Sweeney Director John Doyle Has Plans for Another Sondheim Show; Will Bobby Play the Sousaphone?

[Kringas]

Posted: 8/30/05 at 7:26pm

"When the marriage-minded Company plays the Robert S. Marx Theatre of the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park March 14-April 14, 2006, audiences can expect "a bold reinvention of the show in which the actors sing, dance and play all of the musical instruments," according to the season announcement."

It worked in Cabaret and I can see how it would work for Sweeney, but Company? I think it's an odd choice.

It also makes me wonder. Will this continue to remain an anomaly, or in the future, will all actors be expected to know an instrument?



Playbill.Com

Updated On: 8/30/05 at 07:26 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/30/05 at 7:34pm

All of Doyle's shows at Watermill use this device. Past productions included MACK AND MABEL, FIDDLER, and of course SWEENEY -- all of which utilized actor/musicians.

[gwalke4]

Posted: 8/30/05 at 8:04pm

This, to me, is getting annoying and a little gross. I could see how it may work with Sweeney b/c the characters are so musical and classical in that way that characters can be defined by an instrument (sort of Peter and the Wolf) but a BIG thing about Company is how these characters AREN'T musical. There's SUPPOSED to be that dichotomy between song and scene, between singer/actor and character. And way too many characters in Company to make the choices especially distinctive/useful/meaningful/enlightening. The show works on its own - just let it work!

Sam Mendes understood that this was a great idea for Cabaret and took it to its theatrically logical end. Has he done it with anything else? No. He finds the most appropriate presentation of a work that it deserves.

This John Doyle fellow is really starting to annoy me. But we shall see. And the fact that this technique is still seen as "daring" or "experimental" is really funny.