Sweeney Todd 2.0 - Carmello and Lewis - Page 4

[Nycat63]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 8:38am

MarkBearSF said: "Saw it last night. Norm was out - his u/s David MIchael Garry was excellent. As for scariness - he had it and then some. We were seated in C1 & C2, in front of the pie counter. He bellowed "MOVE" to me to slide down as he was killing Pirelli next to me. I was startled as hell! (By the way, these are perfect seats. The guys sitting across from us, had their backs much of the action and were not nearly as good.)

This is my sixth Sweeney (previously: SF Symphony w Patti & NPH, Doyle Bway with Patti, Doyle tour with Judy Kaye, a small local production at ROLT, the SF Opera) So I've seen it very big very small and all sorts of variations and it was my favorite. It worked on all levels, was truly scary, sounded wonderful, and was very inventive. ...and, sorry Patti, Carolee is my fave Lovett now.

And the pie and mash was delicious!

 

"

Regarding your seats - I will be in C9/C10 which is across the table from your seats toward the center of the bench. How did they have their backs to the action if they were facing in your direction?  I'm imagining a regular long table where you face the people across from you, no?  (Not asking to be difficult - I haven't been the setup so I honestly don't know and I'm wondering if I will be twisting). Thanks!

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 8:56am

Nycat63 said: "Regarding your seats - I will be in C9/C10 which is across the table from your seats toward the center of the bench. How did they have their backs to the action if they were facing in your direction?  I'm imagining a regular long table where you face the people across from you, no?  (Not asking to be difficult - I haven't been the setup so I honestly don't know and I'm wondering if I will be twisting). Thanks!"

C9-10 was across from us and faces toward the left wall. I assume you've seen the rudimentary seating plan. The center part of the stage was just behind them (or perhaps over their right shoulder). They had to twist to see anything from the center to house right. Because the small orchestra sits upstage to house right, less is staged there than to the left. Great view of the pie counter, OK view of the stairs to the upstage door. You'll see plenty of action, but not all. During intermission, I asked the guys how they felt about their seats and they were happy.

Let's twist again, like we did last summer

[StageStruckLad]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 10:26am

I was also there last night, one table away from MarkBearSF, and I will second his praise for this production. It's my fifth SWEENEY TODD, and I think it was my second favorite after the original with Lansbury and Cariou. And in one very important way, this one was better than the original because it was SO intimate instead of being at that barn of a theater that is now the Gershwin.

 

We were right next to the pie counter, and we frequently had the actors standing or sitting inches from us. Carolee Carmello (I don't think I've seen her in a show since PARADE) was a wonderful Mrs. Lovett, with some of the zany humor of Lansbury and a still-gorgeous voice. Norm Lewis was out, but I'm so glad we got to see understudy David Michal Garry, who has a fantastic voice and acted the hell out of the role. At one point, he plucked a hair from the top of my head (not really, I'm pretty sure, but it sure looked like it) and used it to test the sharpness of his razor. At another point, he pushed his face inches away from my husband's face and glared into his eyes. It was chilling! The other six cast members are also superb. When the Beggar Woman was singing one of the "Ballad of Sweeney Todd" reprises, I could swear she was singing repeated high-E notes! And what a blessing to hear all the actors with no microphones.

 

The only real drawbacks to the production (for me, anyway) were the loss of Sweeney's barber chair, and the fact that was the staging is a bit confusing in the second act when it changes from the pie shop to the oven down below to Sweeney's  shop above the pie shop. Because of the limited space, it's not always clear where the action is taking place, and after Sweeney dispatches some of his victims, they are forced to stand up and walk offstage. It's not a huge problem, though.

 

And I will confirm that the meat pies are also very tasty!

Updated On: 5/15/17 at 10:26 AM

[Nycat63]

Posted: 5/15/17 at 10:34am

MarkBearSF said: "Nycat63 said: "Regarding your seats - I will be in C9/C10 which is across the table from your seats toward the center of the bench. How did they have their backs to the action if they were facing in your direction?  I'm imagining a regular long table where you face the people across from you, no?  (Not asking to be difficult - I haven't been the setup so I honestly don't know and I'm wondering if I will be twisting). Thanks!"

C9-10 was across from us and faces toward the left wall. I assume you've seen the rudimentary seating plan. The center part of the stage was just behind them (or perhaps over their right shoulder). They had to twist to see anything from the center to house right. Because the small orchestra sits upstage to house right, less is staged there than to the left. Great view of the pie counter, OK view of the stairs to the upstage door. You'll see plenty of action, but not all. During intermission, I asked the guys how they felt about their seats and they were happy.

