#26
Posted: 8/22/04 at 2:25am
Ahhhh....I came too late, but did not read any of the previous posts minus the first one to give my personal opinion.
There are definately reasons to buy both.
First, there is the Mrs. Lovett factor. I, surprising my self, loved Patti Lupone's Lovett and found it to be a breath of fresh air for her and the role. That said, she does not hold a candle to Angela Lansbury, That role is hers and hers alone. End of story. No one has, can or will play it better. Angela's Lovett is timeless and perfection.
Cariou and Hearn are difficult to asses. Cariou is, I find, slightly the better actor. But that its saying little because Hearn is perhaps one of the greatest musical theatre actors of the 70's and 80's, and still today. So, I would give them both equal scores in the acting department. But Cariou can barely complete with Hearn's powerful baritone. Though Cariou originated the role, I find Hearn's Sweeney to be the definitive one. His singing is impeccable and his 'Ephiany' terribly frightening and powerful.
As for the supporting roles. I can get way into this, but (to save you all from reading 8 paragraphs of my opinion on it) I will say that, for various reasons, I find the actors in the Concert version sing the supporting roles better. (PM me if you really wanna go into it
)
As a Sondheim purist, I find it hard to say (I find it almost impossible to say), but I find that the Concert version has a slight edge over the OBCR. I mean, you can't beat a FULL SYMPHONMIC ORCHESTRA playing Sondheim's best score with Jonathan Tunick's best orchestrations. But it is a shame to miss out on Angela's Lovett. But I still must say I vote for the Concert version. But if you can, get both. Both are among the best recordings for any musical ever.
It would have been fantastic if the touring production (which is the one that was filmed for video) had gotten a recording. Hearn and Lansbury together....bliss. But, alas, it didn't happen.
So Sweeney OBCR: A+++
Sweeney Concert Version: A++++
There are definately reasons to buy both.
First, there is the Mrs. Lovett factor. I, surprising my self, loved Patti Lupone's Lovett and found it to be a breath of fresh air for her and the role. That said, she does not hold a candle to Angela Lansbury, That role is hers and hers alone. End of story. No one has, can or will play it better. Angela's Lovett is timeless and perfection.
Cariou and Hearn are difficult to asses. Cariou is, I find, slightly the better actor. But that its saying little because Hearn is perhaps one of the greatest musical theatre actors of the 70's and 80's, and still today. So, I would give them both equal scores in the acting department. But Cariou can barely complete with Hearn's powerful baritone. Though Cariou originated the role, I find Hearn's Sweeney to be the definitive one. His singing is impeccable and his 'Ephiany' terribly frightening and powerful.
As for the supporting roles. I can get way into this, but (to save you all from reading 8 paragraphs of my opinion on it) I will say that, for various reasons, I find the actors in the Concert version sing the supporting roles better. (PM me if you really wanna go into it
) As a Sondheim purist, I find it hard to say (I find it almost impossible to say), but I find that the Concert version has a slight edge over the OBCR. I mean, you can't beat a FULL SYMPHONMIC ORCHESTRA playing Sondheim's best score with Jonathan Tunick's best orchestrations. But it is a shame to miss out on Angela's Lovett. But I still must say I vote for the Concert version. But if you can, get both. Both are among the best recordings for any musical ever.
It would have been fantastic if the touring production (which is the one that was filmed for video) had gotten a recording. Hearn and Lansbury together....bliss. But, alas, it didn't happen.
So Sweeney OBCR: A+++
Sweeney Concert Version: A++++
"One no longer loves one's insight enough once one communicates it."
The opposite of creation isn't war, it's stagnation.
The opposite of creation isn't war, it's stagnation.
Updated On: 8/22/04 at 02:25 AM
