And the lunatics yelling at the moon!
October 20, 2014 1:57 PM Subscribe
In early March of this year, the New York City Philharmonic staged what initially seemed like a restrained concert of Stephen Sondheim's musical “Sweeney Todd.” Per the
New York Times review : "The director, Lonny Price, started the evening with a wink toward the formalities of classical concertizing, as the cast of principals lined up in front of music stands at the lip of the stage, clad in tuxedos and staid dresses, binders in hand, as if they were about to sing a little Schubert. Oh dear." But then . . .
Other clips from the performance, whose cast members included Emma Thompson, Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, and for this one performance, Audra McDonald:
"The Worst Pies in London"
"God, That's Good.
The full concert is currently available on Youtube, as is an interview with the actors talking about unexpectedly performing in front of Sondheim himself.
Other clips from the performance, whose cast members included Emma Thompson, Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, and for this one performance, Audra McDonald:
"The Worst Pies in London"
"God, That's Good.
The full concert is currently available on Youtube, as is an interview with the actors talking about unexpectedly performing in front of Sondheim himself.
I saw this on TV (my roommate is a vocal performance PhD candidate at NYU) and managed to miss that one initial opening number.
That opening bit is the kind of thing that both terrifies and tickles my techie heart - it must have been ohmigod complex for the stage manager to coordinate all the moving parts it took, but that's the kind of challenge I also would really, really dig.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:10 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
That opening bit is the kind of thing that both terrifies and tickles my techie heart - it must have been ohmigod complex for the stage manager to coordinate all the moving parts it took, but that's the kind of challenge I also would really, really dig.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:10 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Hmm...promising....I wonder if emma will sweetly send HBC a DVD for christmas...
posted by lodurr at 2:11 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by lodurr at 2:11 PM on October 20, 2014
Just sittin' here hollering YES YES THE PIANO DO IT DOOOO IIIIT
posted by Spatch at 2:13 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Spatch at 2:13 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Just before the opening NYPO offered discounted tickets and we were able to attend. It was amazing and I was very happy to see this transformation [partial spoiler] into a mostly staged production.
Sondheim sat a few rows behind us and it was quite a thrill to have him walk past us to go on stage for the curtain call at the end.
posted by mountmccabe at 2:17 PM on October 20, 2014
Sondheim sat a few rows behind us and it was quite a thrill to have him walk past us to go on stage for the curtain call at the end.
posted by mountmccabe at 2:17 PM on October 20, 2014
!!! I was not expecting that!
Thank you for posting this! I had no idea this happened. Sweeney Todd is my absolute favorite musical. My very first experience seeing professional musical theater was a performance of Sweeney Todd featuring Christine Baranski as Mrs. Lovett.
That staging is just amazing. I can't wait to sit down and watch the whole thing.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 2:18 PM on October 20, 2014
Thank you for posting this! I had no idea this happened. Sweeney Todd is my absolute favorite musical. My very first experience seeing professional musical theater was a performance of Sweeney Todd featuring Christine Baranski as Mrs. Lovett.
That staging is just amazing. I can't wait to sit down and watch the whole thing.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 2:18 PM on October 20, 2014
Was that one guy the dude from "Smash"?
posted by Clustercuss at 2:24 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by Clustercuss at 2:24 PM on October 20, 2014
"Sweeney Todd" is, by a wide margin, my favorite musical, and this is a really fun production.
On the other hand: I just a few days ago caught the trailer for the new "Into the Woods" movie, and I have to ask: WHY DOES HOLLYWOOD KEEP PUTTING JOHNNY DEPP IN SONDHEIM MUSICALS?
Sorry, had to get that out of my system. Nothing against Depp as an actor, particularly. But I've seen two entirely separate local productions of "Sweeney Todd", here in fucking Omaha, for God's sake, where the actor playing Todd could have sung Johnny Depp out of his barber chair and into a chute leading to a moldy subcellar.
posted by Ipsifendus at 2:38 PM on October 20, 2014 [8 favorites]
On the other hand: I just a few days ago caught the trailer for the new "Into the Woods" movie, and I have to ask: WHY DOES HOLLYWOOD KEEP PUTTING JOHNNY DEPP IN SONDHEIM MUSICALS?
