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August 21, 2005

Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd

His skin was pale and his eye was odd.
He shaved the faces of gentlemen,
Who never thereafter were heard of again,
Did Sweeney, Sweeney Todd....
...The Demon Barber of
Fleet
Street
And yaHOO buddy, Mrs. Lovett's (Patti Lupone!! WOO hoo! Bingley and I saw her in Evita) back on Broadway! One of my favorite Bingley/THS adventures was seeing the original, front row balcony ~ my hiding my eyes and him hooting as Sweeney (Len Cariou) slit another throat in the barber's chair. I always got them open in time to see the body slip down the chute to Mrs. Lovett's (The INCOMPARABLE Angela Lansbury) meat grinder.
UPDATE: Hmmm, not sure what to think about this...
Producers may be taking the hint. The 2005-6 Broadway season has exactly one commercial musical revival planned. And it is not a splashy enterprise: "Sweeney Todd," Stephen Sondheim's dark classic about a murderous barber. A slimmed-down, acclaimed British production starring Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris - both Broadway stars but not exactly bankable names - it features a cast of nine actors who all double as musicians, a creative choice that has the additional advantage of lowering the show's weekly running costs.

Posted by tree hugging sister at August 21, 2005 01:16 PM

Comments

That was a longgg time ago.

Mmmm, meat pies.

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at August 21, 2005 01:27 PM

Ooh, Angela with those wacky little pig-tails sticking out way up on the sides of her head. That was a long time ago - it was at the Uris,wasn't it?

Posted by: Suzette at August 21, 2005 04:06 PM

Hey ya Suzette! Welcome!

A long, long time ago. (I can still remember when the music used to make me smile...) Longer than I care to remember. But you're correct, it was the Uris (oh braVO, girl!) and the stage setting was spectacular. The schmeary make-up and with those pigtails of hers maniacally whacking about her noggin, she was the polar opposite of icy cool Sweeney.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at August 21, 2005 04:37 PM

Man. I love this show. My first experience was senior year of high school. My then girlfriend took me to see the show at our local community theater (http://www.saengeramusements.com/theatres/biloxi/saenger/bisaeng.htm)

Great times back then. Wish I had the abiltiy to get out and see shows more often.

Posted by: Cullen at August 21, 2005 06:45 PM

You guys are gonna crack up, but I still have the apron I bought that night in the lobby AND the program AND the T-shirt! The apron was the hoot of hoots ~ the show's logo, of course on the front but a barber's razor dripping blood in the front pocket with "Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies ~ The Best Pies in London" scripted behind it. That apron's been in every kitchen I've ever had.

The thing I best remember is the Broadway opening. (Thank you Suzette, for this remembrance) The two fellows digging on the front of the stage, the stage lowering as the hole got deeper, everyone emerging from the shadows singing, them throwing the body in and then BAM !! Sweeney popping up from the grave. Jeez louise, THAT was theater! On other productions I saw, even on the PBS broadcast of it, it was never done that way again.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at August 21, 2005 07:49 PM

Yes, that production trod a path that few have trod.

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at August 21, 2005 09:04 PM

I have this vision of a blogger field trip to see the Patti Lupone performance, and we're all decked out, Rocky Horror-style, in pig tails and aprons chanting "Fleet. Street." along with the actors.

Posted by: Suzette at August 21, 2005 09:27 PM

Wow, she's older now than Angela Lansbury was when she created the role.

And boy does that makes me feel old.

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at August 21, 2005 10:11 PM

Do you think they'd let us in with the cleavers, Suzette?

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at August 21, 2005 10:12 PM