Issue 119
News/Review: Sweeney Todd: I Lovett!!
Earlier in the week, I went to the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago to see Sweeney Todd as part of a requirement to see two plays for a drama class I'm taking for school. I say front-row centre, by the way. I have known Sondheim's musical through four forms: First is the traditional version (see the original Cast album or the1982 television special with George Hearn), Second is The Concert Version (see the 2000 television special also with George Hearn), Third is the movie (starring Johnny Depp), and finally this version, where all the actors perform as the orchestra when not singing (represented only by a truncated cast album, alas, which omits a significant portion of the final sequence). I must say that David Hess' performance is somewhat lacking in Hearn's ability and Depp's intensity, and I was personally miffed that (unlike in the Broadway run of this fourth Version) the actor playing Sweeney did not play guitar. The real treat for this play was the actor who played Tobias (and the violin). The twist that this version added was that the play was told as a flashback by the visibly disturbed Edmund Bagnell, who seems to visibly remind me of a somewhat shorter Brad Dourif in his role as Billy Bibbit, although he even acts his part of a disturbed young boy even while accompanying on the violin, and I must say that the actress playing Pirelli (a male character, but one with a high range) was no match for Sascha Baron-Cohen in this version. All in all, I would recommend this play, and this version thereof. You can see it now or wait until this version is properly represented with a full cast album or yet another PBS special, or else there may even be a bootleg version flying around. I got the tie-in T-shirt (but not the tie-in Apron, though), in lieu of a recording and I hope to wear it frequently over the summer.
Band Name of the Day: The Sin Busters. Maybe there's some CCM Band who's probably taken the band name by now.
Film Idea of the Day: I Got Nothing.
Quote of the Day: "We Got a nice respectable business now!"
__________Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Link of the Day: Here's Some More Chick Dissections for ya.
Tract Review: Movin on Up. Jack creates what he may see as a child-oriented satire on Evolution, but to anybody who reads it with any knowledge whatsoever of evolution should know that most if not all of what Jack claims about the theory (That science knows or claims to know everything, evolution is a religion which promotes the idea of a "master race", or precludes the existence of a deity [outside of self-deification] or morality) is completely false. It's just a facet of Biology explaining the inheritance of traits and nothing more. The manufactured controversy over it is totally unnecessary.
Earlier in the week, I went to the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago to see Sweeney Todd as part of a requirement to see two plays for a drama class I'm taking for school. I say front-row centre, by the way. I have known Sondheim's musical through four forms: First is the traditional version (see the original Cast album or the1982 television special with George Hearn), Second is The Concert Version (see the 2000 television special also with George Hearn), Third is the movie (starring Johnny Depp), and finally this version, where all the actors perform as the orchestra when not singing (represented only by a truncated cast album, alas, which omits a significant portion of the final sequence). I must say that David Hess' performance is somewhat lacking in Hearn's ability and Depp's intensity, and I was personally miffed that (unlike in the Broadway run of this fourth Version) the actor playing Sweeney did not play guitar. The real treat for this play was the actor who played Tobias (and the violin). The twist that this version added was that the play was told as a flashback by the visibly disturbed Edmund Bagnell, who seems to visibly remind me of a somewhat shorter Brad Dourif in his role as Billy Bibbit, although he even acts his part of a disturbed young boy even while accompanying on the violin, and I must say that the actress playing Pirelli (a male character, but one with a high range) was no match for Sascha Baron-Cohen in this version. All in all, I would recommend this play, and this version thereof. You can see it now or wait until this version is properly represented with a full cast album or yet another PBS special, or else there may even be a bootleg version flying around. I got the tie-in T-shirt (but not the tie-in Apron, though), in lieu of a recording and I hope to wear it frequently over the summer.
Band Name of the Day: The Sin Busters. Maybe there's some CCM Band who's probably taken the band name by now.
Film Idea of the Day: I Got Nothing.
Quote of the Day: "We Got a nice respectable business now!"
__________Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Link of the Day: Here's Some More Chick Dissections for ya.
Tract Review: Movin on Up. Jack creates what he may see as a child-oriented satire on Evolution, but to anybody who reads it with any knowledge whatsoever of evolution should know that most if not all of what Jack claims about the theory (That science knows or claims to know everything, evolution is a religion which promotes the idea of a "master race", or precludes the existence of a deity [outside of self-deification] or morality) is completely false. It's just a facet of Biology explaining the inheritance of traits and nothing more. The manufactured controversy over it is totally unnecessary.
Labels: Music, Tract Reviews
posted by DerekAxe at 8:47 PM
2 Comments:
Educate yourself. Len Cariou was never in any screen version of Sweeney Todd. That was George Hearn.
Yes, you're right. Mea Culpa, I will rectify that fact Post haste. As it turned out, George Hearn was in both televised Sweeney Todds.
Post a Comment
<< Home