Honest opinion about Sweeney Todd- Page 3

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 10:27pm

Zoran, I just realized what your avatar was! LOVE IT! And I agree with you about Patti LuPone.

[LostLeander]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 11:41pm

Sweeney Todd is my favorite, or second favorite after Sunday. It is pure brilliance, and heart-wrenching. Forget the killing people, and putting them into pies, think of why these people are doing it. These characters are so rich, and multi-layered, and the actor can gorge themselves on the depth of the book and the music/lyrics.
It is absolutely a wonderfully chilling, scary, and it never fails to make me cry.

I would like to see another person do Lovette though.
Whoever does it though can never surpass Madame Lansbury. The part was (basically) written for her.
And don't depend on the Hearn/Lansbury DVD for your opinion of Johanna/Anthony, because Johanna is absolutely putrid. Die Betsy Joslyn, die.

Besides that, it's a wonderful show, and should be even more emotionally exciting live.

[lovinlovett]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 12:00am

It's very disturbing and unlike anything I had seen before... just wonderful. But I agree with others here when they say to view it at home a couple of times before you go. It took me two times before I realized what I was seeing and hearing. Both DVD versions are great so you can't go wrong. IMO both Angela Lansbury and Patti LuPone are brilliant. They just had very different takes on the role.

(I agree with others here that the Johanna in the staged production is extremely annoying.)



Updated On: 7/30/05 at 12:00 AM

[suchclumsytime]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 1:03am

I just found out that Patti was playing Lovette and couldn't be happier...! I'm big fans of both Lansbury and LuPone, both in and out of 'Todd', so I find this quite exciting! :0)

[zoran912]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 1:09am

What I find with many Sondheim shows is that the originals are very difficult to replace, in most cases. Hearn (technically not the original, but whatever!) and Lansbury have become almost iconic in these roles.

It is so hard for me to recast any of these shows in my mind. I can't think of another woman to play Lovette for the life of me! I've only heard LuPone and Lansbury. I suppose Bernadette could do it...but these roles are SO DIFFICULT to cast!

[Plum]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 1:25am

I'm not thrilled with the casting of this revival, but just seeing this material on a Broadway stage is going to be special; I know it.

[jam_man]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 1:25am

zoran - I agree whole heartedly.

And yes, I'd love to see Berdenette Peters as Mrs. Lovett. I don't care how many "meat pies" I have to make to see that happen. >:) (the '>' are supposed to be eyebrows)

[zoran912]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 1:28am

I wonder why she hasn't tackled the role yet. She and Steve are like, BFF!

[LostLeander]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 1:45am

Eh. Bernie and Lovette.
Nah.

I'll pass.
Or, I won't.. but I don't think it'd be very good.

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 2:21am

I think Peters would be brilliant.

And I personally CAN'T WAIT for this-- including LuPone, who I think made an excellent, much more calculating Lovett in the concert version.

[zoran912]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 2:34am

I love that concert DVD!

Semi-threadjack: I really wish that they would release Passion in Concert on DVD. My VHS recording is kind of crappy!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 2:47am

You should get the OCR and listen to it several times before seeing the show. There are so many subtleties in the score that you are still discovering new things the 100th time you listen to it.

As for concerns that this SWEENEY is being done small and not on the epic scale of the original, remember Sondheim conceived it as a small intimate piece. It works well when done large (as in the New York City opera staging) or small (the TEENY TODD revival from 1989.) As long as it is sung and acted with conviction it works.

And you can count me amongst those who consider it a masterpiece. What PORGY AND BESS was for the years 1900-1950, SWEENEY is for 1950 - present.

[FlaBroadway]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 7:59am

Any idea when individual tickets are going to go on sale? We set our fall trip around seeing Sweeney. I've been checking the internet daily.

Thanks!

[Racetrack]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 1:15am

Thanks for the quote emcee. And I agree with WonderBoy. Watch out for those whistles. Because even if you are expecting them they can make you jump. Freaks my cats out everytime I play the dvd(but that's only because the sound quality can be bad sometimes and they don't like shrill noises and who can blame them.) So basically don't drink anything before seeing the show because they do that whistle quite a few times. I never pissed my pants, but I certainly do jump.