Sorry, had to get that out of my system. Nothing against Depp as an actor, particularly. But I've seen two entirely separate local productions of "Sweeney Todd", here in fucking Omaha, for God's sake, where the actor playing Todd could have sung Johnny Depp out of his barber chair and into a chute leading to a moldy subcellar.
posted by Ipsifendus at 2:38 PM on October 20, 2014 [8 favorites]
I wish I could be more articulate but all I could think of was holy shit!
posted by basicchannel at 2:40 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by basicchannel at 2:40 PM on October 20, 2014
Yes, Christian Borle was Pirelli.
Here is the event page at nyphil.org that includes a cast list.
posted by mountmccabe at 2:41 PM on October 20, 2014
Here is the event page at nyphil.org that includes a cast list.
posted by mountmccabe at 2:41 PM on October 20, 2014
I am so angry about Into The Woods the movie version because it is MY favourite musical and they are going to do horrible things to it. (Though at least they recast Red.)
I cannot wait to watch the long video, because the clips were amazing.
posted by jeather at 2:46 PM on October 20, 2014
I cannot wait to watch the long video, because the clips were amazing.
posted by jeather at 2:46 PM on October 20, 2014
On the other hand: I just a few days ago caught the trailer for the new "Into the Woods" movie, and I have to ask: WHY DOES HOLLYWOOD KEEP PUTTING JOHNNY DEPP IN SONDHEIM MUSICALS?
Every time I see the trailer, I get more annoyed that it doesn't contain any singing. Disney seems like it's trying to market this as another princess-y family movie, but people are going to figure out pretty quickly that it's a musical. And a pretty bleak musical at that.
posted by bibliowench at 2:49 PM on October 20, 2014
Every time I see the trailer, I get more annoyed that it doesn't contain any singing. Disney seems like it's trying to market this as another princess-y family movie, but people are going to figure out pretty quickly that it's a musical. And a pretty bleak musical at that.
posted by bibliowench at 2:49 PM on October 20, 2014
That was badass.
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:51 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:51 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
On the subject of this production in particular, and the piano-tipping maneuver specifically: I like that this version kicks off with a very literal eruption of anarchic mob violence. Even though the play is ostensibly about a single individual's quest for violent revenge, the whole thing draws a big, big chunk of its power from fear of the mob on one hand and corrupt institutions on the other.
I think it says a lot about the grim percenption of life in 19th century London that a story like this ever took root even as an urban legend.
posted by Ipsifendus at 2:53 PM on October 20, 2014
I think it says a lot about the grim percenption of life in 19th century London that a story like this ever took root even as an urban legend.
posted by Ipsifendus at 2:53 PM on October 20, 2014
And a pretty bleak musical at that.
They're changing the plot somewhat.
posted by jeather at 3:11 PM on October 20, 2014
They're changing the plot somewhat.
posted by jeather at 3:11 PM on October 20, 2014
Saw this when PBS aired it a few weeks ago. I didn't anticipate where they were going with those looks between the performers at the start.
Emma may have been a little OTT (yes, even for Mrs. Lovett), but was still a fun surprise. I don't think Terfel quite captured Sweeney though.
Sondheim is one of my gods. (Have I ever told MeFi about the letter sent by Mr. S. to the Youthful StarStruck Me, in response to a fan note? He discussed a verse from A Little Night Music. I call it my songwriting lesson from Sondheim.)
[Anal-retentive aside, it's the NY Phil, not NYC Phil.]
posted by NorthernLite at 3:21 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Emma may have been a little OTT (yes, even for Mrs. Lovett), but was still a fun surprise. I don't think Terfel quite captured Sweeney though.
Sondheim is one of my gods. (Have I ever told MeFi about the letter sent by Mr. S. to the Youthful StarStruck Me, in response to a fan note? He discussed a verse from A Little Night Music. I call it my songwriting lesson from Sondheim.)
[Anal-retentive aside, it's the NY Phil, not NYC Phil.]
posted by NorthernLite at 3:21 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Oh, and my background was as an orchestral musician, so stuff like this is some of my worlds colliding!
posted by NorthernLite at 3:24 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by NorthernLite at 3:24 PM on October 20, 2014
Last year, my wife's kick-ass (IMHO) community orchestra performed Sweeny Todd as a partially staged musical -- the orchestra remained on stage throughout, and the vocalists/actors shared the stage with them, not unlike the NY Philharmonic in this FPP. It was electrifying, although as good as I feel about my wife's orchestra, they aren't the NY Philharmonic. The performances in this FPP are really great. Thanks for posting this!
posted by mosk at 3:46 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by mosk at 3:46 PM on October 20, 2014
Well, I'm calling all my shows staged readings from now on, even if they're full productions. Lower audience expectations and they'll love whatever I deliver...