Let's twist again, like we did last summer

 

"Got it- thx.  I think I was imagining that little activity would occur behind my back if I was facing the pie counter (based only on the seating chart online) so I will be prepared to twist and turn!  I can handle a little if it's not the whole time (back and neck problems)!  Really looking forward to this as I got my seats recently when a few table seats magically appeared.  I had otherwise written this off as a production I would miss as I don't live in NY.  

 

[Rhoda4]

Posted: 5/25/17 at 10:38am

Does anyone know how long Carmello and Lewis will be with the show?   Planning trip for early fall and hoping to be able to catch both of them.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/25/17 at 10:50am

Rhoda4 said: "Does anyone know how long Carmello and Lewis will be with the show?   Planning trip for early fall and hoping to be able to catch both of them."

From earlier in this thread: 

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1100402&page=2#4920110

[StageDoor3]

Posted: 5/25/17 at 10:58am

I echo StageStruckLad and MarkBearSF.  Seeing Sweeney Todd in an environment like this, up close, with this cast and no mics was one of the most memorable experiences of my loooooong theatre going life.  I booked C-12 when tickets went on sale for the then unannounced second cast for my trip in early May.  C-12 ended up being one of the perfect front and center seats.   The Judge was literally right in front of me during the Judge/Sweeney numbers, Brad Oscar and Stacie Bono sat next to me at the table and Norm Lewis offered me a shave.  It was like seeing a Broadway show from onstage.   I've been to immersive productions before but because of where I was sitting and because this is Sweeney - this was special.

Updated On: 5/25/17 at 10:58 AM

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 5/28/17 at 6:57pm

Saw this yesterday and I loved it! Such a unique experience. When you walk in, the cooking pies emit such an unusual smell. I can't really say they smell good. We got veggie pies. Although they're small, I thought it was really filling. I could only eat about half of it. I thought it tasted pretty good, but the after taste lingered with me all day, and well.. that wasn't the best. I just thought the whole thing was so cool. I thought Norm Lewis was good, but not scary. My bf and I saw his Xmas show last year and he said, "I just can't find NL scary". I guess that's how I felt too, but his voice sounded great. Mrs. Lovett was fantastic. Just perfection. "A Little Priest" is my favorite song and their version did not disappoint. It was terrific. I saw the Michael Cerveris and Patti Lupone version twice... it would be cool to see Michael Cerveris at Barrow St.  I probably preferred their take on the characters, but the immersive aspect was just awesome. It was so much fun!

[prosec34]

Posted: 6/4/17 at 11:41pm

We watched Sweeney tonight, having planned the trip from our home in Tennessee as soon as the production was announced. It's our favorite musical by far, but we'd only gotten to see it at the Univ of Tenn and the Barter Theatre in Virginia. And we have the DVD of the original production and the movie, having watched them over and over. I'd also seen footage on youtube of the revival show years back.

This was the best of them all, IMO. The entire cast was perfect. Just perfect. The immersive experience made it all the better. Now if one wasn't familiar with the show, it might not be the best introduction, if only because the balance of sound was thwarted by some sounds being closer to one's ear than others.BTW, our seats were at the end of the table next to the orchestra. Norm Lewis stuck his knife to my throat!

[lost4616]

Posted: 6/5/17 at 1:53am

I was also at the show tonight. I've seen Sweeney countless times but this production and these performances may go down as one of my favorite Sweeney experiences (except for the fact that people who got up and left right after the Beadle's death disrupting the moment). Carolee's performance in particular is not to be missed.

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 6/5/17 at 2:42pm

I'm gonna give a shout out to Norm Lewis, who has not received a lot of love on this board - I absolutely loved his performance in this. He really takes the line "he seldom laughed but he often smiled" to heart - this was no grim, emotionless walking corpse, which is the way I have usually seen Sweeney played, but a man with wit, passion and even sparks of humanity. He was the first Sweeney I've seen in a long time that wasn't just steamrolled by the presense of his (fantastic) Mrs. Lovett. The show felt like his story, which it often doesn't. And also, the friendliest man I have ever met at a stage door. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/18/17 at 1:03am

I finally got to see this! I really enjoyed the production and setting, but I would still overall rate the Doyle production above this one. 

I thought both leads were amazing. I agree with the previous poster about Norm, I found him very menacing, he truly embodied the character, and sounded phenomenal. 

Carolee is simply perfection, it's a match made in heaven. I enjoyed that she played it closer to the Lansbury mold, while obviously not copying her performance. She really blew me away.

The entire cast was very impressive, there wasn't a weak link. The small band sounded nice, but I am ready for a Sweeney with a full orchestra again. 

Much of the staging was unique, immersive, and inventive, and pretty easy to follow for those who may be unfamiliar with the story. It was definitely more straight forward than Doyle's staging. I liked the audience interactions, although I thought some of the screaming in certain audience members' faces was maybe a bit overdone. 

