: 2/24/24 at 04:50 PM

[MezzA101]

Posted: 2/25/24 at 5:29pm

Huss417 said: "I'm thinking about going back to see the show this week for Ruthie Ann Miles. Last time I saw the show she was out for A Light in the Piazza. But the plus was I was able to see her in that.

For those who have seen the show in the past few days have Aaron and Sutton pretty much settled into their roles?"

I was at today's matinee. The joy of live theater. Aaron couldn't reset the chair after the Beggar Woman so he used the plain chair for the judge, who crawled off after his shave.

Show's in great shape and in great hands. Nice-sized crowd, who left very happy. Isn't that the goal? The "Priest" shtick is toned down and Aaron's Sweeney really came alive in that number. Sexiest version of that number I ever saw. Same with "By the Sea." Foster's vocal choices aren't as painful in person. Don't judge only by what was recorded. Joe is a revelation. Foster also says "loved," I think.

 

[akhoya87]

Posted: 2/25/24 at 5:58pm

MezzA101 said: "Huss417 said: "I'm thinking about going back to see the show this week for Ruthie Ann Miles. Last time I saw the show she was out for A Light in the Piazza. But the plus was I was able to see her in that.

For those who have seen the show in the past few days have Aaron and Sutton pretty much settled into their roles?"

I was at today's matinee. The joy of live theater. Aaron couldn't reset the chair after the Beggar Woman so he used the plain chair for the judge, who crawled off after his shave.

Show's in great shape and in great hands. Nice-sizedcrowd, who left very happy. Isn't that the goal? The "Priest" shtick is toned down and Aaron's Sweeney really came alive in that number. Sexiest version of that number I ever saw. Same with "By the Sea." Foster's vocal choices aren't as painful in person. Don't judge only by what was recorded. Joe is a revelation. Foster also says "loved," I think.

"

I was at today’s matinee as well. Strangely enough, the last time I saw ST (with Josh and Annaleigh), the chair also malfunctioned during Turpin’s final scene, so Turpin had to crawl off. (It was the opposite problem I think; then, the chair wouldn’t go flat so Turpin could slide down. Today, the chair stayed flat and wouldn’t revert back to a chair, so AT improvised quickly with the wooden chair, then dragged Turpin off.)

Both Aaron and Sutton were good, but part of me felt as if they were in different shows? Aaron can’t hit some of the low notes with the same emotion as Josh, but he’s a darker Sweeney overall, I think. Joe is an absolute sensation.

 

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/25/24 at 6:07pm

TL;DR - If this was the best casting they could get, then indeed “times is ‘ard!” Pray for understudies

I was also at today’s matinee and, having now seen all the Sweeneys and 3/4 Lovetts - good god, this was some horrific casting. To counter the previous poster, yes, it’s as bad as the recordings. The audience ate it up though and I was perplexed by that.

Both performers were decidedly out of their league. While Aaron gave a decent attempt at acting the role, he just never came across with any sort of threatening menace. I never felt fear with him and that’s not a good thing. Also, all the songs are in a higher key and he sings it tenor, which was really unforgivable for me.

Sutton, I think, was the worse of the two. She couldn’t seem to stick to any accent for longer than a scene, switching between Cockney, Londoner, and I definitely heard an American slip at some point. She trampled on a lot of the jokes in “A Little Priest” and sounded like Edith Bunker during “Worst Pies In London”.

As excruciating as the whole show was, Joe Locke was fantastic, and I thought “By The Sea” was the only moment of the show that didn’t feel like a cheese grater on my ears and nerves. Seeing the Plan B enacted for the chair breaking was kind of a cool live theatre moment - and I foresaw that was going to happen when the chair was glitching in Act I.

 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 2/25/24 at 6:24pm

quizking101 said: "She trampled on a lot of the jokes in “A Little Priest” and sounded like Edith Bunker during “Worst Pies In London”.”

I saw it today as well, and suffice it to say I liked it a lot more than you did.  Regarding this specific comment, while I can’t really disagree, I think one has to admit that Angela Lansbury at times sounds at least a little like Edith Bunker, too.

