Groban & Ashford in SWEENEY TODD On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 45

[dan94]

Posted: 4/11/23 at 11:31pm

It's kinda tiring to read everyone assert how Josh Groban is perfect vocally or "His vocal accomplishment with the role is unmatched by anyone". Whether or not you liked him in the role, Bryn Terfel remains unmatched vocally by anyone who has played Sweeney Todd.

Josh Groban sings with beauty of tone and clear diction. That I will admit and don't think it's up for debate. And overall I found him to be fine in the role. But he simply does not have the low notes. They aren't there. He approximates them rather than sings them. And he outright sang wrong notes at several points throughout the evening.

He has a great voice. To say he sang this role unimpeachably I simply cannot agree with.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 4/11/23 at 11:35pm

GoSmileLaughCryClap said: "There’s even a guy who thinks he’s reinvented it and his vision is being squelched by people who simply won’t listen. I advise him to get hooked on Assassins as I’m sure he’ll relate to many of the characters."
 

 

Updated On: 4/11/23 at 11:35 PM

[bear88]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 5:08am

GoSmileLaughCryClap said: "

3. Josh Groban is not an accomplished actor. He is also not an amateur. His vocal accomplishment with the role is unmatched by anyone I have seen in the role, and that is where his talent triumphs. Len Cariou was absolutely genius in the role, and to this day my favorite. But his voice always became tight and strained in its upper range and by the middle of the run his voice was shredded by the vocal demands and screaming through Epiphany! George Hearn followed him with a ham fisted portrayal and a voice with a wobble you could drive a train through. He always reminded me of Bert Lahr’s cowardly lion. The opera singers I have seen in various productions over sing the role, and are often saddled with short rehearsal periods and stilted direction.

4. Mrs. Lovett. Angela Lansbury mugged with the best of them, as attested by her original reviews. Annaleigh Ashford basically gives the same kind of performance, amped up a bit. Yes there’s more physicality, but none of it interferes with the pacing of her scenes or songs. And everything she does is verified in the text. There isn’t any coming out of nowhere schtick.

5. Sound again. While it may come as a surprise, ST was more difficult to hear at the Uris than the new one is at the Lunt Fontaine. I remember the first time I saw the original from the middle of the mezzanine. You could hear the laughter and applause coming from downstairs while everyone in the rear mezz were sitting on their hands. It was eerie and seemingly a metaphor for the whole show.

6. Design and direction. While impressive that Eugene Lee transported an iron foundry to NYC and ripped the proscenium off the Uris stage, there was a catch. While fascinating to look at as you entered the theater, when the lights went down all you had was a square spinning pie shop, a ladder and a bridge. Period. And while Hal Prince did a great job with pacing and transitions, his insistence on shoving constant metaphors about the Industrial Revolution and its dehumanizing outcomes became largely irrelevant. Why? Because Stephen Sondheim absorbed and reinterpreted everybody’s ideas during the writing process. Everything that Prince chose to dramatize was already taken care of in the libretto and score. That’s why no factory whistle now. Redundant.

So that’s where I stand. Having seen the original many times, all the revivals and many regional and opera productions, this is the one that comes closest to my experience in 1979 when I was a very young and very impressionable theatergoer. And lastly, for everyone claiming they can’t hear what people are saying from the stage, take Sondheim’s advice. Listen.

This is a fascinating read. A few observations and questions for someone who saw the original so many times:

3. Len Cariou sounds great on the original cast recording and a YouTube video I ran across, but I did see a thread here that mentioned he was having trouble with his voice later in the run. I gather that was your experience? I was impressed with Josh Groban's vocal performance, because it's an awfully important part of making the show work. He was good enough as an actor, though he seemed to lack Cariou's intensity.

4. Mrs. Lovett. It's tough for anyone to compare with Angela Lansbury, and I agree that she hams things up herself. The contrast between her performance and Annaleigh Ashford's is probably not as great as many people, including me, have believed. But it always felt like Lansbury was making every effort to entertain Sweeney Todd. Ashford often seemed to be trying to get a laugh from the audience even when Sweeney wasn't watching. Also, in "A Little Priest," the orchestra stops playing for a long time while Ashford does this and that, and I thought it interrupted the flow of a song that depends on a certain momentum to keep the wordplay and important plot information coming. It does end smashingly, though. My other problem with Ashford is that I sometimes had trouble hearing her clearly and distinctly over the orchestra. I knew the words, so that wasn’t a major crisis for me, but it was occasionally an issue.

5. So I guess large productions of Sweeney Todd have always had problems back in the mezzanine.

6. Fair points. Sondheim's lyrics and Wheeler's book are filled with all the sorts of things Hal Prince and Eugene Lee had on stage. But doesn't the latter serve the former? I can argue either side of the factory whistle issue, but I can't say I missed it. I did think the glistening, pristine surfaces and clean look of the costumes in the revival weren't as good as the original. 

