Post by jackjackjack on Mar 2, 2007 2:48:47 GMT 11
Attend the tale of me seeing Sweeney Todd, 
There was no way I was going to let them make a movie of Sweeney Todd with Helena Bonham Carter before I got the chance to see a real version on stage, so I flew up to Sydney and checked it out.
The prologue is of course a great musical moment, and part way through I became consious that half my body was practically gyrating with the energy of it.
After that I was much more restrained in my enjoyment.
I have in my head the DVD of the original touring company of Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury and George Hearn, with sets slightly scaled back from Broadway, but I can't imagine the original Broadway sets were any match for this. A two storey rotating set which convincingly passed for seven different locations, and got out of the way when space was needed on the stage. It also had the quality of detail of a set that does most of the work of suspending disbelief for you. One down side is that the chair had a habit of rotating at inappropriate times, which could be distracting.
The performances were hard to find fault with. Some Americans off the QEII I overheard at interval said that they had trouble understanding it. I like to think that's cos we have more practice listening to their accents than the other way round, but I'm a bad judge cos I knew the words anyway. Of course, nobody ever understood a word of "Kiss Me", and this production was no different.
"The Worst Pies in London" was slowed down from every other version I've seen, which probably helped with comprehension but took away a little from the franticness that I think fits.
Peter Coleman-Wright was a great Sweeney Todd. "By the Sea" is often critisized for being a pointless song. I don't think it could be in this production. The responces of Coleman-Wright during this song gave a huge insight into his relationship with Mrs Lovett. It was a masterclass in eye-rolling. And of course the transition from "Epihany" to "A Little Priest" is a huge acting challenge for anyone.
And being in a theatre with hundreds of people who didn't know the ending, I was able to appreciate the deft timing of Sweeney dancing Mrs Lovett over to the oven, which hadn't been opened up until then, and opening it and shoving her in in the shortest of moments. The collective gasp was great.
Anyway, Opera Australia may charge a little more than the average production, but in this case I consider it money well spent.
James
There was no way I was going to let them make a movie of Sweeney Todd with Helena Bonham Carter before I got the chance to see a real version on stage, so I flew up to Sydney and checked it out.
The prologue is of course a great musical moment, and part way through I became consious that half my body was practically gyrating with the energy of it.
After that I was much more restrained in my enjoyment.I have in my head the DVD of the original touring company of Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury and George Hearn, with sets slightly scaled back from Broadway, but I can't imagine the original Broadway sets were any match for this. A two storey rotating set which convincingly passed for seven different locations, and got out of the way when space was needed on the stage. It also had the quality of detail of a set that does most of the work of suspending disbelief for you. One down side is that the chair had a habit of rotating at inappropriate times, which could be distracting.
The performances were hard to find fault with. Some Americans off the QEII I overheard at interval said that they had trouble understanding it. I like to think that's cos we have more practice listening to their accents than the other way round, but I'm a bad judge cos I knew the words anyway. Of course, nobody ever understood a word of "Kiss Me", and this production was no different.
"The Worst Pies in London" was slowed down from every other version I've seen, which probably helped with comprehension but took away a little from the franticness that I think fits.
Peter Coleman-Wright was a great Sweeney Todd. "By the Sea" is often critisized for being a pointless song. I don't think it could be in this production. The responces of Coleman-Wright during this song gave a huge insight into his relationship with Mrs Lovett. It was a masterclass in eye-rolling. And of course the transition from "Epihany" to "A Little Priest" is a huge acting challenge for anyone.
And being in a theatre with hundreds of people who didn't know the ending, I was able to appreciate the deft timing of Sweeney dancing Mrs Lovett over to the oven, which hadn't been opened up until then, and opening it and shoving her in in the shortest of moments. The collective gasp was great.
Anyway, Opera Australia may charge a little more than the average production, but in this case I consider it money well spent.
James