| While it's not fair to blame Hearn entirely, and the context of the performance matters... it is not going to be considered by almost anyone. This is why these shows should be revisited and guided by the director when they are going to be filmed. This is THE record of the original Sweeney... it's a shame we have a coked-up Johanna "Green Finch" and an "arriving over-done" Sweeney... I was still mesmerized and in love, but there are more nuanced and stronger/deeper performances of Sweeney (the role) to be had and I wish that had been preserved on video for posterity. As wonderful as replacement performers often are... I'm always quite bummed when a show is finally taped for release to the world and it is not with that original cast who made the show, or it has been so long that their performances have loosened or lost things. I'm think of Sweeney, Piazza, and several others I'm sure. I wonder if Hal went to visit the Sweeney tour for a few performances before it was filmed and held a rehearsal or anything to brush them up to how he actually wants it. Maybe he did. Maybe Hearn, too, just isn't quite as good as Cariou. Who knows. |