But seriously, awesome.
posted by stray at 3:58 PM on October 20, 2014
But seriously, awesome.
posted by stray at 3:58 PM on October 20, 2014
I also caught this on PBS a few weeks ago and loved many aspects of the staging, including the opening number for sure. I agree that Bryn didn't entirely do it for me as Sweeney, but then Christian Borle was much better as Pirelli than I expected, so it balances out. (I love Borle a whole lot, but was having a hard time picturing him in that role, for some reason.)
posted by Stacey at 4:04 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by Stacey at 4:04 PM on October 20, 2014
HOLY ALL THE SHITS
This is magnificent. Also I had no idea Emma Thompson could sing.
And a pretty bleak musical at that.
They're changing the plot somewhat.
Okay so I know where to get a bunch of pitchforks. Who has the torches?
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 4:15 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
This is magnificent. Also I had no idea Emma Thompson could sing.
And a pretty bleak musical at that.
They're changing the plot somewhat.
Okay so I know where to get a bunch of pitchforks. Who has the torches?
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 4:15 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Damn. No torches, but I have a couple machetes, will that do?
I saw this on PBS a couple weeks ago, and generally agree with the opinions here, but Emma Thompson is my favorite Mrs. Lovett (I will spare everyone my essay on Mrs. Lovett.)
posted by DebetEsse at 4:46 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
I saw this on PBS a couple weeks ago, and generally agree with the opinions here, but Emma Thompson is my favorite Mrs. Lovett (I will spare everyone my essay on Mrs. Lovett.)
posted by DebetEsse at 4:46 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
That was loads of fun, thanks! The "static concert performance of X musical" has gotten to be such a thing that it's nice to see it (and pianos) upended.
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:54 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:54 PM on October 20, 2014
(I will spare everyone my essay on Mrs. Lovett.)
What if we ask real nice
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 4:58 PM on October 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
What if we ask real nice
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 4:58 PM on October 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
OH MY GOD, that's Philip Quast reprising his sublimely creepy Judge Turpin. OH MY GOD, Philip Quast [sigh].
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:08 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:08 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
when the thing with the scores started, i was like "oh my god, they're cats."
posted by Hypatia at 5:38 PM on October 20, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by Hypatia at 5:38 PM on October 20, 2014 [4 favorites]
Also, raise your virtual hand if it's impossible for you to see a shepherd pie without singing to yourself, "Peppered with actual shepherd on top."
posted by NorthernLite at 5:42 PM on October 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by NorthernLite at 5:42 PM on October 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
when the thing with the scores started, i was like "oh my god, they're cats."
One of my first ideas for the post title was "Now it lives on the floor!", but that seemed too inside-baseball. And NorthernLite, thanks for the correction. I think my brain just puts "City" after anything impressive in New York. I can imagine that doesn't sit well residents of the rest of the state.
posted by bibliowench at 6:01 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
One of my first ideas for the post title was "Now it lives on the floor!", but that seemed too inside-baseball. And NorthernLite, thanks for the correction. I think my brain just puts "City" after anything impressive in New York. I can imagine that doesn't sit well residents of the rest of the state.
posted by bibliowench at 6:01 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Seriously, one of the reasons I keep coming back here is because someone will pop up to give us their essay on Mrs. Lovett or the history of assault rifles or first-hand knowledge about learning brain surgery, but the're afraid we'll be bored with it...right...who gives a shit if someone's a little bored by it, you're telling us about something you've spent a lot of time working with or thinking about, and sometimes to some of us it's really interesting.
posted by lodurr at 6:25 PM on October 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by lodurr at 6:25 PM on October 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
when oh when will Meat Loaf appear as Sweeney Todd
posted by Hypatia at 6:55 PM on October 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by Hypatia at 6:55 PM on October 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
When Sweeney Todd premiered on Broadway in 1979 I was 10 years old and my parents took me to see it. We were fifth row center and there was blood EVERYWHERE and I knew I wanted to sing and act and SPECIFICALLY BE MRS. LOVETT.
I have played Mrs. Lovett twice, now, and I hope to play her once more before I'm too old.
Emma Thompson is God. Thank you and good night.
