Posted: 5/31/23 at 10:17am
No surprise here - but very exciting!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs6RXVZOkVm/?igshid=ZWQyN2ExYTkwZQ==
Posted: 5/31/23 at 10:20am
I can’t say I ever imagined major national tours of Woods, Company, and Sweeney happening so close to each other. Very exciting.
Posted: 5/31/23 at 10:37am
Hopefully Mr. Seller doesn’t sell the tour rights to a non-equity team like his most recent show.
Posted: 5/31/23 at 10:48am
I wonder how many musicians there'll be in the pit.
Posted: 5/31/23 at 11:03am
I wonder how they'll restage this. Isn't the only (interesting?) aspects of the show Sweeny's entrance and exit?
Posted: 5/31/23 at 11:10am
morosco said: "I wonder how many musicians there'll be in the pit."
Should be the same.
from the press release:
”“It has been an absolute thrill to conduct a 26-piece orchestra on Broadway, bringing Stephen Sondheim’s masterful music and Jonathan Tunick’s lush, original orchestrations to audiences at the Lunt-Fontanne,” said Sweeney Todd’s music supervisor, Tony Award winner Alex Lacamoire. “To bring that same sound on the road, we’ll be looking to the high-caliber locally-established musicians who have been waiting for the chance to play this score at this scale. We look forward to bringing this show and this music across the country, and I’m excited to work with the local musicians to tell Sweeney’s tale.”
Posted: 5/31/23 at 11:24am
Call_me_jorge said: "Hopefully Mr. Seller doesn’t sell the tour rights to a non-equity team like his most recent show."
THE CHER SHOW is a unique and different scenario of a show that did very badly on Broadway righty before Covid. That it even got a tour feels notable. (Flody Suarez was the real producing force behind that show, not Seller.)
Wonder who will play the two leads and if they'll keep the conceit of actors in their 30s-40s?
Posted: 5/31/23 at 12:08pm
<i>morosco said: "I wonder how many musicians there'll be in the pit."
Should be the same.
from the press release:
”“It has been an absolute thrill to conduct a 26-piece orchestra on Broadway, bringing Stephen Sondheim’s masterful music and Jonathan Tunick’s lush, original orchestrations to audiences at the Lunt-Fontanne,” said Sweeney Todd’s music supervisor, Tony Award winner Alex Lacamoire. “To bring that same sound on the road, we’ll be looking to the high-caliber locally-established musicians who have been waiting for the chance to play this score at this scale. We look forward to bringing this show and this music across the country, and I’m excited to work with the local musicians to tell Sweeney’s tale.”</i>
Well that's good news! Not all touring venues can fit 26 musicians in their pits so that might be a problem.
Posted: 6/1/23 at 8:48am
There is a strong possibility that Groban does the national tour. He already has four world tours under his belt, is a huge cash draw, and he’s loving getting to play this part. It’s a no brainer.
Posted: 6/1/23 at 9:13am
Spring 2025 seems so far away at this point. I can see the show closing on Broadway January 2025, and they will try to salvage as much as they can for the tour. Perhaps, the standbys will tour?
Posted: 6/1/23 at 9:31am
I also bet that Groban tours. Having 2024 off gives him the opportunity to take care of preexisting commitments, which helps explain the long delay.
what’s interesting is if the Broadway production runs after the leads leave, they’ll need names. They’re both dream roles, and I can imagine that a lot of notable ‘stars’ with voices would consider a run.
Posted: 6/1/23 at 12:14pm
I highly doubt Groban will tour. He already has an album half finished and when that comes out I'm sure he will want/need to tour it. Not to mention some time off before that to recharge. I'm sure by the end of his run, he'll want to do other things.
Posted: 6/1/23 at 12:20pm
GiantsInTheSky2 said: "There is a strong possibility that Groban does the national tour. He already has four world tours under his belt, is a huge cash draw, and he’s loving getting to play this part. It’s a no brainer."
