Groban & Ashford in SWEENEY TODD On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 19

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 2:50am

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Does it stand a chance of beating WOODS, the presumptive frontrunner, for Best Revival?"

From having done some research, whenever there's two shows co-written by the same author(s) in contention for Best Revival of a Musical, they both lose to something else. Here are examples:

1996 - Company and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum both lost to The King & I.

1999 - Little Me and Peter Pan both lost to Annie Get Your Gun.

2008 - Gypsy and Sunday in the Park with George both lost to South Pacific.

2012 - Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar both lost to Porgy & Bess.

2015 - On the Town and On the Twentieth Century both lost to The King & I.

2016 - Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me both lost to The Color Purple.

Whether or not that trend will break for the very first time this year remains to be seen."

Everyone thought that Sharon D. Clarke could win last year even though Caroline had been long closed and then she didn't. So, I will put some credence in Tony patterns. 

However, all of your examples were from before Sondheim passed and truly ascended to god-like status. 

If there is someone who can do it, it's Sondheim after 2021. 

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 2:57am

jkcohen626 said: "Jeffrey Karasarides said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Does it stand a chance of beating WOODS, the presumptive frontrunner, for Best Revival?"

From having done some research, whenever there's two shows co-written by the same author(s) in contention for Best Revival of a Musical, they both lose to something else. Here are examples:

1996 - Company and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum both lost to The King & I.

1999 - Little Me and Peter Pan both lost to Annie Get Your Gun.

2008 - Gypsy and Sunday in the Park with George both lost to South Pacific.

2012 - Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar both lost to Porgy & Bess.

2015 - On the Town and On the Twentieth Century both lost to The King & I.

2016 - Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me both lost to The Color Purple.

Whether or not that trend will break for the very first time this year remains to be seen."

Everyone thought that Sharon D. Clarke could win last year even though Caroline had been long closed and then she didn't. So, I will put some credence in Tony patterns.

However, all of your examples were from before Sondheim passed and truly ascended to god-like status.

If there is someone who can do it, it's Sondheim after 2021."

I think the last actor to win a Tony for a closed musical was Lansbury for Gypsy in the 70s. I'd never bet on an actor winning in a musical category if their show is over.

[bear88]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 4:59am

Kad said: "I do like the irony of people calling this a “conventional” production when we have not had a “conventional” production of Sweeney Todd in NYC since the original."

Good point. A conventional, faithful revival without rewrites and the same big orchestra as the original? That sounds almost unconventional.

Speaking of which, since even people who saw the original did so nearly 43 years ago, how was the orchestra anyway?

[elephantseye]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 6:34am

Ke3 said: "Ashford got most of the preemptive groaning and yet basically every report I've seen here and on Twitter singles out Ashford, Gaten, and Miles while barely mentioning the man in the title role. Is he that boring? I'd had high hopes."

Groban was really good, and I think he’ll probably only get better as he continues to dig into the material. The reason you’re seeing so much about Ashford especially is because she is that damn good. He’s not boring, she’s just sublime.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 6:40am

imeldasturn said: "jkcohen626 said: "Everyone thought that Sharon D. Clarke could win last year even though Caroline had been long closed and then she didn't. So, I will put some credence in Tony patterns.

I think the last actor to win a Tony for a closed musical was Lansbury for Gypsy in the 70s. I'd never bet on an actor winning in a musical category if their show is over."

Actually, it was Martin Short for Little Me in 1999. Last year, a number of us thought Sharon would benefit from the system where every voter must log their attendance of every nominated show in the portal. Which would then take their information and generates a ballot based on what they have seen. If they were not able to see Caroline, or Change during its limited, any category where it was nominated was automatically pulled from their ballot.

[DrewJoseph]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 6:48am

So they went with a minimalistic set design? I was hoping for a lavishly looking production.

[Jimmyb1969]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 7:42am

I slept on it and they’ll fix the audio and clean up the diction and fisher can be replaced but they have a HUGE OPPORTUNITY  to make this more gruesome - amp the blood and blood splatters throughout! Have some fun! This will make a big impact. Don’t be safe. Can’t be safe. There’s plenty of pros who can help amp these effects up.   And the ending with Lovett - we gotta see torture and struggle before her end. And maybe an effect when it happens. Flames jump out. At least a lighting cue. Nobody goes down that easy! 

