Sweeney - Original Staging — Page 2

Eugene Lee seemes to be the only set designer who's ever been able to fill that massive stage at the Uris/Gershwin. The Sweeney set was genius, and he also did pretty good with Sowboat and yes, even Wicked.

I loved little details in the original Sweeney set like having follow spot operators positioned on the upper levelson the sides - in full view of the audience, in period costume. And sometimes the stagehands (also costumed) who moved the revolving unit would not even leave the stage during scenes - they would just sit on the stage floor, huddled against the walls odf the unit like homeless folk.

just saw the movie this afternoon and LOVED it (after hating the tour i saw last month)

Going to buy the DVD with Lansbury and Hearn tomorrow... cant wait to watch it!

Yes. It took place in an asylum and was seen through Toby's eyes. It's most likely the asylum we assume Toby would be taken to at the end of the play when he goes crazy. It opened up with him bound and gagged and his "caretaker" who also played Pirelli would release him, he would start the ballad, and the tale would come alive in the asylum as seen through Toby's eyes.

Loved the original production. Hated the Doyle production. That score being played by 10 musicians is ludicrous. It was like not allowing Rembrandt to use all the colors in the crayon box...instead he is given only 10.

Does anyone remember "Singing In The Rain" at The Uris? I saw the show in London, at the Palladium with the still amazing Tommy Steele and this wonderful little man named Roy Castle playing the Cozmo role. He was AMAZING. When he did "Be A Clown" - yup, not "Make Em Laugh". I guess the Berlin estate finally said enough is enough to that thievery - Castle sang tap danced, juggled AND did back filps ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Amazing little man. He's long gone now.

ANYWAY, then the show came to New York with relative unknowns (Don Correia, Mary D'Arcy and the ridiculously talented Peter Slutsker as Cosmo) I came into town to see the show. Huh. Didn't move m. HOWEVER, talk about filling the stage. That house of Don Lockwood set from "Good Morning" was amazing. The set was so enormous that only 2/3 of it could be on stage at any one time, so one side or the other was always in the wings. And as the trio raced through the house, the set wold move to adjust, then they'd turn and go the other was and the other side would roll into the opposite wing. That was clever.

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Updated On: 12/26/07 at 03:13 AM

so the clips i saw on "the website that cant be named" that was from the tour? not the original stage show? were the same sets used on the tour that were used on the stage show?

I think the bridge on the original set not only went up or down it also could travel upstage and downstage.

AMAZING! any pictures around of what the original set looked like??? i'd love to see it...

man, i love this show so much now that it pains me to know i'll never see what some of you saw...

Here's a clip of the video with the touring set. It will give you SOME idea of the original.
God, that's Good!

Yes, the DVD released of SWEENEY TODD with Angela and George is of the 1980 US Nat'l Tour and the tour cast. It was filmed during its run in Los Angeles.

Seems alot of people are not reading the responses and asking the same question about this DVD/productioin. No biggie.

Pab -- you know I would never be rude to you (for many reasons).

It was directed to those asking those "oh, that is DVD is of the tour?!" questions over and over (and over again).

I'm sorry im confused
Is that video on youtube from the tour with george hearn??? with landsbury or with um patti lupone ?

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