Review: Oohs and Oz

Comment

Comment by Erik on May 6, 2009 at 4:23pm

Fair enough re acting ability

Comment by Bryan on May 6, 2009 at 4:16pm

The music was brilliant and I thought the directors vision was pure genius...and yes she can certainly sing like no one else, but a stage actress she is not. As for Gypsy, I will say the director Arthur Laurents did wonders with her as her performance in the City Center production in the summer of 2007 was so bad I actually used the words dreadful to describe the performance but I can say she improved greatly by the time she and the show made it to Broadway.

Comment by Erik on May 6, 2009 at 4:10pm

Really? She can play tuba well which surprised me.

Comment by Bryan on May 6, 2009 at 4:02pm

Oh don't get me started on that dreadful Patti LuPone performance! Ugh! The woman wonders why it took her over 20 years to earn her second Tony nod. Please! The woman can't act her way out of a paper bag! (Can you tell I'm HIGHLY opinionated about my Broadway!) Was so disgusted with her speech at last year's Tony awards I left Radio City Music Hall in a tizzy and made certain everyone in ear shot including Kerry Butler knew I felt she was robbed of the Tony for I felt, IMHO, her performance in Xanadu was far superior.

Comment by June Herold on May 6, 2009 at 1:57pm

These different interpretations sound interesting. Tx for sharing.

Comment by Erik on May 6, 2009 at 11:26am

I saw the Patty LuPone Sweeney on broadway where the actors also played the instruments, quite well done.

Comment by Nate on May 6, 2009 at 10:14am

Wow--I'm jealous that Bryan and June both got to see some of the original Sweeney performances! I have the movie of the stage production with Angela Lansbury and adore it. The only professional production of Sweeney I've seen was at Chicago Lyric Opera several years ago. It was amazing. The staging was very different from a Broadway production, based on the idea that the entire stage was a huge cage, to mirror not only Johanna's entrapment, but that of the bird she sings to as well. They had these huge stage-height curtains that were whisked across the stage at the sound of the steam whistle in the score, and all of the flashbacks (like when Mrs. Lovett is telling Sweeney what happened to his wife) were performed in silhouette behind them. It was really neat.

Comment by Erik on May 5, 2009 at 11:12pm

I love Broadway musicals as well. And this is a quite amusing turn of the discussion.

Comment by June Herold on May 5, 2009 at 10:06pm

George Hearn...yes, you're right Bryan he was the original Sweeney, I saw him in NYC and then Len Carriou in Chicago.

Comment by Bryan on May 5, 2009 at 8:46pm

Alright...someone has opened up a big Can of Worms and I'm not talking about the Stave Trick puzzle either. I ADORE Broadway Musicals!!! OK. Sunday in the Park with Bernadette and Mandy was fabulous but my new friend Daniel Evans stole the show in the revival! He was brilliant!!! Saw Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury and George Hearn...nothing has even come close but I truly enjoyed Johnny Depp and I was so not a fan of his until I saw the musical movie. Again he was was brilliant! I don't currently have a favorite musical on Broadway at the moment but there are a lot of great ones playing right now including a revival of Hair.

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