elaine paige in sweeney todd

[mh]

Posted: 3/8/04 at 1:30pm

Saw Elaine in Sweeney Todd at the Lincoln Center on Saturday and have to say I was surprised just how good she was. Her singing and acting were both marvellous and the audience (most of them) responded to her performance very well. Although she got some of her words wrong (and having the lyrics of the libretto projected for the audience didn't help), she sang the role far better than I had expected. She was both funny and touching in the part, and her use of humour didn't seem at all forced.

The one thing that really annoyed me though was at the interval. I was sitting next to a table where three other audience members were seated. They were simply crucifying Elaine's performance - I don't mind this if that's what they think - but it was as though they were determined to hate Elaine even before they'd seen the show. Comments like 'I told you she wouldn't sing it very well' and 'I knew you'd think she was over-rated' (that's what one of them said to one of the others) really annoyed me. He was obviously a Patti Lupone fan, as he ranted about how marvellously funny she was in the role and he couldn't believe she wasn't playing the part instead of Elaine.

That spoilt my evening a bit. I have no objections to people voicing their opinions, but simply to rant about something (and not particularly quietly either) is simply not the way to behave, IMHO.

Elaine was great. I haven't read any reviews of the show yet, but the audience showed great appreciation for the performance on Saturday evening.

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 3/8/04 at 1:35pm

i, for one, can't WAIT to see Elaine in this role... I enjoyed Patti's performance (have it on DVD) and am awaiting the release of the Lansbury version on DVD as well...

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 3/8/04 at 1:59pm

Just a friendly FYI...There's another thread about this somewhere below where you'll find more reactions and reviews from those of us who've also seen it.

Posted: 3/8/04 at 2:55pm

Also, the projected texts are oftentimes wrong, which I noticed was the case on Friday's performance.

Posted: 3/8/04 at 3:05pm

sometimes those supertexts are murder on translations.
go see a opera by a russian artist or a slovakian and they ruin the words. it is like they did not even check it out before showing them on the screen.

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 3/8/04 at 4:26pm

But for those of us with less than perfect hearing, the supertext thing has been a god send...even if the precision is less than perfect.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/8/04 at 6:43pm

Floats n'I both saw Sunday (see "ST" thread), and both of us responded positively to the titles. I expected to hate them, but with a wordsmith like Mr. S., there are new treasures to explore. Or find. Even though I *thought* I knew the score intricately, I kept finding new jewels, like the Pirelli sequence, which I've never studied. The brilliance of the lyrics can't be overstated, and supertitles give us instant access. For the most part, they were beautifully timed, not blowing the joke set ups in "A Little Priest" was particularly tricky, but they allowed well-timed laughs.

By the way, "Sweeney" text scholars: Isn't there a new expanded piece for the Beggar Woman, late in act two, when she moves around the tonsorial parlor and (spoiler:) has memories? Unless I'm wrong, that material was incorporated first with the LuPone/Hearn concert text for the Philharmonic. But maybe it goes back to the NY City Opera first revival, when Judge Turpin's stunning act one aria was put back, cut in previews at the Gerswhin (nee Uris). Walter Charles does a wonderful job with it here, by the way.

[alterego]

Posted: 3/10/04 at 7:18am

I don't understand why they would use sur-titles in the first place? It is in English after all.

Posted: 3/10/04 at 10:43am

Auggie, I think it was always in the text. It's in the published libretto.... I want to say I saw it in the Lansbury/Hearn telecast, too, but it's been years (and several productions I've seen of the show) since I saw that.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/10/04 at 7:03pm

Thanks, Vicious. I'm still not sure if it was missing from the original performance, or abridged for the original recording.I remembered her entrance into the tonsorial parlor, but never as much music. So I checked the published libretto with the original B'way CD. It's much shorter, just the repetition of "Beadle/Deedle" material, but none of the extended lulabye to the lost child which I heard on Sunday, and which Audra did at the Philharmonic (and is in that published text). When I have time, I'll compare it to the video.