 

Updated On: 2/25/24 at 06:24 PM

[willep]

Posted: 2/25/24 at 6:56pm

I can’t believe they don’t have a better plan B for that.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 2/25/24 at 8:02pm

quizking101 said: 
As excruciating as the whole show was, Joe Locke was fantastic, and I thought “By The Sea” was the only moment of the show that didn’t feel like a cheese grater on my ears and nerves. Seeing the Plan B enacted for the chair breaking was kind of a cool live theatre moment - and I foresaw that was going to happen when the chair was glitching in Act I.

Since when does the chair appear in Act I?  It doesn't get delivered until Act II -- did something change?

 

 

[akhoya87]

Posted: 2/25/24 at 11:16pm

quizking101 said: "
Sutton, I think, was the worse of the two. She couldn’t seem to stick to any accent for longer than a scene, switching between Cockney, Londoner, and I definitely heard an American slip at some point. 
"

My ears may have deceived me, but I thought I heard her slip in some American (mostly in the form of an American military accent) when she delivered the general/privates line in Worst Pies.  That seemed like a strange choice to me.  

I much preferred Annaleigh.  Sutton seemed a little all over the place in terms of her comedy; Annaleigh felt consistent, yet fresh.  I found Sutton's By the Sea irritating.  Her seagull doesn't work (not a euphemism), and I found the whole foot thing really weird (particularly when she was massaging Aaron's left pec with her right foot - I just thought that was creepy).  

Aaron's tenor voice didn't bother me as much, although it made an appreciable difference to me (not necessarily in a good or bad way, just a noticeable way) during Epiphany, and the Johanna Reprise.  For Epiphany, I felt like the transposition dulled the impact of the notes, and they lost their sinister edge.  Re:  Johanna Reprise, I actually thought he might stay low for a while -- the first couple of notes ("and are") were decently low, but he went high by "wheat."

To end on a more positive note, I believe it was Samantha Pollino's last show.  (Maybe others as well.)  I only know of her because of her TikTok presence, but I thought her dancing was particularly strong today, perhaps as it was her last performance.

 

[MezzA101]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 5:51am

akhoya87 said: "quizking101 said: "
Sutton, I think, was the worse of the two. She couldn’t seem to stick to any accent for longer than a scene, switching between Cockney, Londoner, and I definitely heard an American slip at some point.
"

My ears may have deceived me, but I thought I heard her slip in some American (mostly in the form of an American military accent) when she delivered the general/privates line in Worst Pies. That seemed like a strange choice to me.

I much preferred Annaleigh. Sutton seemed a little all over the place in terms of her comedy; Annaleigh felt consistent, yet fresh. I found Sutton's By the Seairritating. Her seagull doesn't work (not a euphemism), and I found the whole foot thing really weird (particularly when she was massaging Aaron's left pec with her right foot - I just thought that was creepy).

Aaron's tenor voice didn't bother me as much, although it made an appreciable difference to me (not necessarily in a good or bad way, just a noticeable way) during Epiphany, and the Johanna Reprise.For Epiphany, I felt like the transposition dulled the impact of the notes, and they lost their sinister edge. Re: Johanna Reprise, I actually thought he might stay low for a while -- the first couple of notes ("and are") were decently low, but he went high by "wheat."

To end on a more positive note, I believe it was Samantha Pollino's last show. (Maybe others as well.) I only know of her because of her TikTok presence, but I thought her dancing was particularly strong today, perhaps as it was her last performance.

Don't think your ears deceived you. Heard the same.
 

 

[MezzA101]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 5:58am

Interview: Joe Locke Opens Up About His New Broadway Gig in SWEENEY TODD
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Interview-Joe-Locke-Opens-Up-About-His-New-Broadway-Gig-in-SWEENEY-TODD-20240225

But to watch... I get to watch the finale scene between Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett from the stairs on the stage, and I come out right before [SPOILER ALERT] he throws her in the oven. But every night I keep coming out earlier and earlier because I really love that song! The other night I came out way too early and I knew I would get told off, but I so wanted to watch it.

