Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?- Page 2

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 10:21am

Christ almighty, you disgusting creature why did you have to put the idea of Amber as Lovett in my brain. That’s all I’ll ever want, now along with Raul’s Sweeney. 

[Owen22]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 10:24am

Remember the nay-sayers when Sutton was cast as Marian? Out-of-the-box casting can usually be more thrilling than "perfect" casting and Annaleigh Ashford as Mrs. Lovett is making me very happy. She and Groban will be slightly younger than your traditional casting, but I love this as well. And also an interesting choice of director.

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 10:48am

JasonC3 said: "Struggling to envision Ashford in this role, but I thought she was great in Sunday (particularly as Marie) and I'm not generally a fan of her work."

She ruined SITPWG, maybe she can just stick to her usual slapstick look-at-me routine?

[JasonC3]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 10:49am

I'd ready for Raul on stage again in anything.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 10:56am

InTheKnowEvenIfYouDontBelieve said: 

“I wish Groban was doing Sammi’s Man of La Mancha and Raul Esparza and Amber Grey were doing Sweeney…”

Raul Esparza would be great as Sweeney. I remember him even bragging in an interview that after seeing his George, Sondheim himself told him he should do Sweeney. I wonder why it hasn’t happened, even regionally…I guess Esparza doesn’t really do regional anymore. But as wonderful as Josh Groban is, he is so wrong for this role. I just can’t imagine him being scary.

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 11:12am

Didn’t Raul do Chess a few years ago, regionally?

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 11:23am

Josh as Sweeny would be absolutely great! Definitely a dream cast moment!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 11:42am

Full orchestra, like 30 piece? Or just a 12-14 piece orchestra? A large orchestra would get me to see this again. My favorite Sondheim score.

[morosco]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 12:08pm

Was the number of musicians in the pit for the original production around 18 or 20? Sounded fine enough for me and I feel like expanding the number of musicians is unnecessary if this would be a full out production (not a concert).

Just please no reduced orchestra.

[musikman]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 1:04pm

morosco said: "Was the number of musicians in the pit for the original production around 18 or 20? Sounded fine enough for me and I feel like expanding the number of musicians is unnecessary if this would be a full out production (not a concert).

Just please no reduced orchestra."

I believe it calls for 26-27 musicians.   You definitely need that full sound to have the impact the score demands. I did a production once with the 9 pit musician version, and it just doesn’t work.  It’s such a massive, overwhelming sound and composition that is almost unparalleled in musical theatre, so I do hope they honor the original orchestrations.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 1:10pm

It's a bit of an open secret at this point. If it's really playing the Lunt why didn't they announce with the Tina closing announcement? When should we expect this to be officially announced?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 1:14pm

I was lucky enough to work on a production of the show with a FULL orchestra, and I can attest to musikman's comments - it's absolutely thrilling. I'll never forget the sitzprobe, when I first heard the full orchestra play the opening number. Chills just thinking about it.

Seems like John Doyle's production showed all the local theatres in the country that it was possible to do Sweeney on a budget. So now, it feels like that's all we get (will a few notable exceptions). I was also in the minority in that I wasn't a fan of the "pie shop" production from a few years back. I had several specific issues with the direction, but it also cemented the fact that I'd be perfectly happy to go the rest of my life without seeing another small-scale Sweeney revival.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 1:50pm

JBroadway said: "I was lucky enough to work on a production of the show with a FULL orchestra, and I can attest to musikman's comments - it's absolutely thrilling. I'll never forget the sitzprobe, when I first heard the full orchestra play the opening number. Chills just thinking about it.

Seems like John Doyle's production showed all the local theatres in the country that it was possible to do Sweeney on a budget. So now, it feels like that's all we get (will a few notable exceptions). I was also in the minority in that I wasn't a fan of the "pie shop" production from a few years back. I had several specific issues with the direction, but it also cemented the fact that I'd be perfectly happy to go the rest of my life without seeing another small-scale Sweeney revival."

AGREED. I thoroughly enjoyed both the pie shop and John Doyle productions, but it's now time for a full scale revival complete with bells and whistles in every area.

[binau]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 1:54pm

What I love about SWEENEY is that if done well the material seems to work in any setting. Broadway singers, opera singers, non-singers/film, large pit orchestra, small pit orchestra, self-players, massive film orchestra, symphonic orchestra, piano and a couple strings, grand, intimate staging etc etc. maybe people have their preference but I have loved them all. I don’t know if you can say many other shows have shown to be as flexible this one.  

Updated On: 7/29/22 at 01:54 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 1:55pm

If a cast album is released, I know that first loud whistle is going to scare the living daylights out of me.  I’ve heard “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” many times and it still makes me jump a little. 

[InTheKnowEvenIfYouDontBelieve]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 1:56pm

Heard the budget is about 37mil 

[binau]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 1:58pm

37 million?? I personally don’t believe that can be true. Unless Hugh Jackman plays Sweeney with Meryl Streep as Lovett for a year they’ll never make it back. 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 2:01pm

Good Lord! I agree, they would have to have big-name stars do a full year with mostly sold-out houses to make that back!

[Huss417]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 2:12pm

Here is the original thread that was active up till 7/10/22

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1152526

[JSquared2]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 2:22pm

InTheKnowEvenIfYouDontBelieve said: "Heard the budget is about 37mil"

 

Pretty much everything that you are "hearing" is wrong. You may want to check the batteries in your hearing aids.

[TapDanceGal]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 2:35pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Didn’t Raul do Chess a few years ago, regionally?"

Raul did do Chess at the Kennedy Center as a part of the Broadway Center Stage series back in Feb 2018 with Ruthie Ann Miles, Ramin, & Karen Olivo

[morosco]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 3:05pm

I just can't picture Josh Groban as Sweeney Todd. 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 3:07pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Didn’t Raul do Chess a few years ago, regionally?"

True, I forgot about that - although I think that was at least semi-intended to be a "pre-Broadway" production, although a transfer obviously never happened.

That reminds me that he was also going to play Hamlet at Chicago Shakespeare a few years ago, and dropped out only two or three months before opening with no explanation given.

A lot of Broadway stars won't do a regional show unless it's a prestigious company. Anyway, he's a big enough name that if he really wanted to play Sweeney Todd for a summer in Ohio or whatever he could make it happen pretty easily I imagine.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 3:10pm

To my surprise, Groban was in every way successful in Great Comet, taking the character role and bringing his vocal gifts to a tortured man, bewildered by encroaching middle age and circumstances. He not only sang it elegantly, he fully embodied the man. Even the padding worked. Sweeney may prove a good fit, and his underlying vulnerability - a good man destroyed by cruelty - may bring out a new color in this character.

[InTheKnowEvenIfYouDontBelieve]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 4:25pm

JSquared2 said: "InTheKnowEvenIfYouDontBelieve said: "Heard the budget is about 37mil"



Pretty much everything that you are "hearing" is wrong. You may want to check the batteries in your hearing aids."

Lol

sure, Jan.

again, I was cursed out on here a week before Funny Girl announced Beanie and when I announced that Katrina was Bobbie.  Both times “sources from the show” informed me how wrong I was.  I know I’m right, I don’t care if you believe the truth because it doesn’t make it any less true hahah

Updated On: 7/29/22 at 04:25 PM