I think it all depends on the performance.
I always thought "A Little Priest" did wonders for the character of Sweeney Todd--it lightened him up, it showed us his intelligence and humor, it showed us why Mrs. Lovett might love him and it developed chemistry between them that made the end of the show more emotionally impactful.
Then I saw the movie, and Johnny Depp's joyless performance of "A Little Priest" did none of those things. It made no sense to me whatsoever. They're playing a game, which implies fun, but Sweeney's not even smiling.
So, to (try to) answer your question, I think the song "Penny in My Pocket" can give an actor a chance to give Horace some additional dimension, but the song won't do it for him automatically. Without the song, there are few other chances to accomplish that in the show. So it serves a useful purpose (on paper, at least) and makes a case for itself as part of the score.
"Does the song really rescue him?" Whether talking about "Penny in My Pocket" or "A Little Priest," my answer is no--the performance does (or doesn't). |
