TONY Performances That Were Altered or Changed from their Original Form

I mean, basically anything that was done at either Circle in the Square or the Beaumont has had to at least slightly change their staging for the Tonys (from thrust to proscenium). So while they mostly use a variation of their original staging, it's still definitely different and sometimes comes off as a little choppy and not a great representation of the show.

As far as other shows that just decided to completely restage numbers, if I'm not mistaken, similar to Contact, Movin' Out pulled steps from a variety of numbers in the show, rechoreographing their number with them. I'm sure there are other examples, but that's the only other one I can think of now.

^^ That same year, the revival of The Color Purple performed “Mysterious Ways” but it featured Heather Headley and Danielle Brooks. They weren’t in the number every night during the show, but for Tony purposes you wanna show off the stars I guess? I thought it was a strange set-up for “I’m Here,” but I still really enjoyed it. Can’t beat those voices.

NameGreg said: "For the original production of Sweeney Todd they had Angela Lansbury perform Worst Pies in London, and Len Cariou didn’t appear as Sweeney. Instead they just had some random ensemble member take his place.

Maybe Cariou didn’t want to get into hair and makeup and all that to just sit there doing nothing, I’m not sure though."

I don't know if anything was ever officially confirmed about this, but rumor has always been that he was offended when the producers asked Lansbury to perform her number on the telecast instead of one of his and refused to just be on stage supporting her (which further led to his unhappiness in the show and refusing to do the tour and leaving as soon as his one-year contract was up on Broadway). And given some of his theatrics in recent years (see the whole Harry Townsend's Last Stand controversy), this seems very apropos for him.

Does anyone know why Kristen Chenoweth didn't sing the final "I hope you're happy..." at the end of the "Defying Gravity" performance at the Tonys? It always struck me as odd that she didn't.

Updated On: 3/30/21 at 12:32 PM

The cast of The Rocky Horror Show performed "Time Warp" (ridiculously pedantic side-note: the song is only called "The Time Warp" on the soundtrack album) with Frank right in the middle of it, though he is not part of the number in the show.

joevitus said: "Broadway61004 said: "NameGreg said: "For the original production of Sweeney Todd they had Angela Lansbury perform Worst Pies in London, and Len Cariou didn’t appear as Sweeney. Instead they just had some random ensemble member take his place.

Maybe Cariou didn’t want to get into hair and makeup and all that to just sit there doing nothing, I’m not sure though."

I don't know if anything was ever officially confirmed about this, but rumor has always been that he was offended when the producers asked Lansbury to perform her number on the telecast instead of one of his and refused to just be on stage supporting her (which further led to his unhappiness in the show and refusing to do the tour and leaving as soon as his one-year contract was up on Broadway). And given some of his theatrics in recent years (see the whole Harry Townsend's Last Stand controversy), this seems very apropos for him."

Honestly, if true, I get it, and don't blame him. The show is called Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Choosing a number in which he doesn't perform at all is pretty messed up. But then, I actually think a fault of the show is that, as the evening goes on, it becomes Mrs. Lovett's show more than his. Indeed, at the penultimate moment, as he's crying over what he finally realizes is Lucy, and is singling softly to her, the focus is entirely stolen by Mrs. Lovett's frantic singing in counterpoint,trying to win him back.

That the focus was shiftedisn't surprising. Musicals are almost always centered around leading ladies, not leading men, and Lansbury was--is--a big, big star. Still. It's amoment of crucial importancein the man's lifeIt's a final twisting of the screw, a further mind-shattering evolution (devolution?),as significant for him andhis mental collapseas theEpiphany, if played very differently. And it isvery beautiful. And effectively lost because all the focus is taken away from him by Mrs. Lovett."

