Len Cariou

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 10:00am

I finally got my OCR of Sweeney Todd this weekend and I am enamored with it! But my favorite is Len Cariou! I never knew that he could have such intensity. The only thing I knew him from was the OCR of A Little Night Music and, in that, he's sort of just smooth and a little benign and funny. But in Sweeney, especially in "Epiphany," I got chills from listening to him. So, I just want to send some crazy mad lovin' to Len Cariou!








P.S. I can't wait for the Sweeney revival!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Craig]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 10:03am

Len's singing is fantastic on the OBC Recording. Having seen both he and George Hearn, I think I would vote for Len's singing being superior but George's acting in the role to be better.

[nmartin]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 10:03am

Len Cariou was exceptional in that show. His performance in that is one of my favorites.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 10:07am

Unfortunately singing the role of Sweeney Todd 8 times a week did damage to Len's singing voice. He hasn't done much singing since and his short run in the dreadful TEDDY AND ALICE indicated the voice is in bad shape. Hearn, on the other hand, still has a marvelous sound.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 10:09am

Having seen both Cariou and Hearn as Todd, I would venture to say that Cariou is my favorite of the two. He was brilliant on-stage and had wonderful chemistry with Angela Lansbury. He also originated the role of Fredrik Egerman in my personal favorite musical, A Little Night Music. In the past few years, he has been on the boards in The Dinner Party and in Proof, opposite Anne Heche.

[nmartin]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 10:11am

Dollypop, I almost posted the same comment about his voice being damaged. Has anyone ever heard the studio recording of Anastasia? He sounds really bad on that. Of course, that "score" is awful.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 10:15am

I'm partial to George Hearn because I saw his version on the DVD, but once I got used to Len I love it! Such a great role and an amazing show, IMO Sondheim's best.

[magruder]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 10:16am

This is one of those great debates. I would actually reverse what Craig said. To me, Cariou is a little more effortful in the singing department, while Hearn seems to sail through the score with little difficulty. But having seen both (and they are both excellent), I preferred Cariou's interpretation. Cariou was the quiet, scheming, methodical character that Sondheim describes in "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd". In other words, a guy that has been plotting revenge for 15 years and is going to go about it with great care. "Epiphany" was the first moment in Cariou's performance where you really saw him go beserk. Hearn, by comparison, starts to layer in the crazy as early as "My Friends". It's a choice, although you have to wonder whether a guy trying to go about exacting bloody revenge without drawing attention to himself would be screaming in the street, while brandishing a razor. Cariou just had a little more subtlety and nuance for me, and saved himself for the big moments. I ultimately found him more tragic at the end as a result.

[magruder]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 10:22am

A year of Sweeney took its toll, and Cariou was in bad vocal shape for the flop Dance a Little Closer in '81. But he sounds fine on the recording of Dance, which was done almost a year after it closed. I've heard him sing a little Sweeney here and there at concerts and benefits over the years, and the role doesn't seem to have done permanent damage to his vocal chops.

[Craig]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 10:41am

I can see where you are coming from Magruder. Personally, any difference in perfomance quality is minimal in my mind at best. Both were incredible and brought unique and creative aspects to their performances. I love the rage in Hearn's performance but like you said, the calculated calmness in Cariou's. Both are big shoes to fill and I eagerly await the "new" interpretation this season...

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 12:48pm

Has he or is he planning on doing anything now? He could sit in a chair on a stage and BS about the weather and I'd cry, "More! More!"

Updated On: 7/5/05 at 12:48 PM

[Mythus]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 2:43pm

I love Len Cariou's voice. Now, on the Hearn/Cariou debate...they're both very good for very different reasons.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 5:58pm

I've decided that you cant compare the two because they both played the role very differently.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 6:05pm

That isn't logical. It may be HARD to compare them, but the fact that it is the same role in the same show with the same book and the same score inherantly makes them even the slightest bit comparable.
Updated On: 7/5/05 at 06:05 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 6:51pm

He was great in the 1 man show about Hemingway "Papa"

[nmartin]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 6:58pm

Mr roxy, when was that done? I didn't know about that.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 7:18pm

A few years ago Off Broadway. The set was his house in Cuba. He had a white beard & he really captured Hemingway