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| re: Could the original have run longer with bigger star replacements? | |
| Posted by: Snowysdad 07:04 am EDT 06/21/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Could the original have run longer with bigger star replacements? - AlanScott 10:05 pm EDT 06/20/18 | |
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| It is interesting to imagine possible cast choices had they accepted, but no one is tackling the real elephant in the room. Yes Sweeney is one of Sondheim's masterpieces, but it repulses a fair percentage of people, including die hard fans like me. I have and always will have limited tolerance for it. A few years ago two companies were doing Assassins and I ended up seeing both productions, a mere three weeks apart. I find, difficult as Assassins is, I doubt I would be willing to see Sweeney twice that close together. | |
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| re: Could the original have run longer with bigger star replacements? | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 04:31 pm EDT 06/21/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Could the original have run longer with bigger star replacements? - Snowysdad 07:04 am EDT 06/21/18 | |
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| "Yes Sweeney is one of Sondheim's masterpieces, but it repulses a fair percentage of people, including die hard fans like me. I have and always will have limited tolerance for it." I'm sure you're right that a "fair percentage" of people don't like the show, whether or not they're actually repulsed by it. But I have the impression that, over the years, SWEENEY TODD has become one of Sondheim's most popular shows as rated by the huge number of stage productions at every level, plus the fact that it's one of the few Sondheim shows to be made into a "major motion picture," not to mention two high-profile video productions (the original touring company and the concert version with LuPone, Hearn, and the San Francisco Symphony). I'm not counting WEST SIDE STORY or GYPSY, but among shows with both music and lyrics by Sondheim, it really does seem to me that SWEENEY is among the most popular, right up there with INTO THE WOODS and ....FORUM. |
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| re: Could the original have run longer with bigger star replacements? | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 06:30 pm EDT 06/24/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Could the original have run longer with bigger star replacements? - Michael_Portantiere 04:31 pm EDT 06/21/18 | |
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| I wouldn't be surprised if Sweeney is now generally getting more productions than Forum, which it seems some people find objectionable and basically unfunny nowadays. Which is very sad to me, since I totally love Forum, but it does need to be done very well, despite what Sondheim said long ago about it working in even high school productions. But I think there are people who would find even the most brilliant production of Forum coarse, sexist, misogynist and unfunny. (Truth is that it did not get universal raves even in 1962.) Of course, it is somewhat coarse, although in a sort of refined way (if that's possible), but I don't find it at all sexist and/or misogynist. And I sure find it funny, at least when it's done well. In fact, at the moment MTI lists 10 upcoming productions of Forum and 25 upcoming productions of Sweeney. |
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| re: Could the original have run longer with bigger star replacements? | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 08:08 pm EDT 06/24/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Could the original have run longer with bigger star replacements? - AlanScott 06:30 pm EDT 06/24/18 | |
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| I think the book is bawdy and the score is tuneful and witty... I think many people didn't find them to be the perfect match. I think the show as a whole is wonderful. But I don't think Sondheim's score is very coarse at all, maybe to a fault. Though clearly not since it was met with a lot of success when they combined the book and score. I don't know what people these days think, but I've always heard and agreed that the Forum book is one of the best musical books out there. |
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