Schwartz Makes Changes for Broadway's New Wizard

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 12:35pm

intriguing. i wonder what he could have done to make the song more Hearn-friendly... hey maybe he made it good!
Playbill Article

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 12:37pm

Does that mean he changed keys or did he completely re-write the song?

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 12:40pm

What are the changes and are they just for Hearn or are they for the understudies too?

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 12:40pm

i'm guessing it's a key thing. i can't picture george's rich baritone sounding too good in joel's key. has anyone seen george as the wizard yet?

[NightLaughs]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 12:46pm

I did. I didn't know anything about him before I saw him in the role (shame on me) and was surprised to see people around here rave about him. I thought his Wizard was very dull and boring, something was severely lacking. My mom who was with me downright hated it. I didn't think his songs were bad, just... blah. He was great otherwise, songs aside.

[JC14]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 12:47pm

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=290761#290761

[AnothaPartofMe]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 1:15pm

I was initially suprised that Hearn was even cast as the Wizard, seeing as the role was very Joel Grey from start to finsh. The style of music and the very theatrical character is very Joel (George M, Pal Joey, Cabaret...), and I can't see George Hearn doing that. I know he did La Cage, but even in that-- he was the 'straighter' of the couple and has never struck me as any type of song-and-dance man like Grey is/was/always will be.

[magruder]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 1:34pm

George Hearn was not the straighter of the La Cage couple. He was Albin/Zaza, the drag queen.

Updated On: 8/17/04 at 01:34 PM

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 1:38pm

I think they added another verse in the song and cut back on the dancing. Its a new verse that him and Elphaba sing together. I heard Stephen made the tempo a little faster cuz no one really enjoys that song (i do). When George performed the show on the first night they had left the song alone and it didnt really get much applause so they had to change it. I've heard from people who have seen it recently say that they enjoyed it better with the change, it suits George better.

[dry2olives]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 5:49pm

I especially enjoy the new ending where the Wizard slits Elphaba's throat.

Oops, was that a spoiler?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 5:50pm

No, just wishful thinking.

[shesings]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 5:52pm

i believe they just added a verse, and some harmonies. I for one am a bit dissapointed that they changed it. Do you think they did it b/c Schwartz just realized he had some other ideas (alla sondheim in into the woods 2) or was it in George's contract (more singing for me d*mn it!)?

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 5:54pm

Maybe he did it because he finally had a wizard who could sing it the way he wanted it done in the first place.

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 7:18pm

Agh! George Hearn is one of my favorite actors.
I can't wait to seeeeee hiiiim!
And oooh, Sueleen. I love the Joanne quote in your signature.
=d.b.j=

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 7:19pm

I love George Hearn too!

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 7:42pm

Yes! More praise for George Hearn! I wish there were a CD of the touring cast of "Sweeney Todd" that is on DVD because I think he's fantastic!

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 7:44pm

Get the concert version CD of SWEENEY TODD with him and Patti Lupone.

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 8:03pm

I can't seem to find it anywhere.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 8:17pm

They cut the dancing back a lot. He still does the litle dance with Elphaba, but the solo part is basically cut.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 8/17/04 at 9:46pm

Thanks for the info testing. Glad to hear they cut that Wizard dance section, I thought it was just pointless.

[bogey_LIVE]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 2:13am

It's called 'Sweeney Todd starring George Hearn and Patti LuPone' reading is hard. Try the internet.

[bogey_LIVE]

Posted: 8/18/04 at 2:16am

I think that George Hearn should have adapted, he is damn near talented enough...Oh well, I guess I need to go and see the show for a ninth time and see what this is all about!

[lovettespies]

Posted: 8/19/04 at 9:46am

I can't really picture him in that role, but I'd support him in whatever he decided to do!

[Auggie27]

Posted: 8/19/04 at 10:31am

Remember, the role wasn't really written for Joel Grey. In San Francisco, it was Robert Morse -- who supposedly made the Wizard come off like Corky in WAITING FOR GUFMAN. Laughs for all the wrong reasons. Morse can sing, but is not great singer, so I doubt the music was ever intended to be more demanding. He was no dancer, however, so I suspect the soft-shoe was added for Grey (the sequence changed in previews at the Gershwin, by the way.). I suspect Morse was cast as an offbeat version of Frank Morgan in the OZ film -- he was made up to look more like him, in the pix I saw.

This role may keep evolving, as it's never really satisfied people. Even those, like me, who like the show as a whole. For my money, it's simply too...brief. Elphaba turns on him with lightning speed, in the pre-DEFYING GRAFITY sequence. I wish they had a real ... you know, scene. And when she comes back in act two, there is too little tension between them. They are far too comfortable with one another as adversaries. That feels directorial, but it gives the Elphaba-Wizard less of an arc. I've always felt he should be more ominous. Rulers who are soft-spoken and "weak" still have huge egos. The Wizard is a narcissist, and I think should have an edge that suggests high stakes in the empire he's made for himself.

Updated On: 8/19/04 at 10:31 AM