(I saw Terfel play Sweeney at Lyric Opera in Chicago about ten years ago. Man can sing like nobody's business, and he has the right frame, but the role needs an ACTOR, and that he ain't. I pine for the day we are graced with Shuler Hensley's Sweeney.)
posted by tzikeh at 7:35 PM on October 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
I have played Mrs. Lovett twice, now, and I hope to play her once more before I'm too old.
Emma Thompson is God. Thank you and good night.
(I saw Terfel play Sweeney at Lyric Opera in Chicago about ten years ago. Man can sing like nobody's business, and he has the right frame, but the role needs an ACTOR, and that he ain't. I pine for the day we are graced with Shuler Hensley's Sweeney.)
posted by tzikeh at 7:35 PM on October 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
Also, fffm, I am stealing and using "HOLY ALL THE SHITS" forever.
posted by tzikeh at 7:43 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by tzikeh at 7:43 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Alright, I freely admit to being the most cynical, crotchety, jaded theatre engineer you're ever likely to meet, but those first six minutes were the best version of Sweeney Todd that I've yet seen.
posted by johnnyace at 8:15 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by johnnyace at 8:15 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
That was amazing. I'm tickled to see I wasn't the only one who immediately found it all very feline. For a brief and baffled-delighted moment I thought it'd turned into a bizarre Sweeney Todd/Cats fusion*.
(Which, granted, would certainly be interesting. )
posted by pseudonymph at 8:38 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
(Which, granted, would certainly be interesting. )
posted by pseudonymph at 8:38 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Barberous cats come out tonight
Barberous cats come one, come all
The cannibal moon is shining bright,
Murderers come to the murderer ball
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:55 PM on October 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
Barberous cats come one, come all
The cannibal moon is shining bright,
Murderers come to the murderer ball
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:55 PM on October 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
Sorry, I had to go to dinner. Also, pussy cats is quick.
Anyway, my Mrs. Lovett essay. Prefaced with the statement that I have seen not only the Not At All Okay Tim Burton movie, but also Patti Lupone and Angela Lansbury's Mrs. Lovetts. (note: all lyrics, etc are from memory. I am not looking them up tonight)
Mrs. L is a ridiculously hard character to pin down properly. Like, Sweeney has a relatively straightforward arc, as do Johanna, Antony (I did love how the recent Broadway production made him much less knight in shining armor and much more less appalling of available options), etc.
But Mrs. L has a lot of stuff going on, and it's really easy to miss layers. We know from the text that she has been smitten with Benjamin Barker/Sweeney for going on two decades. So, she's not just in it for the pies. I think you can do interesting analyses of whether and when their relationship has a sexual component, but that is not particularly central to my read of the character. But she is All About Him, and, in some ways, in particularly childish ways, which makes sense given how young she was when they met and she last saw him (imprinted on him, if you will. I imagine that Benjamin Barker was a good husband, and Mr. Lovett was likely not so much).
She is amoral as hell. She's not evil (in alignment terms), which you can tell in the scene right after Sweeney kills Pirelli. She's all "wtf, dude?" until there is a reason for it, then she's onboard. Now, this reading does depend on the end of act I sequence reflecting her actual thoughts in more or less real time, but her worldview is incredibly utilitarian, both in terms of the use of resources available to meet her business needs (ahem), as well as accepting that we're apparently going on a killing spree now, as that's what Mr. Todd wants to do. And she is firmly on Team Sweeney. Now, this gets a little more complex when you look at "only said she took poison, never said that she died." On quick reflection, I can only think of two lies that she tells (to the crowd about what makes the pies good, and to Toby about where Mr. T got Pirelli's purse), though there may be more. It seems more likely to me that it is some combination of A)Not being a very good liar and B)Not wanting to lie to him, in particular. It's also odd, character-wise, though necessary, plot-wise, for her to react to the killing of Lucy Barker like she does. I think you can read/play that a number of ways, and she under not a little stress at that particular moment, but it is a complication. But she's not cruel for the sake of it, which there would have been ample opportunity for the text to show us.
And she is not dumb. Sondheim is incredibly intentional about his lyrics, and things being too showy for the characters saying them is something he thinks about (he notes, for example, that he'd not have put the words in "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" in the mouths of those characters in an actual scene), and he did not just give her straight man lines in "Priest". She may play dumb (in a move intimately familiar to plenty of women in far less trying circumstances), but she distinctly is not.