[Calvin]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 1:30am

Racetrack, you just reminded me of a funny story. I was driving to a surprise anniversary party weekend for my parents and was bringing my dog for the ride. I was listening to Sweeney Todd on the way, and didn't realize how high the volume was because of the quiet organ music at the beginning. When the shrill whistle cut in, it scared the poor dog to death.

*crickets* Well, it was funny to me.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 5:10am

It's one of the funniest Broadway musicals ever!

Updated On: 7/31/05 at 05:10 AM

[Racetrack]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 2:42pm

Calvin,
Poor dog. It bugs the crap out of my cats. In the beginning I'd never know where to expect the whistles so every time it happened my cats and I would jump. But now that I know where to expect most of them I don't jump so much. The cats do though.

[DefyGravity23]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 3:16pm

I really liked the show when I saw it. It's funny and disturbing at the same time! A show that can evoke that mix of emotions to me is quite extraordinary - a truly wonderful theatre experience. However I do NOT agree with the people on here saying that everyone is guarenteed to love it. This is NOT a musical for everyone... I went with acting classes from school and about half had the same reaction as me (loved it) the other half were thoroughly disturbed/grossed out and hated it. However, if you think you can handle that kind of musical, I'd say go for it! I'm not guarenteeing that you'll like it though...

And since someone mentioned the whistles...call me crazy but I didn't even notice the whistles until intermission when everyone was talking about how creepy they were - I must have selective hearing or something.

[Racetrack]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 1:57am

*minor threadjack about selective hearing* but when a big group of my friends and I(including my now boyfriend) all went to see HP2 in the theatres it got to the spiders part and a friend of mine screamed(she's afraid of spiders) and all seven of the others heard her except for me. So the point is I guess I had selective hearing that time. Sorry this is due to lack of sleep probably. end of threadjack.

But anyway I think this time I can probably ignore the whistles a lot more easily or they won't phase(how do you spell that?) as much because I know where to expect them.

I agree though Sweeney Todd isn't for everyone. Some love it others hate it.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 2:41pm

Calvin--
When was Judge Turpin's "Johanna" taken out? And why? I think it's pivotal to the plot. Sure, Judge Turpin is repulsive and no one thinks Johanna should marry him, but, without that song, I feel like that wouldn't be as clear. I think it's the creepiest song out of the whole show.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 2:54pm

When I did the show in 95 at Pennsylvania Centre Stage, we kept in the Judge's Johanna for the first performance (or maybe two) but got so many complaints from the bluehairs who saw the show, that, once again, it was removed. Personally, I find it to be a fascinating number and a great insight into his character and the relationship between the Judge and Johanna.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 3:40pm

The Judge's Johanna was taken out for the original tour, likely because it was too disturbing.

Patti is a great talent, has proven that time and again, and I have no doubt that she'll be brilliant. I doubt she would've been cast otherwise. The Lincoln Center concert was really very good, except her accent.

And I really love Betsy Joslyn...her soprano is very quirky as is her interp. of Johanna...she is not the boring ingenue many Johannas were that I've seen. "Kiss Me" is a comedic number...it is Chris Groenendaal that bores me.

While I may agree that Sweeney Todd may not be for everyone, I definitely believe that if you are serious about theater, you need to see and explore this. It is one of the most perfectly constructed musicals/operas of all time.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 3:50pm

I apologize for the vague threadjacking, but is the Judge Turpin "Johanna" on Angela Lansbury/George Hearn DVD of Sweeney Todd?

[loudasthehelliwant]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 4:24pm

Judge Turpin's "Johanna" is NOT on the DVD.

I hope that if the Sweeney movie does get made, it will be included. I feel its really vital to the character.

On the subject of "honest opinion" about Sweeney Todd- it's AWESOME. Definately one of the best musicals ever written. Definately. If I were you, I would absolutely go see it.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 8/2/05 at 4:24pm

I apologize, as I didnt see Sweeney until it came to Philly w/ George and Angie.

The judge's Johanna was cut before opening on Broadway, but remains on the album..

I wonder if it had been kept, if Edmund Lyndeck would've been nominated for a Tony...cant believe that he and ken jennings didnt get nods.