Sweeney Todd - Reviews from those of us who have seen it

You start us off!

I largely agree. I really loved John Doyle's chamber version, but hearing that score played by that orchestra . . . When they hit the first "Swing your razor wide" I thought every hair was going to come off my head.

I think as opera singers go, Terfel is a fine actor. And if he weren't paired with one of our most gifted actors, he'd doubtless seem even better. I can't say he found many layers or hidden depths to Sweeney, but he certainly hit all the emotional and dramatic marks, and I don't know that I've ever heard the part better sung (though I've always thought that if God sings, he'd sound like Len Cariou).

The rest of the cast was top notch. I often find the Beggar Woman really annoying (while acknowledging that she's kind of written that way), but Audra never was. I can't picture a better Beggar Woman.

My only quibble was the Beadle; he seemed wrong vocally, though he acted it just fine. But I felt the score lay in an uncomfortable place for him.

I liked the three young 'uns a lot. All pretty perfect.

Speaking of pretty perfect . . . As I said elsewhere, Emma Thompson was both the funniest and the saddest Mrs. Lovett I've seen. She seemed to have been beaten up by life--but never beaten! She laughs off hurts and clowns through tough spots and keeps going. Like many of us, I pretty much know this show backward and forward, but Thompson kept coming up with line readings that I never saw coming. I guess she's a mezzo, and a fairly powerful one, but as you say her top notes were a bit careful. I actually thought she could have put a little more power behind the high bits and been just fine, but with X amount of rehearsal and Y number of performances, she probably was following a wise course. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if the audience at her final performance didn't get an earful. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing her work up close when it's televised.

And kudos to Lonny Price: same piece, same orchestra, and a totally different "Sweeney" than he gave us before. There were many clever touches, both large and small.

All in all a spectacular evening.

Updated On: 3/7/14 at 11:01 AM

Enough good words cannot be said about Thompson. I didn't mind her upper notes...it was simply the negotiation between head and chest that needs a bit of work. But it certainly didn't mar anything. She was, in short, brilliant. I've now seen two of today's best British actresses (and really, I should just drop the word 'British') take on Lovett: Staunton and Thompson. Both were wonderful, and yet entirely different. The role is simply one of the best ever written for a singing actress, and I will never tire of the different Mrs. Lovett's in the world.

I agree with Reg on both Terfel's acting and Blumenkrantz's vocal limitation. You really kind of need a trick voice to pull off The Beadle. I also felt the same about Borle's high notes as Pirelli, but generally thought he was terrific. Mackey sang it beautifully...BEAUTIFULLY. And Audra is simply the gift that will never stop giving. She hurtles herself headfirst into the Beggar Woman and it's awesome.

I kinda want to have sexay times with Philip Quast. Stop judging bitches...it's just a daddy fantasy.

The only quibble I have with the staging is that I wish the concept of the opening carried through. The V for Vendetta-esque use of the bloody palm was really arresting, and I would like to see the idea of vigilante as folk hero explored with this piece.

And, as someone else said last night, how lovely to see an age-appropriate Anthony who still has his original face!

Oh...and if the adorable bearded, ginge-ish tenor from the ensemble is reading this, I could make you very, very, very happy. For one night or for life...your choice.

For those who have seen it, can you list the ensemble members. I've checked the NYPhil sight and tried googl'ing, but there does not seem to be a cast list.

From last night's Playbill

Anthony Hope - Jay Armstrong Johnson
The Beadle - Jeff Blumenkrantz
Pirelli - Christian Borle
Tobias Ragg - Kyle Brenn
Johanna - Erin Mackey
Judge Turpin - Philip Quast
Sweeney Todd - Bryn Terfel
Mrs. Lovett - Emma Thompson
Beggar Woman - ?

Ensemble:
Jill Abromovitz
Colin Anderson
Ryan Andes
George Lee Andrews
Allison Blackwell
Bradley Dean
Gina Ferrall
Jason Lee Garrett
Molly Gordon
Joy Hermalyn
Siri Howard
Jamie Jackson
Isaac James
Andrea Jones-Sojola
Eddie Korbich
Megan Loughran
Tiffany Mann
Michael McCoy
Justin Lee Miller
JC Montgomery
Karen Murphy
Jacqueline Petroccia
Patricia Phillips
Ashley Robinson
Amy Rogers
Jaime Rosenstein
Michael Seelbach
Ron Sharpe
Sam Tedaldi

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Have they given an explication as to why Audra wasn't announced and why she's not performing on Saturday?

I believe I "get" what Terfel brings to the table as Sweeney. I also "get" what he doesn't.

I completely agree.

Something that hasn't been mentioned: Audra sang the Beggar Woman pretty bent over the entire time. Just as a feat of voice production, it was remarkable. (As was her entire performance.)

That is my favorite of your posts. Ever.

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And a final, wonderfully New York coda to the evening was the dude--as clever as that Girl Scout who set up her cookie wagon in front of the pot store in Colorado--playing the 'Sweeney Todd' score on his saxophone on the platform of the downtown 2/3 train after the show let out.

Thrilling...

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Updated On: 3/8/14 at 12:56 AM