She is (and this is the one that many people miss that Emma Thompson nailed and made me so happy) occasionally terrified of Sweeney. You can see it when she talks him down/distracts/redirects him in "Priest". Now, I would posit that Mr. Lovett was abusive (and that she may well have taken care of him herself, rather than waiting for natural causes), and that is why she deescalates Sweeney so well and so early. But, while she is very much on Team Sweeney, she is not in any way monolithic with him and his goals. She is trying to manage him, which is occasionally effective, if not so much in the "pretty flowers, maybe daisies" scene or "By the Sea" (props where they're due to Burton/Depp for his non-reaction, except to "now and then you could do a guest in"). In some ways, she's stuck on this opportunity for a do-over on a romantic vision she's had for over a decade and wants to fit him into, now with added cannibalism. But one does what one must.
posted by DebetEsse at 9:57 PM on October 20, 2014 [17 favorites]
Anyway, my Mrs. Lovett essay. Prefaced with the statement that I have seen not only the Not At All Okay Tim Burton movie, but also Patti Lupone and Angela Lansbury's Mrs. Lovetts. (note: all lyrics, etc are from memory. I am not looking them up tonight)
Mrs. L is a ridiculously hard character to pin down properly. Like, Sweeney has a relatively straightforward arc, as do Johanna, Antony (I did love how the recent Broadway production made him much less knight in shining armor and much more less appalling of available options), etc.
But Mrs. L has a lot of stuff going on, and it's really easy to miss layers. We know from the text that she has been smitten with Benjamin Barker/Sweeney for going on two decades. So, she's not just in it for the pies. I think you can do interesting analyses of whether and when their relationship has a sexual component, but that is not particularly central to my read of the character. But she is All About Him, and, in some ways, in particularly childish ways, which makes sense given how young she was when they met and she last saw him (imprinted on him, if you will. I imagine that Benjamin Barker was a good husband, and Mr. Lovett was likely not so much).
She is amoral as hell. She's not evil (in alignment terms), which you can tell in the scene right after Sweeney kills Pirelli. She's all "wtf, dude?" until there is a reason for it, then she's onboard. Now, this reading does depend on the end of act I sequence reflecting her actual thoughts in more or less real time, but her worldview is incredibly utilitarian, both in terms of the use of resources available to meet her business needs (ahem), as well as accepting that we're apparently going on a killing spree now, as that's what Mr. Todd wants to do. And she is firmly on Team Sweeney. Now, this gets a little more complex when you look at "only said she took poison, never said that she died." On quick reflection, I can only think of two lies that she tells (to the crowd about what makes the pies good, and to Toby about where Mr. T got Pirelli's purse), though there may be more. It seems more likely to me that it is some combination of A)Not being a very good liar and B)Not wanting to lie to him, in particular. It's also odd, character-wise, though necessary, plot-wise, for her to react to the killing of Lucy Barker like she does. I think you can read/play that a number of ways, and she under not a little stress at that particular moment, but it is a complication. But she's not cruel for the sake of it, which there would have been ample opportunity for the text to show us.
And she is not dumb. Sondheim is incredibly intentional about his lyrics, and things being too showy for the characters saying them is something he thinks about (he notes, for example, that he'd not have put the words in "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" in the mouths of those characters in an actual scene), and he did not just give her straight man lines in "Priest". She may play dumb (in a move intimately familiar to plenty of women in far less trying circumstances), but she distinctly is not.
She is (and this is the one that many people miss that Emma Thompson nailed and made me so happy) occasionally terrified of Sweeney. You can see it when she talks him down/distracts/redirects him in "Priest". Now, I would posit that Mr. Lovett was abusive (and that she may well have taken care of him herself, rather than waiting for natural causes), and that is why she deescalates Sweeney so well and so early. But, while she is very much on Team Sweeney, she is not in any way monolithic with him and his goals. She is trying to manage him, which is occasionally effective, if not so much in the "pretty flowers, maybe daisies" scene or "By the Sea" (props where they're due to Burton/Depp for his non-reaction, except to "now and then you could do a guest in"). In some ways, she's stuck on this opportunity for a do-over on a romantic vision she's had for over a decade and wants to fit him into, now with added cannibalism. But one does what one must.
posted by DebetEsse at 9:57 PM on October 20, 2014 [17 favorites]
*applause*
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:11 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:11 PM on October 20, 2014
I did think it was sort of an odd move to have the (very, very blonde) actress playing Johanna also play Lucy when they recounted what happened to her instead of Audra McDonald. But maybe they didn't want to "give it away?"
