Attend the tale...

[fancycwabs]

Sweeney Todd had its preview night last night, and everybodys mothers and sycophantic friends who got free tickets said it was a great show. I'm a little too close to it to offer an objective opinion, but there are a couple of things worth sharing:

• The chorus--especially the ladies--is tight. I've NEVER gotten the musical chills at a Theatre Memphis show before (and they've put on shows where by rights I should have), and there are no fewer than three places where I'm all like, "DAMN, what was that?"


• There are moments in the show that you may not have ever heard or seen before--particularly a moment at the end that both telegraphs the big plot twist and heightens the sense of tragedy; so even if an audience member's memorized both cast albums from the original production and the revival, they'll have a (slightly) different emotional experience here.


• It goes without saying, but if you've only seen the Tim Burton movie, you've never seen the show. I can't speak for everyone in the cast, but honestly I'd just as soon forget that the Burton movie ever existed--perhaps we could call it "non-canon" or something, like it was bad Sweeney Todd fanfic.


• I'm holding all of my long notes to the very end.

So, everyone buy a ticket to Memphis and come see.

Comments

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

I'll ask if we can, but it would probably be cheaper to just fly you to Memphis than to fly the whole cast and crew to LA. Maybe we could all pitch in and get you a plane ticket.

But I think you already know the plot twist in Sweeney Todd; it's not the twist itself, but how that information is conveyed that's changed by the inclusion of an extra song.

[redtheblue.livejournal.com]

I'm coming to see this if I have to hurt my life to do it!

It's IsMa!!

[(Anonymous)]

Congrats on preview night!

I think I know wherefore you speak of with the telegraphing plot twist. I had never seen/heard it before until I did the show meself... I have no idea why it was cut from all the other productions I'd seen.

I like the idea of Burton's movie as fanfic. Up until the credits rolled I was spluttering every five minutes "where is the chorus?? where the hell is the ensemble?? seriously, where the freaking hell??"

Re: It's IsMa!!

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

From people in the cast who'd seen the original production, the phrase "hey, sir, don't I know you?" conveyed the information to the audience REALLY effectively. It's a shame, because using the same music as the rape to sing the most tender lullaby is a gorgeous juxtaposition, even if it ends up being heavy-handed. Also, our beggar woman pulls the breakdown off magnificently.

Re: It's IsMa!!

[(Anonymous)]

It makes me very happy to hear you've got a good beggar woman... I am so grateful to directors who know how key that role is. And I think that's gotta be such a satisfying role to an actor, and when it's done heartbreakingly well (even if you know it's coming) it just so delicious... I'd love to tackle it someday (you know, if I don't get to do Lovett instead).