Sweeney Todd PBS- Page 5

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 7:55am

the kid who played Toby and the guy who played Anthony were great



The guy who played Anthony (Jay Armstrong Johnson) also plays Chip in the current revival of On the Town.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 8:07am

Unwatchable. After Mr. Terfel's somnambulent performance as Todd and Thompson's shameless mugging, I never EVER want to hear anyone bitch about Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter again. Terfel NEVER ONCE conjured even a moment's sympathy for the character, and I was reminded of Tommy Wiseau in THE ROOM more than once. I kept expecting him to scream, "You're tearing me APART, Judge Turpin!"

Thompson seemed to think she was in some musical version of ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.

The only bearable performances were from the supporting cast, especially Christian Borle's Pirelli and McDonald's Beggar Woman. Interesting to see Judge Turpin's big flagellation song restored -- that actor should have been playing Todd.

Updated On: 9/27/14 at 08:07 AM

[HorseTears]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 8:15am

For some reason, when I got home this evening/morning, I thought a viewing of this concert couldn't wait until tomorrow. It could have waited. Adequate is the word I'd use to describe nearly every aspect of this production. Some unsolicited thoughts at 5 in the morning...


BRYN TERFEL - Based upon what little we had of his Sweeney on video (BBC Sondheim concert, for example), I had incredibly low expectations for his performance. I expected him to plant himself down center, bark his lines unintelligibly and barely acknowledge his co-stars. So, I was pleasantly surprised that his performance was considerably more interesting than that. Not great, but nowhere near the disaster I was expecting. However, I was even more surprised at how lacking I found his voice. When the songs called for ferocity and bombast, it felt that he was holding back so much (struggling?). His Epiphany was a mess and he seemed out of breath. It was actually on quieter vocal moments I thought he equipped himself well - the "Johanna" trio from Act II was gorgeous.

EMMA THOMPSON - Big disappointment for me. If you've seen Thompson's early comedy work, it's no surprise that she likes to mug and "play act", but I don't think she did any solid work until the second act. I thought her best work was during "God That's Good" and "Nothings Gonna Harm You". She was having a jolly time up there, though. Watching her performance was like watching your friend's kids at the playground. You know THEY'RE having fun. And, yes, I suppose that's okay singing for a movie star. Beyond the strain in head voice, I found her chest voice really unpleasant - she goes VERY Kermit The Frog.

BEADLE - Not sure I like the choice of The Beadle sounding so common, but perhaps I'm used to the more posh sounding prior versions. Disappointing vocal performance, too. I miss hearing The Beadle's voice pierce through in the quartet.

THE JUDGE / QUAST - Acting fine, but disappointed we didn't get someone with a deeper more resonant voice. Not only for his solo, but for "Pretty Women". Without the contrast of a basement deep Judge and Sweeney, "Pretty Women" sounded tepid.

PIRELLI / BORLE - Again, what is with casting actors who can't sing the parts? Is Borle seriously a big enough name to warrant this?

TANKTOP CHORUS GUY - Did he wander in from Musical Mondays at Splash?

ANTHONY / JOHANNA - Thought they were both lovely, though I do miss a slightly nuttier Johanna. I thought she played it too straight, but that's obviously Price's choice. Looking forward to seeing Armstrong in On the Town.

AUDRA - Perfect. I'd like to see her Lovett someday.

NY PHIL - I did not think this was particularly strong performance. They seemed disappointingly hesitant at times and were definitely holding back with some of the solos/duets to avoid overshadowing the... strained vocals. I thought the Phil sounded best during big group numbers like "God That's Good". All in all, I think the OBCR orchestra was far more dynamic and colorful.


Anyway, God bless George Hearn.





Updated On: 9/27/14 at 08:15 AM

[Gorlois]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 8:30am

I thought it was a wonderful production- especially Emma Thompson! Also loved Audra McDonald. The talent McDonald possesses is just extraordinary.

Very thankful we have PBS and programs like Live From Lincoln Center to share these experiences with those of us who don't live near the city or can't afford a ticket to these events.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 9:05am

Roscoe, I'm afraid you nailed it precisely. I was really looking forward to the showing and it was a MAJOR disappointment. WTF was Emma Thomson doing? So BROAD and so unbelievable. Were they going for Sweeney Tod, the musical cartoon?? And why was Lucy, Todd's wife in flashback is white? When the ultimate surprise in the show is that the beggar woman turns out to be Audra, colorblind casting cannot really work in this case.