posted by ChuraChura at 5:49 AM on October 21, 2014
posted by ChuraChura at 5:49 AM on October 21, 2014
About that "Unexpected Sondheim In The Audience" bit; if you watch the whole thing, at the very end, during the curtain call, you suddenly see Emma Thompson jump off the stage and run into the house - where she finds Sondheim and all but drags him up onto the stage to take a bow with the rest of the cast.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:37 AM on October 21, 2014
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:37 AM on October 21, 2014
I did think it was sort of an odd move to have the (very, very blonde) actress playing Johanna also play Lucy when they recounted what happened to her instead of Audra McDonald. But maybe they didn't want to "give it away?"
This is actually an extremely common production choice, both to avoid giving it away, and to strengthen the creepiness of the connection between Johanna and her mother, and how both Sweeney and the Judge are fixated on Johanna in part as a replacement for her mother. (Also, the script explicitly requires Johanna to be blonde, and using Audra McDonald in that part would drive home a little too hard the fact that there's no way that Bryn Terfel and Audra McDonald are making any blonde babies.)
My wife and I watched the whole thing last night. So many thoughts on this play and this production, I may try to post some of them here if I can steal a few minutes here and there at work.
posted by firechicago at 6:55 AM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
This is actually an extremely common production choice, both to avoid giving it away, and to strengthen the creepiness of the connection between Johanna and her mother, and how both Sweeney and the Judge are fixated on Johanna in part as a replacement for her mother. (Also, the script explicitly requires Johanna to be blonde, and using Audra McDonald in that part would drive home a little too hard the fact that there's no way that Bryn Terfel and Audra McDonald are making any blonde babies.)
My wife and I watched the whole thing last night. So many thoughts on this play and this production, I may try to post some of them here if I can steal a few minutes here and there at work.
posted by firechicago at 6:55 AM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
And a pretty bleak musical at that.
They're changing the plot somewhat.
Okay so I know where to get a bunch of pitchforks. Who has the torches?
You'd better pace yourself. What are you going to do when the Disney version of Les Misérables comes out?
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 7:29 AM on October 21, 2014
They're changing the plot somewhat.
Okay so I know where to get a bunch of pitchforks. Who has the torches?
You'd better pace yourself. What are you going to do when the Disney version of Les Misérables comes out?
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 7:29 AM on October 21, 2014
I'M SO ANGRY ABOUT EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT THE INTO THE WOODS MOVIE SO FAR
FURTHER UPDATES AS EVENTS WARRANT
posted by tzikeh at 7:31 AM on October 21, 2014
FURTHER UPDATES AS EVENTS WARRANT
posted by tzikeh at 7:31 AM on October 21, 2014
I'M SO ANGRY ABOUT EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT THE INTO THE WOODS MOVIE SO FAR
Some of the casting doesn't suck. And when they un-cast the terrible 9 year old as Little Red Riding Hood and recast someone who (according to youtube) can sing and appears to be the appropriate age for the role I was pleased, though I'm not sure that her song is really Disney-appropriate.
posted by jeather at 7:47 AM on October 21, 2014
Some of the casting doesn't suck. And when they un-cast the terrible 9 year old as Little Red Riding Hood and recast someone who (according to youtube) can sing and appears to be the appropriate age for the role I was pleased, though I'm not sure that her song is really Disney-appropriate.
posted by jeather at 7:47 AM on October 21, 2014
Some of the casting doesn't suck.
THEY COULD BE THE BEST ACTORS EVER TO GRACE THE SCREEN -- CHARMING AND THE WOLF ARE PLAYED BY TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
TWO. DIFFERENT. PEOPLE.
DON'T LOOK AT ME, DISNEY. DON'T TALK TO ME.
I am taking this a little bit personally
posted by tzikeh at 8:15 AM on October 21, 2014 [4 favorites]
THEY COULD BE THE BEST ACTORS EVER TO GRACE THE SCREEN -- CHARMING AND THE WOLF ARE PLAYED BY TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
TWO. DIFFERENT. PEOPLE.
DON'T LOOK AT ME, DISNEY. DON'T TALK TO ME.
