| re: Mrs. Lovett or Sweeney: which is the bigger role? (spoiler) | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 06:38 pm EST 03/04/24 | |
| In reply to: re: Mrs. Lovett or Sweeney: which is the bigger role? (spoiler) - Singapore/Fling 05:37 pm EST 03/04/24 | |
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| This is a time we're in agreement. I would add that the meat pies thread is almost tangential to the main story, which is, yes, Sweeney's quest for revenge. It's an extremely important tangent. It does get the first-act finale, and quite a big first-act finale it is, and it gets the opening number in act two, which is also a big number, but after that it largely disappears because the driving engine of the story is Sweeney's need for revenge. Although in London in 1980 and in some (probably most) of the major productions since, Sweeney has gotten the final bow, I don't think it's necessarily wrong when Mrs. Lovett gets the final bow, at least if you've got a big star in the role. I do think her role may be slightly, just slightly, bigger when it comes to total bars of music, total number of lines (Sweeney is often taciturn), and perhaps even total stage time, although it's close in all these things. I think this is a show in which the two leading roles are so essentially equal that it makes sense, even after others have taken solo bows, for Sweeney and Lovett to come out together, receive some applause together, then each comes forward separately. In the traditions of the theatre under such circumstances, giving the lady the final bow might be considered etiquette (even if perhaps now outdated etiquette). In a way, it's like Othello and Iago in that Iago has more lines than Othello. They're both huge roles, but Iago actually has more words, more lines. Of course, in the case of Othello, Iago really does drive the play. I think we probably all agree on that. |
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| Previous: | re: Mrs. Lovett or Sweeney: which is the bigger role? (spoiler) - mikem 01:37 pm EST 03/05/24 |
| Next: | the etiquette of the lady getting the final bow - Chazwaza 01:51 am EST 03/05/24 |
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