Updated On: 2/27/23 at 07:42 AM

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 9:45am

This is how I usually feel about Jordan Fisher, and Sweeney is no exception:



 

[persephone88]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 9:54am

So the first preview - anticipation from the whole audience was super high, excitement in the room, much applause. The show started rather late and intermission ran late as well. Loads of folks trying to buy merch - I see pics have been posted already.

I really enjoyed Josh Groban in The Great Comet and had high expectations for his Sweeney. He was in fine voice and for those worried that his vocal range was not suited to the part - well, we thought he sang it beautifully! I felt his acting was much more muted in act one than I expected. I think he was going for Sweeney's slow transition from arriving bitter but with some hope in London at the start to the great transformation into revenge driven Sweeney by Epiphany, but I would like to see him ramp up the anger more to be even more frightening. And more blood needed - we got some in act one, but none when the Judge meets his demise? We'd've liked more physical struggle and seeing Pirelli's end as well.  Josh and Annaleigh are definitely playing the roles younger and more playfully in parts. More overt flirting from her, with disinterest from him until they really make their deal. A Little Priest was just fantastic, the most enjoyable version I've seen, and the two of them had great fun with it! But I hope Josh Groban develops an even angrier, darker Sweeney as the run continues. He nailed it during Epiphany - just would like to see more hints of that earlier in the first act.

Annaleigh Ashford was an absolute delight - the funniest Mrs. Lovett yet, and I'd not be surprised to see her get Best Actress in a Musical for her work. That being said, there were moments when the unrelenting humor of Lovett sort of undercut Sweeney's menace. In act two, as the play wended towards its conclusion, more fear from Lovett towards Sweeney would have packed a bigger punch at the end. The scene of her demise was fine, but as others have noted, could have even more struggle and turmoil and horror to it. One moment that struck us as perfect was the anger in her voice when she tells Sweeney at the end "I'd be twice the wife she was!" Great delivery!

I'm not getting all the negativity towards Jordan Fisher?! We really liked him in the role! I admit that Anthony has never been a part I enjoyed in the past - but other than a wavering accent, we thought Jordan was charming, engaging and sang wonderfully in this. Definitely did not see him as the "weak link" in this cast! If anything, we were less enthralled with Joanna - beautiful singing voice who hit those incredibly difficult notes perfectly, but more muted in the acting department.

Gaten was terrific. I am only slightly familiar with his work in Stranger Things, but he performed beautifully in every scene. He was funny and lively with Pirelli's elixir, and moving with each scene he had with Lovett. Really a strong performance. Also, we LOVED Pirelli! Oh my goodness, he was funny, beautiful voice, and though his Irish accent wavered a bit later in the play, his number was one of the highlights of the show. Beadle Bamford was very good, strong performance, but we were sad to see the Judge's number cut. The judge was suitable creepy, but I admit to wishing Patrick Page had been available to give that part a go...

Also, perhaps due to our being further back in the audience, it looked like the cleanest London we'd ever seen compared to other productions. We expected more than just the beggar woman to look somewhat scruffy. An even darker and dirtier London please! Ensemble was fine, but would somebody also put Timothy Hughes in another big dance show please where we can see his incredible moves?

That ending moment of the show with Sweeney and Lovett - unexpected but a wonderful closing. The audience was thrilled. We were too. I expect this show will only get better and better during the run. Go see it.

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 10:55am

persephone88 said: "Ensemble was fine, but would somebody also put Timothy Hughes in another big dance show please where we can see his incredible moves"

I was just about to ask what Big Tim does in all this.

 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 10:59am

I won't be able to see this show until AT LEAST May and possibly not until June and that is painful to me! I need to figure out how to see this before the Tonys! 

[getatme]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 11:17am

I know I'm not one of the revered members of the board, but I was at yesterday's first preview and unfortunately had a very different experience than the majority here.

I thought it was a largely uneven, rather messy production. From my viewpoint, it seemed to lack stakes almost from the very beginning (though Groban's entrance and the final moment of the finale were definitely thrilling). And act 1 felt overly long in a way I've not experienced with the show before. At times it felt almost low energy and like there was nothing really driving anything forward aside from what the next page of the script was.

I was not wowed by Annaleigh, she delivered the performance I expected from her and only rarely seemed to deviate from her usual shtick. At times I thought it worked, but I found "A Little Priest" and "By the Sea" to be so try-hard when the material itself is already gold. Her mic was definitely quiet, but I think I missed having more of a foghorn voice for the role. She seemed to be having fun, and the audience around me loved her, I just wasn't thrilled.

