Munk's SWEENEY TODD remarks- Page 2

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:16pm

How was Mark Jacoby, who strikes me as miscast as Judge Turpin (the man's a tenor, for God's sake)? Also, how was DL?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:24pm

Who is DL?

Mark Jacoby is excellent - the entire cast is. What does him being a tenor have to do with it? I'm not familiar with the song titles, but the song in question on the boards today (where he longs for Johanna, etc.) was questionable...he performed it amazingly, but it was kind of anticlimactic - hopefully they will cut it or fix it during previews. He doesn't masturbate or whip himself or anything...almost unnecessary to me.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:25pm

Donna Lynne

ETA-The Judge is one of the lowest bass roles ever written for musical theatre. I had a hard time imagining a tenor in the part, although I'm sure he makes it work. Updated On: 10/3/05 at 09:25 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:27pm

She is fantastic. When I say the entire cast is fantastic, that's all inclusive, you know...

I'm not quite sure WHY they made Pirelli a woman (still playing a man,) but it works.

[Luvinbroadway]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:30pm

I saw it too this afternoon.
Couldn't agree more with this review.
BRILLIANT, SCARY, BREATHTAKING, SUPERB.
This is what theater is about.
The show, Cerveris, Lupone, and th edirector are all TONY contenders.
I am still in awe!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:38pm

Exactly...this revival of SWEENEY TODD is why musicals are revived.

It is really only worth reviving a show if you can transform it and turn it into something just as brilliant as the original. That doesn't mean adding weird things to the scrip, I just mean doing the show justice while also reinventing the material and really just putting on a pristine production. If you look at it, the only revivals that "make it" are those that completely abandon the norm for that show and take risks - revivals like CABARET, CHICAGO, NINE, ASSASSINS, and now SWEENEY TODD. If you're going to revive a show as a carbon copy of the original, it will fail - no one wants to see the original again (in the cases of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, SWEET CHARITY, WONDERFUL TOWN, etc.)

I'm still in awe as well.

Updated On: 10/3/05 at 09:38 PM

[Glebb]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:41pm

Ah sir, this is happy news indeed!

[Plum]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:44pm

nnnnngg...so...far...

*must remember there's a production of Sunday in the Park With George here, and that doesn't happen every day...*

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:46pm

Wonderful news. Expect a review from Margo either later tonight or tomorrow.

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:47pm

Who are the standby's for Lupone and Cerveris?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:50pm

I don't know Lupone's as I wasn't given a playbill - I attended a dress rehearsal.

I know that Cerveris' is Merwin Foard, though.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:55pm

C is for Company is seeing it as I type, I can't wait to hear his thoughts.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 9:57pm

Can't waaaaaaaaaaaait.

[bobbystrong]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 10:18pm

I was there this afternoon as well. I don't want to say much/judge because it was the dress rehearsal.

To my surprise, I actually thought Lupone was the revelation of this production. I was expecting her to be fine - but she blew me away...this is a reinvention of the character, almost like Alan Cumming in the revival of Cabaret.

I'm not quite as enthusiastic as Munk - the concept is certainly fascinating...

That being said - I CANT WAIT to see it again :)

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 10:42pm

Ha Glebb! Two gold stars for you!

[broadwayislife1212]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 11:04pm

I love LuPone, is it anything like the Sweeney concert version? I loved that. Im going to walnut hill a private theater high school, adn theyre taking us to see Sweeney as one of the shows. So excited!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 11:05pm

It's VERY different from the concert version.

I agree with you about LuPone and her character - it's fantastic.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 11:10pm

Dorothy Stanley is the Lovett/Pirelli standby.

Pirelli was played by a woman in London, because they could't find a man who could play the accordian. They liked the concept, and you really have to have another female voice in the ensemble, so they kept it for Broadway.

And just one quick thing....most of the cast didn't learn to play their instrumets just for this production. Most were already playing at a professional level. You don't just learn how to play the entire SWEENEY score on a cello without years of training.

LuPone plays the tuba 4 times that I counted. But she basically is the percussion department. Her contribution to the "orchestra" of the show is no less just because she's Patti LuPone.

Updated On: 10/3/05 at 11:10 PM

[PJ]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 12:16am

Excellent review, Munk. My thoughts exactly.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 2:20am

"And just one quick thing....most of the cast didn't learn to play their instrumets just for this production."

I didn't say that they did. Clearly, Donna Lynne and LuPone did. I meant, if they DID learn from scratch, I'm very impressed.

LuPone may have played the tuba 4 times, but I only saw it out in two songs. It's irrelevant. And I didn't suggest either that she shouldn't have to...if you were refering to me...

[Tir Na Nog]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 2:49am

"I wouldn't be surprised if this show won Best revival, direction, lighting, actor, actress, orchestrations, or even set design - it's so brilliant that I can't imagine anythign else surpassing it this season."

Oh the Times is gonna love this show!! I agree with you about the Tony's except for actress. If "Mary Poppins" makes it in time Laura Michelle Kelly will be hard to beat. This production of Sweeney has revival, director and orchestrations in the bag!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 3:03am

Agreed, although I don't think there's any chance of POPPINS opening this season. La Chanze might also be some big competition - and I'm rooting for her. I loved her in COMPANY, and THE COLOR PURPLE is a favorite of mine - I'm hoping she's amazing.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 3:15am

This makes me excited beyond belief. Thanks so much for the review! I can't wait to see it.

~Steven

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 8:38am

I doubt Laura Michelle Kelly wins a Tony for MARY POPPINS. She won an Olivier award purely by default, as there were only three women nominated and the other two had won the award multiple times. POPPINS is hardly Hedda Gabbler. But yes, that show is next seasonn.

[peach]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 9:38am

Thanks for the review - this sounds fantastic. I guess it answers the question of which show I will see on my next pilgrimage to NYC! I definitely want to see THIS!