Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Broadway) (Snap Case)
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Movie Reviews of Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Broadway) (Snap Case)
Movie Review: Greatest show ever
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw Sweeney on Broadway in 1979 with the original cast, not once but twice. I was in NY for a week and went to a mid-week matinee, but Lansbury was not in the show. I bought Friday evening tickets just because the show was so spectacular and I wanted to see it again, but I could tell there was an element missing from this matinee show, a slight lack of energy, a "run-through" feel. (The actress that understudied Angela was known at the time for some commercial work - always had a gingham apron on and was selling some baking product.)
Well, Angela was back on Friday, and I can tell you that that show was the singular most thrilling time I have ever had in the theater. Len Cariou, Angela, and Victor Garber in the original roles were stellar, and the whole show was a different experience with Angela back. Thrilling, scary, disturbing, and well, Sondheim!, what more can I say. (I also Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin in Evita that week, so it was up against stiff competition! Patti is the star of the concert version of Sweeney done a couple of years ago, but for me Angela is the only Mrs. Lovett.)
Ok, so this DVD version has Len Cariou replaced by George Hearn, which is for me a bummer because Len IS Sweeney Todd. George does not disgrace the role however and is an incredible singer - I was so happy to see him win the Tony for La Cage. And Victor is gone, but ably replaced by Cris Groenendaal, though a little more "ingenue" than to my taste. BUT, if you haven't experienced the original stage production with that spine chilling factory whistle and the actors rising from the depths(!!!) to perform and the incredible central revolving stage, then you must see this touring version for MOST of all that.
I love Sondheim, and I thank him daily for his great work, none more ably realized than in his eight-Tony Award winning Sweeney Todd. Get this DVD!
Movie Review: Classic, Wonderful
Summary: 5 Stars
So if you have seen the latest interpretation of "Sweeney Todd" on film, run don't wait to see this version. The singing is spectacular as is the acting. It definitely has a dated look and is theater, so the blood does not fly and their are no rushing crane shots overlooking morose London. But here you get the full show, the entire story. Especially worth viewing is the actress playing Johanna. Here her glorious soprano hits every note with perfection. And we get to see her entire character's arc most of which was cut from the Tim Burton film. The humor in the script is also expressed much more in this production than the film. And the two leads are absolute perfection. It is a true masterpiece. Movie Review: SW gives a new meaning to meat pot pies
Summary: 5 Stars
Angela Lansbury.....George Hearn. Live, filmed on stage as it happened.
SWEENEY TODD. Need I say any more??? Rent it. Own it. Be in it, or stage
manage this musical---it is one terrific show! Its Broadway at its best, and most challenging. Teri
Movie Review: EL DIABOLICO BARBERO DE LA CALLE DEL INFIERNO
Summary: 5 Stars
En Mexico se represento en el teatro Insurgentes, no el musical. Pero siempre tuve muchisima curiosidad por conocer la historia, estuve tentado varias veces a comprar este DVD, pues conozco algunas obras de Sondheim, incluyendo la excelente y extra?a (mas que Sweeney Todd) ASESINOS. Despues de ver la pelicula de Burton, no podia dejar en pensar en el material original, y valla que es toda una joya, complemento ideal para los fans de los musicales americanos, ademas este DVD contiene subtitulos en espa?ol, lo que lo hace muy acsesible.
Las actuaciones son estupendas, Angela Lansbury es increible. La calidad vocal de todo el elenco es maravillosa. Debo admitir que la version en cine es absolutamente estupenda, el estilo de Tim burton realzo muchisimo la historia, pero la obra de teatro contiene mas temas y mas desarrollo de algunos personajes en especial de Joanna (que en lo personal,me parece un poco sobre actuada, pero es humor negro.
Un titulo indispensable junto con Into the Woods, para los amantes del buen teatro musical.
Movie Review: Meh at first.......Meh at last
Summary: 3 Stars
When I first saw this production, I was not prepared for the dark savagery behind the story. The "chorus" was distracting, and I found absolutely no hummable tunes to carry me away.
Fast forward much longer than I care to mention, and I saw the 2007 Theatrical version with my daughter, and the "power" of Sweeney Todd rested firmly on a much more mature individual.
The tragedy of the story was almost too intense to bear, and the light hearted breaks, such as "A Little Priest" and "By The Sea" seem to save the audience from immediately walking into the Bake Oven on their own volition.
And then the "twist". The one I had forgotten about. It was just almost too much to bear.
With this in mind, I decided to re-watch this production with new eyes. I now had an appreciation of the music, and therfore was prepared to be Wowed all over again. After all, movie musicals can NEVER capture the magic of the stage. Right????
Wrong. I felt the additional light heartedness displayed by Lansbury and Hearn were just disturbingly out of place. Johanna, was particularly disturbing to me in this production and almost cringe-worthy compared to the wistful perfection of the screen version.
And the mentally deficient Tobias orignally written does not compare to the street wise urchin that inhabits the movie.
In fact, after watching the movie, I was even more underwhelmed by this production than when I first watched it.
The only thing I can say that was really outstanding about this version, is that the vocals are much clearer so you can more easily understand the various "puns" thrown out during the musical numbers. I also appreciated the additional scenes between Anthony and Johanna, which shows a true affection between the two.
But for emotional impact, the stage version still pales. And Tobias' insane blathering at the end about making sure to grind them three times is anti climatic compared to the closing scene of the movie where we fade out on the two souls, forever embraced in death.
This is indeed a rare occasion where I nearly love everything about the movie better than the stage show. And while the singing is more spot on in this version, the characterizations, I feel, in the film are much better.
For a musical lover, this is a fine production, and any "techie" will appreciate just how grandly this show was staged. However, beyond that, for pure emotional impact, the movie blows this version away, hands down.