I had never seen a full-scale production of Sweeney Todd before, and despite my quibbles, I liked the show. The audience is eating it up (pardon the pun). I must say that after several recent Sondheim revivals, in New York City and in my area, underperformed at the box office, it was an awful lot of fun to be in a packed Broadway house watching one of his best musicals. And it also seems better in retrospect, at least to me.
 

Updated On: 4/14/23 at 05:08 AM

[B212323]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 12:27pm

Does anyone have an idea of when Gaten will be leaving? I have a ticket for the 1st week of June hoping to catch both him and Ruthie Ann before she takes her Piazza break. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 12:38pm

B212323 said: "Does anyone have an idea of when Gaten will be leaving? I have a ticket for the 1st week of June hoping to catch both him and Ruthie Ann before she takes her Piazza break."

No specific date has been given. Last I read is that Stranger Things starts filming in June. (Some news outlets have said May but David Harbour said June)

I would suspect Ruthie will still be in as Light In The Piazza isn't until later in the month. 

 

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 4/12/23 at 1:16pm

GoSmileLaughCryClap said: "4. Mrs. Lovett. Angela Lansbury mugged with the best of them, as attested by her original reviews. Annaleigh Ashford basically gives the same kind of performance, amped up a bit. Yes there’s more physicality, but none of it interferes with the pacing of her scenes or songs. And everything she does is verified in the text. There isn’t any coming out of nowhere schtick."

I'd argue that it does interfere with the pacing of the scenes/songs and that many choices work actively against the text. And, sure, Lansbury's performance was big (I wouldn't say she mugs) but it had specificity and a point of view that Ashford's doesn't. 

And I'm not someone who thinks the show can only be one way: I love the original staging (based on the DVD), loved the 2005 revival, thoroughly enjoyed the Pie Shop version and the two concerts that have been on PBS. I don't even think this particular production is bad, per se; it certainly sounds better than any version I've seen live. There are just so many odd choices, or lack of choices, that what could have been an exciting evening is merely serviceable. I'm glad it's making money, I just wish I'd like it more. 

[morosco]

Posted: 4/13/23 at 10:48am

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

What's with all that business during "God That's Good" with Tobias slowly climbing up onto the dining table and then doing a slow sideways recline and then being dragged on his belly across the table by the customers? Distracting and unnecessary.

 

[binau]

Posted: 4/14/23 at 6:12am

dan94 said: "It's kinda tiring to read everyone assert how Josh Groban is perfect vocally or "His vocal accomplishment with the role is unmatched by anyone". Whether or not you liked him in the role, Bryn Terfel remains unmatched vocally by anyone who has played Sweeney Todd.

Josh Groban sings with beauty of tone and clear diction. That I will admit and don't think it's up for debate. And overall I found him to be fine in the role. But he simply does not have the low notes. They aren't there. He approximates them rather than sings them. And he outright sang wrong notes at several points throughout the evening.

He has a great voice. To say he sang this role unimpeachably I simply cannot agree with."

I mean, to me Terfel sounds like a bass-baritone opera singer singing the role and not much else (and I did see that production at Lincoln Center live, twice!). Very very boring and someone who can neither act while singing or while not singing. There is no, no way in my opinion Sondheim would ever want such a performance on a Broadway stage. To confirm my suspicions, I re-watched his Epiphany on YouTube and then re-listened to Josh Groban's Epiphany from an audio and the difference is night and day. Even vocally I find the timbre of Groban's voice much more exciting. I am sure when the cast recording comes out it will become obvious that Josh Groban's Sweeney will be one of the best on record. 

[dan94]

Posted: 4/14/23 at 10:33am

I don't mean to say Terfel should have ever played Sweeney on Broadway, or that he's a good actor in any way (although I don't find his acting as woebegone as you). I'm saying from a purely vocal technique standpoint he is unmatched. 

Finding the timbre of Groban's voice more exciting is a personal taste matter. Although your post seems to suggest you do not care for baritones or basses. Groban is a baritone in exactly the same way Placido Domingo is a baritone. (Which is to say they aren't. They are tenors whose top of the voice never developed or collapsed with age, so they stuck a feather in their caps and called them baritoni.)

[MezzA101]

Posted: 4/15/23 at 10:13am

B212323 said: "Does anyone have an idea of when Gaten will be leaving? I have a ticket for the 1st week of June hoping to catch both him and Ruthie Ann before she takes her Piazza break."

I doubt anyone will be leaving before the 06/11 Tony Awards show.

[BJR]

Posted: 4/15/23 at 11:55am

binau said: " I am sure when the cast recording comes out it will become obvious that Josh Groban's Sweeney will be one of the best on record."

I also find it fascinating how great his acting choices sound in audio-only. I think he's giving a fine-if-underwhelming-at-times acting performance overall, but you wouldn't know it from the vocal performance! I imagine those who will hear it years from now will think it was a towering performance.

Makes me think of a few others through the years like that...

[morosco]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 12:08am

Sweeney Todd fans might find this clip interesting. I did.

Infinity Percussion- Sweeney Todd

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:26am

morosco said: "Sweeney Todd fans might find this clip interesting. I did.