That's from Joe's BWW interview. I only saw this after yesterday's performance. I always wondered why Tobias makes his entry after Lovett is dispatched but I don't think Joe appeared early yesterday. Anyone see him doing it? 

 

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 6:44am

JSquared2 said: "quizking101 said:
As excruciating as the whole show was, Joe Locke was fantastic, and I thought “By The Sea” was the only moment of the show that didn’t feel like a cheese grater on my ears and nerves. Seeing the Plan B enacted for the chair breaking was kind of a cool live theatre moment - and I foresaw that was going to happen when the chair was glitching in Act I.

Since when does the chair appear in Act I? It doesn't get delivered until Act II -- did something change?



"

No. You’re correct. My brain just spazzed out. Since it’s right at the beginning of Act II, somehow I thought it was still Act I in hindsight

[Plexsis]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 8:29am

Looking to go back to see the new cast, what’s currently the best place to sit?  Saw it last April and sat in 2nd row mezz, but there was the pervasive whispering sound the entire show, and I couldn’t see that it was someone in audience, thinking maybe it might have been production related.  It really ruined the experience for me and everyone in my row heard it was mad about it.  Would like to avoid this time if I can if that’s an issue. 

[MezzA101]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 8:42am

Plexsis said: "Looking to go back to see the new cast, what’s currently the best place to sit? Saw it last April and sat in 2nd row mezz, but there was the pervasive whispering sound the entire show, and I couldn’t see that it was someone in audience, thinking maybe it might have been production related. It really ruined the experience for me and everyone in my row heard it was mad about it. Would like to avoid this time if I can if that’s an issue."

Stay away from the first rows if you want to see the stage. 

And thanks for bringing up the sound. Anyone else yesterday heard some kind of sound in the first act. At times it sounded like whispering but clearly from the production, not the audience.

 

[singer234]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 9:03am

I loved my seat in the second row of the Mezz on the left aisle near the center-I felt very close to the actors, and I normally do not like sitting in the mezzanine.

Previously, I sat in Row O, center orchestra, and surprisingly really did not care for the view or experience. I felt very removed.

[Dolly80]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 5:15pm

I hate the title of this thread. Can it be changed to proper English?

[kdogg36]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 8:35pm

Dolly80 said: "I hate the title of this thread. Can it be changed to proper English?"

It seems like perfectly good headline-style English to me. I'd put Sweeney Todd in italics if it were possible, but I don't think it is possible in subject lines.

[Plexsis]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 9:41pm

singer234 said: "I loved my seat in the second row of the Mezz on the left aisle near the center-I felt very close to the actors, and I normally do not like sitting in the mezzanine.

Previously, I sat in Row O, center orchestra, and surprisingly really did not care for the view or experience. I felt very removed."

Oh the view from 2nd row mezz was WONDERFUL.  The unending whispering, however, ruined everything about it 

[RubyLee]

Posted: 2/27/24 at 7:52am

Yes, I too sat 2nd row Mezz when I saw the show many months ago and heard the whispering. I believe it comes from whomever is sitting above doing lights in the catwalk. Was super annoying and frustrating. 

[Plexsis]

Posted: 2/27/24 at 8:09am

So it’s still happening?  Good lord. So yeah it’s crucial to probably sit in the orchestra at this point if I want to go back.  

[ardiem]

Posted: 2/27/24 at 8:13am

A friend I saw it with in the front mezzanine a few weeks ago noticed the same whispering/talking. They also seemed to think it came from the catwalk above us where the spotlights are manned. Very annoying.

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 2/27/24 at 8:18am

Can we report this whispering issue to the house manager? This seems like something they need to know about.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 2/27/24 at 8:27am

FANtomFollies said: "Can we report this whispering issueto the house manager? This seems like something they need to know about."

I brought it to their attention months ago, so clearly nothing has been done about it. It was so f*cking frustrating and took me and half of the front mezz out of the show for the entire second act. The quietest, most intense moments of the show being ruined by middle school whispering above you.

…and before someone says it, no, they weren’t whispering about the lights or the show.