Sondheim wants voice test for Depp re Sweeney- Page 2

[queendork]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 2:21pm

Updated On: 8/28/06 at 02:21 PM

[blueroses]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 2:28pm

"Can't vouch for the truth of the article (which at the end quotes a spokesman for Nicole Kidman who apparently doesn't know how well she can sing - maybe he should rent "Moulin Rouge" for an idea)"

I disagree. I loved Moulin Rouge but thought Nicole's singing voice was absolutely average.

[camp_actor]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 2:29pm

Did anyone else see the recent BBC Sweeney adaptation. Not the musical. It was amazing - Ray Winstone as Sweeney and Essie Davis as Lovett. Seriously, if you all like the musical this was a really interesting take on the material. Not the same at all, but very human. Ray Winstone and Essie Davis are terrific. Check it out.

I'm looking forward to this. I love Tim Burton, his movies are so theatrical. I really hope that he does well with this one.

By the way, someone mentioned Corpse Bride - I thought the songs in that were hideous. I couldn't hear any of the words and there was NO melody. I thought it was supposed to be a follow up to Nightmare Before Christmas, which had a great score and good singers to sing it. What was up with that?

Danny Elfman *narrows eyes*, what are you doing? Don't think we've forgiven you for Charlie And The Chocolate Factory yet.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 2:35pm

“He wants to make sure that all versions of his works are the best possible,” said his spokesman.



Yeah... just like the movie version of "A Little Night Music."

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 2:37pm

I thought the funniest part was about how Depp felt about this, that he basically found it amusing.

[donna_darko_23]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 2:44pm

I agree actress, it was funny how Depp found it amusing.

[Ladyofthe Lake]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 2:51pm

"Can't vouch for the truth of the article (which at the end quotes a spokesman for Nicole Kidman who apparently doesn't know how well she can sing - maybe he should rent "Moulin Rouge" for an idea)"

I disagree. I loved Moulin Rouge but thought Nicole's singing voice was absolutely average.

Uh, what's to disagree with? I didn't make any judgements about her voice - I just suggested that if the spokesman didn't know anything about her singing voice, he might want to watch a movie in which she sang.

[EganFan2]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 3:02pm

I thought Johnny Depp already said he couldn't sing well, and that's why he was glad that the remake of Willy Wonka didn't require him to. He's a great actor, so I ain't saying anything against him. Just what I heard.

ALW said basically the same thing, that he wanted the leads in POTO to sing their own stuff. I guess the loophole was when he didn't specify they had to sing WELL.

[friedrichVT]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 4:23pm

Toni Colette for Lovett or the beggar woman...She'd be amazing.

[LyTeMyCanDyI]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 4:56pm

Before acting, Depp was a singer in a band. from what I've heard, he was very good!

[EganFan2]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 5:31pm

You can hear him sing at the end of "Secret Window", or so I read somewhere.

[camp_actor]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 6:07pm

In terms of casting, I hope against hope that they have at least a partially British cast. It's not too much to ask, is it? I think if there was a film of say Ragtime - The Musical there would be predominantly an American cast. I'm just dreading a load of American versions of British accents.

And you're all now probably going to say that Johnny Depp does a good Cockney accent after seeing Pirates of the Caribbean, ...well maybe he does, but it's rather more Mockney than Cockney. I just hope there's at least a FEW British people cast.

And I know that's biased. But I'm biased. Maybe I'm just hoping they'll cast me as Toby! Or maybe I'm just hoping that it's not a load of people concentrating so hard on not screwing up the accent that they forget the intent of the scene.

By the way, I've read a load of places that people are like "Patti Lupone's accent as Mrs Lovett was the worst English accent I've ever heard! - What was it!?", but I actually think hers is surprisingly authentic. There's a few slips and lapses and a few misguided choices of phrasing the text, but all in all it's one of the better examples of an American actor "doing" a British accent. The horrible tripe they come out with on the Secret Garden OCR is ridiculous, though I love the performances in general.

And, yes, I know it's the same with Brits doing American accents. I cringe a LOT when I go to certain shows in the West End and hear the utter rubbishness of the majority of the "American" accents on show. It's so upsetting to me.

Ah well...we'll see won't we?

[MCfan2]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 6:15pm

Too true about ALW. The only explanation for Gerard (sp?) Butler is that ALW must have gone completely tone deaf.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 6:19pm

"I thought Johnny Depp already said he couldn't sing well, and that's why he was glad that the remake of Willy Wonka didn't require him to. He's a great actor, so I ain't saying anything against him. Just what I heard. "

About Willy Wonka, I meant that how much Johnny Depp suprised me with a role I thoght he couldn't pull off.

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 6:26pm

I honestly doubt the accuracy of the article, but in either case, does Sondheim has a say at all in the casting choices for this film? Kander & Ebb talked in the book "Colored Lights" how they had NOTHING to do with the Cabaret and Chicago films. Perhaps Sondheim had the chance of establishing that he had the right to reject anyone he didn't find appropriate for the role.
Does anyone knows what names are genuinely being pursued by Burton and the producers?

[2]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 6:41pm

But singing in a band and singing Sweeney Todd are too different things. But hey, maybe he is like Michael Cerveris and can sing rock and more classic music.

[TomMonster]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 6:54pm

You are correct FBD: Sondheim has NO real say in any of the casting. As a courtesy, they have asked his opinion. He was involved with script development, but mostly in an advisory capacity.

At this time no potential casting names are being made public. And most likely will not until actors have been approached.

As I stated earlier, I doubt the veracity of the article. I will certainly try to find out...

Let y'all know when I know.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 6:59pm

This report doesn't make any sense if earlier reports of Sondheim initially wanting Russell Crowe to play Sweeney are true. Why? Because Russell can't carry a tune in bucket.

Why would Sondheim NOT care about Crowe not being able to sing, but care if Depp can't?

[camp_actor]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 7:02pm

But Russel has musical ability. He's in a band called "30 Odd Foot of Grunts". And for that I love him just a bit more.

[blueroses]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 7:05pm

"Uh, what's to disagree with? I didn't make any judgements about her voice - I just suggested that if the spokesman didn't know anything about her singing voice, he might want to watch a movie in which she sang."

Sorry, LadyoftheLake. I misread.

[zzannahk]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 7:07pm

crowe or depp? which is the worse of the two evils (i dont really want either one for this role)

[TomMonster]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 7:08pm

Sondheim never thought of Crowe as Sweeney...

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 7:11pm

I REALLY hope Toni Collette is in this film in some capacity (a.k.a. Lovett).

[EganFan2]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 7:20pm

Agreed. Toni Collette rocks.

[Born2cthelightsofbway]

Posted: 8/13/06 at 7:33pm

I think its funny that Johnny Depp is "bemused" by the fact that Sondheim wants a voice test, considering that the world does not know him as a "singer" as he seems to think he is one. Plus, just because you can sing "rock" songs, does not mean you can sing real musical theatre type songs (as proven in the Phantom movie, with Gerard Butler)