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

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#26

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

#27

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

#28

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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?

Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE

#29

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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

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

#30

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

#31

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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

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

#32

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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

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

The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince

#33

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.

#34

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

#35

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

-There's the muddle in the middle. There's the puddle where the poodle did the piddle."

#36

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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?

#37

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

#38

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

#39

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.

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

#40

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

"Gitchie gitchie Betsy Aidem / Squibby Squibby Squibby June."

#41

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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

Heard the budget is about 37mil

#42

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.

#43

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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!

#44

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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

"I hope your Fanny is bigger than my Peter." Mary Martin to Ezio Pinza opening night of Fanny.

#45

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

#46

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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

#47

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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

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

#48

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

#49

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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.

"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling

#50

Anything new on the rumored Groban-lead Sweeney?

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

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