Infinity Percussion- Sweeney Todd"

I think not.

[Listener]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 1:46am

I found the climax of this production especially effective. The audience got very quiet for the last 8 minutes or so. And the very last moment? That was unexpected and exciting.

But Groban just isn't suited to the part. AA plays the comedy too hard but is also creepy, so it works. He sings it well and that's about it.

Didn't recognize RAM but glad she was in there...

[yyys]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 11:09am

Groban out for today's matinee 4.26

[thesmash]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 11:41am

yyys said: "Groban out for today's matinee 4.26"

Anyone know who we can contact to get refunded? Main reason I wanted to go was Josh

[yyys]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 11:44am

Telecharge or ticketmaster...depends where you bought them.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 11:49am

thesmash said: "yyys said: "Groban out for today's matinee 4.26"

Anyone know who we can contact to get refunded? Main reason I wanted to go was Josh"

Easiest would be to go to the box office, but, if you go to your order on Ticketmaster, and hit the chat bubble in the lower right corner, you can request a refund on there. 

[ChorusKitty]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 1:36pm

Josh Groban is out for today's matinee (4/26). Nothing posted about the evening performance at this time. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 3:29pm

ChorusKitty said: "Josh Groban is out for today's matinee (4/26). Nothing posted about the evening performance at this time."

Curious what his issue is. Hopefully nothing serious but is it time to question whether he can handle singing this score 7x week?

[Alex M]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 3:41pm

ACL2006 said: "ChorusKitty said: "Josh Groban is out for today's matinee (4/26). Nothing posted about the evening performance at this time."

Curious what his issue is. Hopefully nothing serious but is it time to question whether he can handle singing this score 7x week?"

You know..people just get sick sometimes?

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 3:43pm

My husband and I attended the evening performance of Sweeney Todd on 4/12/23. Most everyone in the audience responded from start to finish like teen girls at a boy band concert (I literally had to insert my fingers in my ears during the curtain call). These folks clearly knew every lyric and were anticipating every plot point. My little party, I'm sorry to say, did not share their enthusiasm. 

Previous reports to the contrary, we had no issues with the volume level of the orchestra (our seats were in the front right mezzanine). The vocals, on the other hand, were often buried in the mix to such an extent that it was sometimes difficult to follow the proceedings. Annaleigh Ashford was particularly unintelligible; between her accent and the audio mixing, about 90% of her lyrics were completely lost to us. Her comedic timing and physical shenanigans, although at times very amusing (we thought her hilarious slide down the stairs to be reminiscent of Jennifer Saunders' drunken and iconic slide out of an Alfa Romeo convertible in Absolutely Fabulous), could not make up for her vocal absences.

Josh Groban's vocals were certainly the clearest and strongest in the cast, but we weren't convinced of his rage or his capacity to actually kill anyone. He's simply too much of an "aw, shucks" guy for the role, and this left us unengaged because we could not muster the necessary emotional investment. 

Also contrary to popular opinion, we thought Jordan Fisher to be one of the more positive casting choices. We found him charming and his vocals were largely clear and understandable. 

Ruthie Ann Miles as the beggar woman seemed to shriek her way through the entire evening and we could scarcely understand anything that came out of her mouth.

As for the look of things, we thought the set to be a one-trick pony. It stagnated for much of the show and offered little visual interest, save for the oven. The lighting sometimes helped to elevate the set, but not by much. We did find some of the choreography interesting, but I know that's not a particularly popular opinion either.

I'm aware that these comments will border on the sacrilegious to many of those who consider this show a masterpiece, and I expect that my last complaint will be the most unforgivable of all: we thought the score to be eminently forgettable. I struggle to recall even one passage that stirred my emotions and stayed with me after leaving the theatre, and this did nothing to shore up our lack of investment in the plight of the characters. I'm sorry to say that I actually started to doze off on more than one occasion - sacré bleu!

To each their own. 

Updated On: 4/26/23 at 03:43 PM

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 4:14pm

Lot666 said: " I struggle to recall even one passage that stirred my emotions and stayed with me after leaving the theatre, and this did nothing to shore up our lack of investment in the plight of the characters."

This was my #1 takeaway from this production. I felt absolutely no emotion at any point during the evening. The whole production felt cold and sterile in a very odd way....I felt very removed from it. I partially blame the sound, as even though I was front Mezz, the show sounded like it was very far away. But I think first and foremost the direction (or lack thereof) is to blame.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 4:18pm

ACL2006 said: "ChorusKitty said: "Josh Groban is out for today's matinee (4/26). Nothing posted about the evening performance at this time."

Curious what his issue is. Hopefully nothing serious but is it time to question whether he can handle singing this score 7x week?"

Because he called out for one matinee? 

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 5:27pm

ACL2006 said: "ChorusKitty said: "Josh Groban is out for today's matinee (4/26). Nothing posted about the evening performance at this time."

Curious what his issue is. Hopefully nothing serious but is it time to question whether he can handle singing this score 7x week?"

Huh? He hasn’t missed since previews, when he was legitimately ill.