I would be AMAZED if he tours with the show -- at best he would cherry pick a few key cities to play, like Los Angeles, San Fran, maybe Boston and DC, etc. There's a huge difference between a concert tour (which usually has multiple days off in between shows) and a 7-8-shows a week touring musical.
Posted: 6/1/23 at 2:28pm
As much as I’d love to see Josh on tour, since I had a ticket for his first missed Broadway show, I would be shocked if he toured. He would have to commit to 8 shows a week to work with subscription seasons at touring houses. Can you imagine the nightmare for presenters if there was an alternate for one or two performances a week?
Posted: 6/1/23 at 2:47pm
GiantsInTheSky2 said: "There is a strong possibility that Groban does the national tour. He already has four world tours under his belt, is a huge cash draw, and he’s loving getting to play this part. It’s a no brainer."
My first reaction is a whole lot of skepticism. Concert tours are a different animal, and Groban will be able to scratch his Sweeney Todd itch as long as he likes on Broadway. (It’s also not clear to me that the revival will continue beyond January 2024. There’s been no announcement of that.)
I agree that a Groban-led tour would make huge money. I just question whether he would want to do it, given his other options and commitments. At most, I can imagine a limited tour in a few large markets.
But you may know more than I do (because I don’t know anything).
Posted: 6/1/23 at 8:22pm
Groban will not tour, as well as Ashford. Major stars like Groban almost never tour. The Sweeney revival isn't just selling based on his name being attached to it. I'm sure without his name it'd be hitting 1 million. They could get a Broadway name and likely Jeanna as Lovett. If Groban were to tour, he'd have to sign a two-year contract, which he won't do. Just one year wouldn't hit all of the major markets needed to be a true success.
Posted: 6/2/23 at 10:47am
While yes, Groban would be a huge draw for the tour, the risk of backlash if he is out is extremely high. People would buy tickets, but could you imagine how many theaters would have to figure out options if he calls out?? I highly doubt he will tour. But it's so amusing seeing people online who say the show won't be the same without him. PUH-LEASE. I roll my eyes so hard they fall out of my head. That's an insane opinion to have. How many revivals have gone on tour and succeeded without big names or the OBC's being part of it? I'll wait for their response to that.
I kind of doubt Jeanna will tour as well, but we'll see!
Posted: 6/3/23 at 6:11pm
hearthemsing22 said: "While yes, Groban would be a huge draw for the tour, the risk of backlash if he is out is extremely high. People would buy tickets, but could you imagine how many theaters would have to figure out options if he calls out?? I highly doubt he will tour. But it's so amusing seeing people online who say the show won't be the same without him. PUH-LEASE. I roll my eyes so hard they fall out of my head. That's an insane opinion to have. How many revivals have gone on tour and succeeded without big names or the OBC's being part of it? I'll wait for their response to that.
I kind of doubt Jeanna will tour as well, but we'll see!"
No show is the same when there is a change in leads. Even when everyone tries really hard to keep things the same, they still aren't the same. This is a perfectly reasonable argument to make. If your eyes are rolling out of your head when considering such an argument, it makes me wonder how many original casts and replacement/ touring casts you have seen and been able to compare to. Similar? Sure. The same? Never.
I am reminded of the absolutely dreadful David Hess leading the last touring production of Sweeney Todd. Let me assure you, the show was absolutely not the same when compared to the Broadway run, and much of the Broadway cast was on tour with Hess.
Let's also not kid ourselves into thinking that this production would be happening without Groban. He is the entire reason this revival exists at all. That's not to say that I think he would tour with the show. I don't. However, I can understand why many would guess that he might, especially after the successful mini-tour Into the Woods recently completed.
Hopefully whoever does tour with the show does a great (or even better) job, but don't kid yourself into thinking it will be the same as seeing it with Groban and the Broadway cast. It won't be, and try not to let your eyes roll out of your head when people tell you it's not.
