My "Sweeney Todd" thoughts

[good39thing]

Posted: 10/27/05 at 2:51pm

I saw "Sweeney Todd" about a week ago. It was the first time I've seen a Broadway show that I liked...and hated. Let me say that I LOVE new visions of shows. I LOVED the "Cabaret" and "Carousel" revials.

Here are some of my thoughts on "Sweeney." Some spoilers included.

• I liked the creativity of the cast playing instruments….but also found it distracting at times. Maybe because it was performed in such a small space it seemed to distract me. Plus…I’m not sure I see in the director’s concept that having the actors play instruments makes sense….other then just doing it to be different.

• I wish there were a few more ensemble members. At least 4 more. They could have lent their singing voices for a more powerful sound and played additional instruments in the shadows so the leads didn’t have to play while speaking/singing. That was the distracting part for me.

• I guess the director’s concept was that the whole show was in the mind of “Tobias” and the action took place inside of an insane asylum…. I wish there was more to book end this concept. It’s there, but I wanted more. I also thought the blood soaked lab coats were going to play into a thrilling finale sequence. Like the straight jacket boy (“Tobias”) went on a crazy rampage in the asylum and envisioned himself as “Sweeney.” At the end, you’d discover him among all these dead doctors and orderlies just crazed and rambling to himself. I could also see police bursting in (but modern day) as the curtain was coming in.

• I didn’t feel the character relationships were developed as in past productions. Maybe that was the director’s concept to keep everyone’s relationships sparse?

• I did like the usage of the few furniture items denoting the different locations….like the coffin becoming the boat for Sweeney and later the Judge’s pulpit.

• I like Patti LuPone in this version. I found her Lovett kind of sexy which was good for her manipulation. I liked Michael Cerveris but would like to see more…. Also with this new concept…why the random costuming? I don’t need period clothing but some were in it while others weren’t……..

• I think I would have liked to see what Sam Mendes would have done with this show…. I heard he’s doing the movie version. Yahoo!

• What (and why?) was that little coffin Sweeney was clutching in Act II?

• I had heard Hal Prince was in the audience for a performance and when someone asked him what he thought he replied “Well, I like the material.” (LOL)

That's it folks... What did you think of "Sweeney?"

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 10/27/05 at 4:04pm

• I had heard Hal Prince was in the audience for a performance and when someone asked him what he thought he replied “Well, I like the material.” (LOL)

- he ought to! Actually thats pretty harsh. I know Sondheim enjoyed it but it seems that him and Prince always had different opinions on how Sweeney should be portrayed.

I saw the first preview and I am seeing it again tonight. I think its brillant. Currently my favorite show running!

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 10/27/05 at 4:11pm

• I guess the director’s concept was that the whole show was in the mind of “Tobias” and the action took place inside of an insane asylum…. I wish there was more to book end this concept. It’s there, but I wanted more. I also thought the blood soaked lab coats were going to play into a thrilling finale sequence. Like the straight jacket boy (“Tobias”) went on a crazy rampage in the asylum and envisioned himself as “Sweeney.”

I expected this also, and spent much of the show eager to see how it would all play out at the end. While Tobias ended up being the character I was most invested in, I feel like if they had done a little more with the idea, it would have been a bit more effective.

[inishmore]

Posted: 10/27/05 at 4:23pm

Just to check, people realize that the actors playing the instruments came out of practicality and not that it was some grand uber-stylized thing that Doyle always wanted to test. (I sort of posted this on another thread). But it came from a theater company that couldn't afford to hire all the people and it became an idea to save money by having the actors do everything. And when "that production" was transfered it transferred with it. It developed from need, and just became a way to do it.
Same with pirelli being a woman. It happened in london that doyle needed someone to play the flute and accordian for the character of pirelli and there was this great woman he ended up getting. In the end he liked some of the unique dimensions a woman broguht to the extra moments that the actor has throughout the show and he said that if the show ever toured or anything he would definately keep a woman in the role.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/27/05 at 4:55pm

I thought it was brilliant...I thought the ending was just amazing and still is haunting me two days later.

I dont understand what the problem with the coffin is...to me it was his loss, regret, and white fury he was carrying around.

Inish, I have not heard those explanations for the casting choices by the director, but it was my impression that Pirelli is cast as a woman to even out the voices for choral stuff, and that Doyle has employed the same cast and orchestra combined concept in other shows he directed, including a production of Company...

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/27/05 at 4:55pm

I thought it was brilliant...I thought the ending was just amazing and still is haunting me two days later.

I dont understand what the problem with the coffin is...to me it was his loss, regret, and white fury he was carrying around.

Inish, I have not heard those explanations for the casting choices by the director, but it was my impression that Pirelli is cast as a woman to even out the voices for choral stuff, and that Doyle has employed the same cast and orchestra combined concept in other shows he directed, including a production of Company...

[inishmore]

Posted: 10/28/05 at 2:01am

Doodle, it seems that the musician/actor show has become a bit of a gimmic, perhaps is the word?. for Doyle, yes. I believe he's also done at least one other show this way... but I could be wrong. But it essentially developed from the limitations of a theater in london.
And a woman pirelli does help strengthen the female voices (this was actually what I initially thought was the reasoning) but Doyle explained to me himself about how it came about in the original london show with a girl.

[fiatlux]

Posted: 10/28/05 at 2:34am

"• I had heard Hal Prince was in the audience for a performance and when someone asked him what he thought he replied “Well, I like the material.” (LOL)"

"it seems that the musician/actor show has become a bit of a gimmic, perhaps is the word?. for Doyle, yes. I believe he's also done at least one other show this way... but I could be wrong. But it essentially developed from the limitations of a theater in london."

The theatre is in Newbury and it is well known for actor-musician productions by Doyle - including the Gondoliers, Cabaret, Mack and Mabel. Doyle has also directed Fiddler on the Roof, Irma La Douce and Candide again as actor/musician production.

I've posted this before but I'll post it again actor/musicianship is not a gimmick it's a recognized and pretty standard form of theatrical delivery (at least in Europe) and has been for many years. It's so standard that you can take university degrees in it; these encourage students to look at the relationship between music and the process of acting using text, song and instrumental music.


Updated On: 10/28/05 at 02:34 AM