I did miss "City On Fire," but at least they kept the "Searching" section. The final sequence did move much faster with the cuts. 

Overall, I would definitely see this production again with these two leads. Norm and Carolee are not to be missed. 

Updated On: 6/18/17 at 01:03 AM

[Melissa25]

Posted: 6/18/17 at 5:38am

qolbinau stated What I do find to be a 'revelation' is how truly immersive this production is such that - at least sitting basically at the first position of the table opposite the pie shop bench - it made me feel so engaged with the text and music in a way I have never felt before seeing Sweeney, and probably never felt at the theatre generally in my life. I've seen and listened to this show a million times but basically being on stage with the actors while they are performing (what sounds like) 'raw'/with no microphones, was just quite frankly for me an amazing experience. The show flew by - it was GENUINELY, chillingly scary at points for me. It was like watching the show again for the first time. God, just thinking about the very warranted long silence and catharsis after the Judge's death makes me miss the show so much!

This is exactly how I felt yesterday!  Such a thrilling day at the theater.  Carmelo is superb.  I loved Norm and Jamie Jackson as Turpin is achingly good.

 

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 3:07pm

To those who have seen it, how obstructed is the view in the balcony, what do you miss?

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 3:07pm

To those who have seen it, how obstructed is the view in the balcony, what do you miss?

[JSquared2]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 3:32pm

Another question for anyone who has sat in the balcony recently (in the past few weeks).  Was it hot up there?  I've sat in the Barrow Street balcony in the past (years ago) and remember it being very hot and uncomfortable -- has it improved?

 

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 3:54pm

Phillytheatreguy10 said: "To those who have seen it, how obstructed is the view in the balcony, what do you miss?"

It really depends on if you're in the first or second row (there are only 2 rows). I sat in the second/last row and honestly couldn't see much. I probably saw about half the show. Granted, this was 1.0, but I doubt the new cast makes a difference in the balcony view. If I go back to see 2.0 (which I'd like to), I'm going to splurge and see it from the floor.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 4:05pm

I was in the very left, very back row up top and it wasn't very hot, but I also went towards the end of the first cast's run. 

I can't say I missed anything necessary to the plot, but if I'd never seen Sweeney before, I might've been confused.

[Nycat63]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 4:10pm

ChairinMain said: "I'm gonna give a shout out to Norm Lewis, who has not received a lot of love on this board - I absolutely loved his performance in this. He really takes the line "he seldom laughed but he often smiled" to heart - this was no grim, emotionless walking corpse, which is the way I have usually seen Sweeney played, but a man with wit, passion and even sparks of humanity. He was the first Sweeney I've seen in a long time that wasn't just steamrolled by the presense of his (fantastic) Mrs. Lovett. The show felt like his story, which it often doesn't. And also, the friendliest man I have ever met at a stage door. 

 

"I second all of this!  Saw it Sunday night and loved every minute.  Yes, Carolee is the standout - born for the role - but I also thought Norm was plenty menacing.  And as for friendly, I cannot agree more.  He was first to come out, took so much time with everyone, offered to take pictures if you were too shy to ask, and was the last to leave the lobby long after the other actors had left.  Nicest man in theater at least that I've encountered.  

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 4:13pm

It's now been over two months since I saw Carolee as Lovett and I still think about her performance often. She was truly perfection.

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 6/21/17 at 11:25am

Where is the stage door here?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/21/17 at 11:38am

Can't speak to the heat, but the front row of balcony is fine, you miss a few tiny things, but you get it.  Most of the second row in the balcony seems to stand.  (didn't hear anyone complaining though!)

 

If I remember correctly, the actors simply come through the lobby.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/21/17 at 11:46am

If you're willing to splurge on a ticket, I completely recommend row G, which is the first row of counter seats directly behind the tables. The view was AMAZING, and seemed to provide a better view than many of the table seats. Also, you still get some audience interaction, but not nearly as much as those at the tables. I will definitely choose Row G again if I make a return trip to the show. 

Updated On: 6/21/17 at 11:46 AM

[Nycat63]

Posted: 6/21/17 at 12:52pm

Phillytheatreguy10 said: "Where is the stage door here?

 

"There is no stage door - wait in the lobby after the show and the actors come out and chat and sign.  Norm Lewis was the best.  And there's no mob unlike many stagedoors so it was very pleasant.  

 

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 6/21/17 at 3:59pm

A note re: seating - if you want a lot of audience interaction, choose a seat at the end of tables B, C or D. Table C, especially, is right in the center of things and you will absolutely be screamed at, sung at, or assaulted by Norm Lewis. Which, as far as I'm concern, is worth the price of the ticket alone.