Groban & Ashford in SWEENEY TODD On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread — Page 41

USA Today:

"After three stripped-down revivals – most recently off-Broadway in 2017, set in an immersive pie shop – "Sweeney Todd" swings his razor once again on the Great White Way in a sumptuous and thrilling production that has quickly become Broadway's hottest new ticket."

Updated On: 3/26/23 at 09:02 PM

Robbie2 said: "TIMES

CRITIC’S PICK

Review: The Many Thrilling Flavors of a Full-Scale ‘Sweeney Todd’

Sondheim’s masterpiece, restored to its proper size and sung to the hilt by Josh Groban, makes a welcome Broadway return.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/26/theater/sweeney-todd-broadway-review-josh-groban.html

"

Robbie2 said: "Robbie2 said: "TIMES

CRITIC’S PICK

Review: The Many Thrilling Flavors of a Full-Scale ‘Sweeney Todd’

Sondheim’s masterpiece, restored to its proper size and sung to the hilt by Josh Groban, makes a welcome Broadway return.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/26/theater/sweeney-todd-broadway-review-josh-groban.html

"

"

Ready for the cast album now. When are they heading into the studio?

These reviews are bringing tears of joy to my eyes!

ljay889 said: "Very happy about these reviews, especially after Green’s gutting Company review last season.

I did have a feeling all along that the reviews wouldn’t match much of the disappointed reaction on here. I think sometimes expectations are so grand for Sondheim revivals, some are often disappointed when a production doesn’t reach what they cooked up in their head. I’ve felt this before myself when it comes to Sondheim revivals.

I’m very happy for this revival, it’s obviously a real smash."


The irony is that the revival of Company was fabulous.

there is absolutely no reason whatsoever that Jesse Green's opinion should matter anymore than any single poster here. im mad at myself for violating this common sense, and giggling as i read his love letter to not only this production, but to the very elements that have been criticized here. Ashford? He's handing her a Tony to share with Diamond. Jordan Fisher? Gets a totally positive call-out. The overall production? He wants it to run forever!

its just becoming more and more apparent that (i) critics and (ii) Bway nerds on message boards and (iii) the paying public are three distinct groups with increasingly disparate opinions. Which makes it all more fun for those of us without any emotional/financial investment in these productions, and all the more terrifying/impossible for that that do.

The Tony Awards are gonna be more suspenseful than ever, I think.

The same way that Twitter and Facebook users don't represent the views of all of the country, Broadway message boards don't represent the views of all theatre-goers. Saw this production this past week and despite how truly awful the mezzanine at the Lunt-Fontanne is, I found this to be a brilliant, exquisite production. I didn't miss the whistle.

Updated On: 3/26/23 at 11:37 PM

HogansHero said: "PipingHotPiccolo said: "its just becoming more and more apparent that (i) critics and (ii) Bway nerds on message boards and (iii) the paying public are three distinct groups with increasingly disparate opinions."

A few comments here.

First, and as I seem obliged to make about weekly on here, there are no rules. Really. There aren't.

Second, none of these "groups" exists in an unified way.

Third, In order to get a sense of message boards, I direct your attention to the worst invention in the history of mankind: the talk back. The similarities are chilling."

What kinda hypertechnical nonsense is this? Oh, there isn't a unified group of identifiable Message Board Nerds or Paying Audiences? I know that you know exactly what I meant: WOM among the Bway set is increasingly NOT all that similar to the ways critics receive shows, and audiences pay little mind to awards/reviews as they used to. If you don't agree, please explain but saying these groups dont really exist "in a unified way" is gibberish.

And rules? What rules? Is that you twisting my saying that something seemed "apparent" to me, or something else?

NY Times:

"often too hard to hear....Both [Ashford] and Jordan Fisher...seem to be under-amplified"

"You can’t believe the difference three trombones make in creating the sound of doom, especially compared to none" (Did you catch that, Cameron Mackintosh?)

BJR said: "I found it interesting the rave reviews have the same assessments as many (including me) had on here:

Groban has a lovely voice but not enough gravitas, Annaleigh original and exciting but needs editing, trouble hearing Annaleigh, Gaten great, Jordan not, Hogget and Lien's work welcome additions.

And in the end, that landed mixed for some (and me) and raves for the critics - go figure!"

Bingo. It is as if we were riding in the same car, but ended up at a different final destination.

Probably a bit of confirmation bias (and admit to some on my part), as well as a bit of what production elements matter (matter most?) to individual commenters and the degree to which something matters.

If we listed 10 elements of a production of Sweeney Todd (just using this number as an example) how important each of us ranks those elements to our overall impression of the production likely will differ.

Considering the shellacking this production has taken on this board over the last several weeks, I was pleasantly surprised to see these reviews. Seeing this production very soon, and my excitement has been restored, I must say.