Groban was good, I think he can end up being great. I wanted a bit more menace from him, for him to lose it a little bit more. But he sounded beautiful and I think will get there.

For me the standouts were Gaten and Maria Bilbao. Gaten had so much heart that it was difficult not to feel something for him as he pleaded with Lovett during "Not While I'm Around." Bilbao's voice is absolutely stunning, and while her acting didn't feel particularly groundbreaking, she acquitted herself nicely in a way I think some of the other principal cast struggled to.

I found the set to be largely underwhelming, I wanted some sort of creative way for the barbershop/pie shop/Turpin's house to all appear onstage but aside from the walkway upstage, most set pieces were brought on by the actors and rolled off at the conclusion of a number.

The movement was hit or miss for me, I didn't love some of it during the opening, but found "Poor Thing" to be incredibly effective, while wishing Hoggett had been reined in a bit more during "City on Fire."

It needs way more blood. Only 4 of the murders have blood, and the 2 that should be the bloodiest are oddly mimed by the actors.

I think there's a lot of promise and I'll be interested to see what work goes into it during the preview period because I think it could end up being something very special, but for me it just didn't land fully which I was disappointed by. Still, the 26-piece orchestra, the gorgeous ensemble voices, and just the thrill of seeing a Sondheim revival on a Broadway stage made it worthwhile.

[broadwayben3]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 12:04pm

Could anyone comment on the view from the rear mezz? My seats are in row L and I am quite worried I will miss some things

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 12:06pm

broadwayben3 said: "Could anyone comment on the view from the rear mezz? My seats are in row L and I am quite worried I will miss some things"

Post #432 on the previous page.

[Georgeanddot2]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 12:40pm

How's the pie shop look?

[Hamilfan2]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 12:56pm

I was also there last night and am more mixed on it, though I skew more positive.

I found the direction to be incredibly clunky, and a lot of the movement was not super well integrated and distracting at times.  I just don’t think Sweeney Todd works as a dance show, and it’s clear that’s what Hoggat wanted to make it.  I also was disappointed by the set design, although I do admire that they tried to do something different from the very iconic original staging.

That being said, on the flip side I thought the actors were pretty strong across the board.  I thought Fisher was fine, but definitely the weakest of the leads and they lowered his keys which was disappointing (also his accent work was… rough).  Not much to add on Groban or Ashford that hasn’t already been said, but big fans of their performances as well.  And I thought Gaten and Nicolas were the highlights as Toby and Pirelli.

I will also give them the benefit of the doubt on the two bloodless murders, as I suspect there may have just been first preview difficulties.  Hopefully they are able to add in for future previews as they are lacking. And even the murders that do have blood could definitely have more.

Also add me to the list of people who were disappointed in the lack of factory whistle.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 12:56pm

The pie shop is basically just the counter, and a table with bench seating brought in for some scenes:



 

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 1:27pm

Yeah, the pie shop and parlor set pieces were a little too sparse for me. I would’ve liked more. 

[binau]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 1:29pm

I’m a bit concerned about cringing at dancing but for me the #1 thing is the music, acting, singing especially of the two leads so I must admit it’s a breath of fresh air to hear some of these positive reports. I don’t recall a single person saying that Groban didn’t deliver the goods during ‘Epiphany’! 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 1:30pm

I'm a little surprised to hear that the design is rather sparse. I was thinking/ hoping this would have a massive set, but it seems a little more... subdued.

[Hamilfan2]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 1:36pm

Oh one other comment- this stage is HIGH.  I def would not recommend sitting the first couple rows bc you definitely will be craning your neck.  
 

With this production I think Mezz is the way to go seating wise, if anyone was looking for seating advice.

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 1:52pm

Looks like a MUNY-adjacent set. If you can’t do something as striking as the original, or as differently-conceived as the two revivals, and can only manage an “almost/not quite” then… meh. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 2:16pm

bwayphreak234 said: "I'm a little surprised to hear that the design is rather sparse. I was thinking/ hoping this would have a massive set, but it seems a little more... subdued."

The set definitely has a couple of “wow” moments, but the majority is pretty standard. I wonder if the amount of money allocated to the large orchestra took away from the set design a bit?

[Georgeanddot2]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 2:52pm

TaffyDavenport said: "The pie shop is basically just the counter, and a table with bench seating brought in for some scenes:



"

[binau]

Posted: 2/27/23 at 3:00pm

A show with good performances but unnecessary dancing and minimal staging. Sounds like Hamilton to me (is this the new Thomas Kail modus operandi?)