Songs That Will be Cut from the Sweeney Movie?

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 4:12pm

Any thoughts? I think Wait and By the Sea are definitely gone.

[coral_amber]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 4:21pm

I think I heard somewhere that Green Finch and Linnet bird was cut.

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 4:29pm

I hope that's not true. That's my favorite song. And it makes Joanna a multilayered character. We see her plight more clearly.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 4:34pm

I'm 90% sure "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" is indeed gone.
I assume "Wait" and "By the Sea" are gone. I believe I heard "Epiphany" and "A Little Priest" were trimmed.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 4:34pm

As long as they don't cut Not While I'm Around I'll be satisfied.

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 4:36pm

And I hope they keep the judge's version of Johanna.

[turquoisefish]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 4:47pm

I think it is a shame if Wait and Greenfinch & Linnet bird are lost, I can't see By The Sea working with Helena Bonham Carter, so don't mind losing that too much.

I am just glad that there will be a movie.

[Weez]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 5:18pm

If they won't even keep the Judge's Johanna for a four-shows-only concert version where they've got Philip "God" Quast as the Judge, then I will most likely expire of unexpectedness should it make it into the movie.

[dramarama2]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 5:24pm

Apart from"Greenfinch and Linnet Bird" I've heard that there are no complete song cuts, but lots of cuts within songs. Sondheim suggested cuts within "God, That's good", "Epiphany" and "Johanna". I also doubt there will be many if any of the reprises of the title song. I think a lot of the score was transposed higher for Depp too.

[MerMaggieGalinda]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 5:24pm

That sucks if they cut Greenfinch and Linnet Bird. I'm still not sure about this movie, it sounds like they cut half of the music, but I'll wait and see.
Updated On: 8/13/07 at 05:24 PM

[jam_man]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 5:41pm

Wait, they cut the Judge's "Johanna" with PHILLIP QUAST??? I'm almost glad I didn't convince my mother to go to London to see it!

I could see them cutting a verse from "A Little Priest," as well as "No Place Like London" and "Ladies in their Sensitivities."

Posted: 8/13/07 at 5:48pm

I don't see how you can cut WAIT! Or Green Finch really, but that is more annoying than damaging to the story...you can get the idea that Johanna is like a bird in a cage without that song.

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 6:18pm

"Green Finch" is somewhat superfluous, and I don't know if all that pretty soprano trilling would go over with a contemporary film audience. I also think the information in "Wait" can be conveyed very efficiently with some dialogue (and I've never felt that song was a particular "fan favorite," so to speak).

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 7:00pm

A close-up, a line of dialogue, and a few images can easily convey the main idea behind "Green Finch," the song would just slow down the film, and without a star as Johanna I doubt the audience would care much about this number at all.
"Wait" makes sense within the operatic nature of the Broadway show, with the obvious cuts that the movie will make, I see why they may cut this number though I think they'd include "Wait" before "By the Sea" (I feel "By the Sea" would just stop the film cold unless it's moved earlier in the action).

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 7:23pm

I imagine "Parlor Songs" will be cut fully.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 7:26pm

"Wait" is probably cut. It's Sondheim's least favorite song. In an interview, he was asked if there were any songs he'd have rewritten and he only spoke of "Wait."

[LostLeander]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 7:34pm

I LOVE Wait, despite Sondheim hatred of his song.

He hates it because of the samba-ish feel of the song, right? He feels that it's anachronistic?

But the construction is BRILLIANT. The clock-like chromatics, the constant minor seconds, creating a sense of urgency and suggesting something foul. It's a perfect song.

I still fear for this movie, but I'll certainly see it, even though I despise gore, and it looks as if this movie will be all about the gore.

[ByTheSea920]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 7:36pm

I really don't want By The Sea to be cut. That's my favorite song in Sweeney. Which should be fairly obvious because of my user name. I love Wait too, but I don't think it'll make it into the movie.

[turquoisefish]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 7:45pm

I went to the recent London concert and was a little surprised that Judge's Johanna wasn't in the show (especially with a big name as Judge).

I would love all songs to stay in the show but that isn't possible, and by the sea would slow the show down. It seems like we won't know for sure until we see the film, maybe there will be cuts within songs rather than total removal.

[Anti-Romanticist]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 7:49pm

As others have said, "Wait" and "By the Sea" are most definitely cut. On IMDB, I heard rumors of "Kiss Me" being cut, although they've died down a bit since then.

[Raviolisun]

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

Oh my God, If By the Sea gets cut...

[BillFinn]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 9:10pm

He wanted to cut it because he felt he could write a better song, that explored more of what Lovett or Sweeney were feeling at the time. the joy/anticipation of getting "their wish." Etc. I don't think it had to do with music.

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 9:28pm

Ok, so they cut "Wait" and "By The Sea," which is most of Lovett's part. They cut "Green Finch" and "Johanna" and "Parlour Songs." Why don't they just call in "Depp Does Sweeney!"

In all seriousness, what is really left? Esp. with the reprise cuts. I was skeptical before, but now I'm really worried since they cut basically half the score. If they wanted to cut all these numbers, just do a non-musical version.

[jam_man]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 9:35pm

Well, there's still a fair amount of big numbers for/with other characters that will likely survive: "Worst Pies," "Johanna," "Pretty Women" the 2nd act "Johanna," "Not While I'm Around," etc. I mean sure most of the stuff supposedly remaining are Sweeney's, but for Sondheim's sake, it's called "Sweeney Todd," and it's starring arugably the biggest film star in America right now - why wouldn't they make his the absolute biggest part, especially since they need to cut somethings at least for time.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 8/13/07 at 10:13pm

"Ok, so they cut "Wait" and "By The Sea," which is most of Lovett's part. They cut "Green Finch" and "Johanna" and "Parlour Songs." Why don't they just call in "Depp Does Sweeney!"
In all seriousness, what is really left?"

There's still SO much music left: The Ballad, No Place Like London, A Barber and His Wife, Worst Pies in London, Poor Thing, My Friends, Johanna, Pirelli's Miracle Elixir, The Contest, Kiss Me/ Ladies in Their Sensitivities (unless it's been cut, we still don't know), Pretty Women, Epiphany, A Little Priest, God That's Good, Sweeney's Johanna, Not While I'm Around, City on Fire, and then the WHOLE final sequence. Not to mention a few reprises, there definitely won't be as many as there are in the show but even still, I assume they'll be at least 3 or 4. They pop up ALL over the place in the show.

Given the songs just listed, that leaves Sweeney with 12, Mrs. Lovett with 9, Tobias with 4, Johanna with 4, Anthony with 6, The Judge with 3, the Beadle with 2, the Beggar Woman with 4 and Pirelli with 1. This seems like every character has about the number of songs needed, especially since they will also have scenes. I'm looking forward to this movie and realize that all cuts are completely practical (the only song that I will miss is "Green Finch and Linnett Bird", my favorite song in the show, but I realize why it's been cut). The movie will still have PLENTY of music, there are so many other things to be concerned with about this film. Don't let fear of there being no music be one of them.