I feel that theater is an ensemble piece, one in which we all have to support one another. It seems kind of diva like for him to not want to perform on The telecast just because Lansbury was being showcased and not him. I think he should have done it just to show support for his fellow cast members and the show. IDK

That said, I really do get why he wouldn't want to do it, being that it will require him to basically be a background character, after getting all made up (hair and makeup)

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Updated On: 3/31/21 at 02:57 AM

I enjoyed the ASPECTS OF LOVE presentation for the TONYs, where the number unfolded the basic storyline and characters concerned while using the show's signature number LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING! I had seen the show both in London and Broadway and even in the transfer to Broadway, some changes were effected.

Another show which changed some aspects of the presentation for purposes of the TONYs was THE BOY FROM OZ, with Hugh Jackman. The main difference was putting together two separate songs in one number including the choreography. Bicoastal and Not The Boy Next Door were meshed in....and Hugh improvised further when he called on Sarah Jane Parker to join him in entertaining the RCMHall audience!

The extraordinary presentation at the TONYs of ASPECTS OF LOVE.

I wonder if Trevor Nunn also visualized the changes for the TONYs?

joevitus said: "Honestly, if true, I get it, and don't blame him. The show is called Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Choosing a number in which he doesn't perform at all is pretty messed up. But then, I actually think a fault of the show is that, as the evening goes on, it becomes Mrs. Lovett's show more than his. Indeed, at the penultimate moment, as he's crying over what he finally realizes is Lucy, and is singling softly to her, the focus is entirely stolen by Mrs. Lovett's frantic singing in counterpoint,trying to win him back.

That the focus was shiftedisn't surprising. Musicals are almost always centered around leading ladies, not leading men, and Lansbury was--is--a big, big star. Still. It's amoment of crucial importancein the man's lifeIt's a final twisting of the screw, a further mind-shattering evolution (devolution?),as significant for him andhis mental collapseas theEpiphany, if played very differently. And it isvery beautiful. And effectively lost because all the focus is taken away from him by Mrs. Lovett."

I agree that's always been an issue with Sweeney Todd, that too much of the focus becomes about Mrs. Lovett. I don't know enough about the development of the show to say whether that was always the intention or if it became that way once Lansbury was attached (ala Secret Garden suddenly featuring Archie more and more as soon as Patinkin was cast), but either way, as great as the character is (and as great as Lansbury was), it's the one major flaw in the show in my opinion.

With that said, while I get being disappointed, I still feel once you've signed on to do that production and have been running in it and are about to win a Tony for it, you suck it up and do what's right for the show and help support your co-star on the Tonys. Deciding to leave the show because you're unhappy is one thing, but once you've said "I'm here for it", you need to totally be there for it, even if that means being in more of a supporting role for a performance.

Personally I don’t agree that Lovett steals the focus of Sweeney Todd. While she’s a co-lead, Todd is still clearly the central figure and has more to do. That climactic moment is just as much his, especially because he’s still onstage afterwards to do more, while she exits.

Anyway, I don’t blame Cariou if he was upset. He’s the main character of the show, it’s pretty rude to totally shove him to the side in favor of the bigger name. The show was already a huge hit before it swept the Tonys I believe, so it’s not like they had to center the performance all around Lansbury to sell tickets.

I haven’t seen the first revival’s Tony performance, but I don’t think the original or most recent Tony performance medley for Sweeney got it right.If it were up to me, I’d say showcase both leads (but primarily the main protagonist) with My Friends, then go into the whole “swing your raiser high Sweeney” and finish with the end of the first ballad. The fact that My Friends goes immediately into a ballad reprise would make this transition pretty simple I imagine.

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i thought the question was about Tony performances that had to be changed from what was originally planned and Nine came to mind because they weren’t allowed to do A Call from the Vatican due to the costume and the suggestiveness of the material so they changed it to Be Italian

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ggersten said: "I've read on this board that Lansbury lip-synched Worst Pies in London. I don't know if that was a factor in Carriou's attitude reported on this thread. Either because he was unhappy to beasked to be part of a number that wasn't live - or perhaps, he was asked to lipsynch to a different number and said "no." I guess A Little Priest was considered too risque for the time....

"

To be fair, A Little Priest is a long, slow moving number. It would need to be cut up a bit and while an excellent number, it’s not the best showcase to sell the show.

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