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 10:00am

"Was alerted that the show is on the PBS website....for now."

According to that link, it seems like it will be online for three years, as it says: "Expires: 09/26/2017"?

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 10:03am

The Judge's "Johanna" has been restored for a while now. It was seen in the first Philharmonic concert with Hearn and Lupone, and in the Doyle revival.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 10:43am

I think some might be failing to consider that Thompson's performance was not calibrated for television but for Avery Fisher's 2,738 seat auditorium. I was there. Of course it's all subjective. But as for me, she was brilliant. Mugging runs the gamut from right on for the character and conception great clowning to misplaced amateurish incompetence. When it comes to Thompson's Lovett, I'm on team right on. I found her take on Lovett in exquisite balance with Terfel's Sweeney.


Updated On: 9/27/14 at 10:43 AM

[lovebwy]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 12:22pm

Knowing nothing about Terfel's background I wondered for a moment if he didn't know English and was singing the words phonetically, with the direction "just be angry". I know now that isn't true. I guess opera is just a different kind of discipline. I don't think he belongs in a musical.

I'm glad he dropped out of the 2001 version so we got to see Patti opposite George Hearn.

Updated On: 9/27/14 at 12:22 PM

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 12:54pm

I'd have preferred George Hearn and Bernadette Peters. Still would, in fact.

[lovebwy]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 1:09pm

LOL keep bangin' that Bernadette as Lovett drum! I'd love to see it happen and she'd be wonderful, I'm sure. It would certainly have to be a different take from what we've seen before.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 1:16pm

One problem is that Bernadette is horrific with accents. Patti's accent wasn't great in the concert, but she reinvented her interpretation and accent in the Doyle revival.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 1:40pm

So don't do an accent. It's a concert, for Christ's sake; that's the argument everyone's using for Johanna playing her mom even though she and Audra don't exactly look alike.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 1:42pm

Given the state of Bernadette's voice in the Follies revival, she should not play this role. Not to mention she's wrong for it in probably every other way possible.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 1:48pm

So you lower some keys. Again, a concert. These people are not wedded to the role for life.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 2:05pm

I think the decision for Emma Thompson to mug so broadly was because Terfel wasn't giving out a lot and if she didn't raise the energy, the show would have fallen flat.

[Sousaphun]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 2:06pm

The George/Patti recording is the best thing to ever happen to theatre.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 2:11pm

Changed keys or not, Bernadette is vocally wrong. The role should be sung by someone with a strong music hall voice, and Bernadette doesn't have that aspect to her voice. Not that I thought Thompson sang it beautifully, but at least her sound had the necessary bravado to put the songs over well.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 2:13pm

"The George/Patti recording is the best thing to ever happen to theatre."

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 2:16pm

"There won't be a dvd release???"

Nope. It's online but I doubt it will be there for very long. Similar to other LFLC productions.

This musical is not my favorite and that horrible movie almost made me not want to watch this. It was just alright for me. I wish Nathan Gunn was in the show though , as I have always loved his work.

Updated On: 9/28/14 at 02:16 PM

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 2:22pm

Nawww, this one is even better ....
Perfection

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 2:39pm

OH MY GOD THAT'S HILARIOUS!!!!

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 2:46pm

I think Goth is close to the mark on Thompson's overplaying -- she needed to do something to keep the energy going.

The argument about "It's Just A CONCERT" is fair, but only up to a point, I think. Surely they knew they were being recorded for television, and they should have done something to modulate their performances accordingly, and I'd expect a director with any sense to have seen to it. Such dreadful performances are just plain inexcusable.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 4:03pm

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 5:45pm

I half agree with Goth's take but only to this extent: Thompson's broad clown of a Lovett perfectly complemented Terfel. But this in no way disparages, for me, what either lead accomplished. i found his expressionistic victim-child of a Sweeney commanding, highly enjoyable and, best of all, frighteningly and appropriately monomaniac. She gave what she got from him and vice verse, but for me, what they both gave to each other and to this Sweeney Todd, bordered on genius.

Rory Kinnear's monster in Penny Dreadful reminds me very much of Terfel's Sweeney.



Updated On: 9/27/14 at 05:45 PM