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Decent Quality Since 1847

Stephen Sondheim's Mrs. Lovett

9/28/2014

6 Comments

 
I thought the Live from Lincoln Center production of Sweeney Todd was quite good.  I do think the show is served better than many shows with a full production, rather than concert staging, since it helps enforce the imposing sensibility, particularly with the barber chair, the bodies sliding to the basement and the furnace.  But they did a very good job under the condition.  (I particularly loved how they had Bryn Terfel as Sweeney slam down his script during the opening, and then glaring at the others as a challenge that they do the same, which they did.)

I think Terfel was wonderful.  As I mentioned, I'd seen him do the role previously with the Chicago Lyric Opera, and it was clear how well-versed he was with the show.  And Emma Thompson was terrific, returning to her stage musical roots.  She sang very well, though notably better in the lower register.  But it confirmed what I wrote before how the role calls more for a comic actress than a great singer.  Her interpretation of the role was more grounded than crazed, which is hope Angela Lansbury did it in the original.  I think I prefer the latter, it's less realistic but more believable.  But again, Emma Thompson was wonderful.  (I've also seen Patti Lupone do the show at the Ravinia Music Festival, with George Hearn starring as Sweeney, the role he replaced on Broadway.  That production at Ravinia was semi-staged.)

My only complaint has nothing to do with the show itself.  It's the pre-introduction with Kristin Chenoweth.  (They did a full introduction of the show after, with Audra MacDonald.)  At the end of Ms. Chenoweth's comments, she welcomed us to watch Sweeney Todd and then added with enthusiasm, "starring Oscar-winner Emma Thompson!"  and that was it.  Period.  The end.  No mention of...er, Bryn Terfel.  The man who plays the freaking title role.  Sweeney Todd.  That's the show's name, y'know, Sweeney Todd:  The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."  And the first words sung are, "Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd."  That guy.  Sweeney Todd.

You can't miss him.  He's the one with the knife.  Killing everyone.  On stage most of the time.
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I'm not sure who's to blame for it.  I don't know if someone wrote Kristen Chenoweth's comments.  I don't know if she wrote her own words.  I don't know what the director was listening to, and what the producer thinking.  But if someone wrote it, they're at fault for an egregious oversight that can't be blamed on an oversight because it would have been prepared in advance.  And she's at fault, as an actress, for knowing very well about credit and who's starring and what the name of the show is.  And the director is at fault for letting this go through.  And the producer is at fault for putting it on the air, uncorrected.

It was so oddly egregious that I couldn't believe that they actually left his name out.  So, afterwards, I went back to the very start, since I had recorded the broadcast.  And it's just not there.  Watch Sweeney Todd starring Oscar-winner Emma Thompson.

Really, you don't want to piss Sweeney Todd off...

If you missed it, here's the entire thing.  The full production and even Audra MacDonald's introduction.  Everything.  Except, happily, Kristen Chenoweth's pre-amble.
6 Comments
Douglass Abramson
9/28/2014 04:17:04 am

Since Chenoweth is hosting the entire Fall Festival of the Arts, I think that they only give her the most accessible information for American audiences. Americans watching PBS know who Emma Thompson is. They most likely don't know who Bryn Terfel is unless they've seen him in person or watched a BBC Proms he appeared in. I only knew who he was because I'd watched a Proms celebrating Sondheim's 80th birthday. That being said, I agree that he should have been included.

I thought the show itself was a fine production and I enjoyed it very much. Two thoughts though; I found it interesting that Audra McDonald took such a small role, though she was obviously enjoying herself. I was very impressed with Kyle Brenn's Toby. Its a role that can become annoying with the wrong actor. He managed to make Toby very likeable, transitioning to tragic by the end of the character's arc. I think that we'll see great things from him in the future.

Reply
Robert Elisberg
9/28/2014 10:17:14 am

I'm sorry, but alas I can't agree here. First of all, a great many people who watch PBS absolutely *do* know who Bryn Terfel is, without any question in my mind. He's a HUGE opera star and is on PBS all the time, and has been for years. I'm even certain that there were a whole lot of people tuning in specifically to see *him* -- and him alone. And second, even if that wasn't the case, even if he was completely unknown...he's the star of the show, the title character. When the actual credits came on, his name was first. You mention him. It was an an egregious, and thoughtless mistake in judgment.

Reply
Douglass Abramson
9/28/2014 11:47:33 am

I agree that you should mention the person performing the title role. I was just providing the only rationale that I could come up with to explain the first introduction. Bryn Terfel is another matter. While many PBS viewers might have known him from opera telecasts; many PBS viewers don't watch their opera programs, or the history documentaries, etc. I think we might need to agree to disagree on his name recognition.

Reply
Robert Elisberg
9/29/2014 01:54:00 am

Douglass, I can assure with almost near-certainty that if SO few PBS viewers knew who Bryn Terfel was to the degree that he didn't have to be mentioned, then he would never have been hired to star in the production. He's a huge opera star and a major name to PBS.

I understand that you are trying to come up with some rationale. But
even if they felt no one knew who he was, there's still no reason *not* to mention him. You mention the star. At this point, it's all guesswork. I have no idea what their rationale was for not mentioning him. For all I know, it may have been something that Kristin Chenoweth just winged, and somehow no one caught the omission. Or they rushed to film it at the very last minute, and somehow no one caught the omission. In fact, for all I know, they're mortified at the omission. I *think* they knew what they were doing, but it's such a poor omission that I don't have a clue what happened.

This isn't a huge deal. His name was first in the actual credits. They don't even include this "pre-intro" in the online video. (For all I know, this is why...) And the omission is gone forever, when they release the DVD, his name will be first on the cover and first on the actual video. It was just something very stupid and (to me) inexplicable. There's no need to agree to disagree about it. We don't agree. I'm fine with disagreement.

Michael Dare link
9/28/2014 11:20:11 am

You had to go and mention the one song left out of the movie. Looking forward to Tim Burton's production of Oklahoma that leaves out the song Oklahoma.

Reply
Douglass Abramson
9/28/2014 11:39:58 am

The Ballad of Sweeney Todd is one of my favorites from the show too; but Sondheim went out of his way, when the movie was released, to point out that all casting and alterations to the music had to be approved by him. Even Burton's girlfriend had to audition her singing for Sondheim. I still don't agree with cutting the song, but I find it hard to blame Burton when the lyricist/composer OK'd the cut.

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    Author

    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.



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