I am taking this a little bit personally
posted by tzikeh at 8:15 AM on October 21, 2014 [4 favorites]
I FORGOT ABOUT THAT AND NOW I'M ANGRY AGAIN, TZIKEH.
posted by Stacey at 8:21 AM on October 21, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Stacey at 8:21 AM on October 21, 2014 [3 favorites]
Some of the casting doesn't suck. And when they un-cast the terrible 9 year old as Little Red Riding Hood and recast someone who (according to youtube) can sing and appears to be the appropriate age for the role I was pleased, though I'm not sure that her song is really Disney-appropriate.
Well, that's the problem, isn't it? Little Red (and Jack) are technically supposed to be children, but both of their songs are about sexual awakening, which is why they are played by adult actors. A 12-year-old singing the line "But he drew me close / And he swallowed me down, / Down a dark slimy path / Where lie secrets that I never want to know" just isn't going to get the same level of knowing creepiness that the song needs. (Or, alternatively, it will be way too creepy.) Really, Little Red should be at least 16 or 17 for that song to make any sense in context.
That said, I'm excited about Emily Blunt and Anna Kendrick and James Corden, and Meryl is great in everything even if she can't really sing, and I'm glad they're not cutting "Any Moment" even if I'm still irked that they're letting Rapunzel live. I HAVE OPINIONS.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 8:23 AM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
Well, that's the problem, isn't it? Little Red (and Jack) are technically supposed to be children, but both of their songs are about sexual awakening, which is why they are played by adult actors. A 12-year-old singing the line "But he drew me close / And he swallowed me down, / Down a dark slimy path / Where lie secrets that I never want to know" just isn't going to get the same level of knowing creepiness that the song needs. (Or, alternatively, it will be way too creepy.) Really, Little Red should be at least 16 or 17 for that song to make any sense in context.
That said, I'm excited about Emily Blunt and Anna Kendrick and James Corden, and Meryl is great in everything even if she can't really sing, and I'm glad they're not cutting "Any Moment" even if I'm still irked that they're letting Rapunzel live. I HAVE OPINIONS.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 8:23 AM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
I stumbled upon the actual broadcast while flipping around trying to remember what channel the Castle marathon was on; it was about 1/3 of the way through and although I have an aversion to musical theatre I had to watch for FLAWLESS QUEEN emma thompson.
posted by poffin boffin at 8:34 AM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by poffin boffin at 8:34 AM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
A 12-year-old singing the line "But he drew me close / And he swallowed me down, / Down a dark slimy path / Where lie secrets that I never want to know"
No way is that lyric making it into the movie. I will bet money right now. The same way that no way are many of the lyrics from "Hello, Little Girl" making it.
ALSO THE PRINCE DOESN'T HAVE SEX WITH THE BAKER'S WIFE I'M MAD
posted by tzikeh at 8:36 AM on October 21, 2014
No way is that lyric making it into the movie. I will bet money right now. The same way that no way are many of the lyrics from "Hello, Little Girl" making it.
ALSO THE PRINCE DOESN'T HAVE SEX WITH THE BAKER'S WIFE I'M MAD
posted by tzikeh at 8:36 AM on October 21, 2014
THEY COULD BE THE BEST ACTORS EVER TO GRACE THE SCREEN -- CHARMING AND THE WOLF ARE PLAYED BY TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
I know! That is SO wrong. (Also, I don't know who is playing Charming, but I wasn't talking about Johnny Depp.)
Really, Little Red should be at least 16 or 17 for that song to make any sense in context.
I'd say 14-15 is more reasonable, honestly -- I think Red should be young enough that she's going through puberty, but is just starting, so she's not ready for sex. I think Jack should be slightly older, but not much.
ALSO THE PRINCE DOESN'T HAVE SEX WITH THE BAKER'S WIFE I'M MAD
I hear that is back in? And Rapunzel doesn't die but has some kind of different tragic ending? I don't know.
I need to rewatch the original production again now.
posted by jeather at 8:38 AM on October 21, 2014
I know! That is SO wrong. (Also, I don't know who is playing Charming, but I wasn't talking about Johnny Depp.)
Really, Little Red should be at least 16 or 17 for that song to make any sense in context.
I'd say 14-15 is more reasonable, honestly -- I think Red should be young enough that she's going through puberty, but is just starting, so she's not ready for sex. I think Jack should be slightly older, but not much.
ALSO THE PRINCE DOESN'T HAVE SEX WITH THE BAKER'S WIFE I'M MAD
I hear that is back in? And Rapunzel doesn't die but has some kind of different tragic ending? I don't know.
I need to rewatch the original production again now.
posted by jeather at 8:38 AM on October 21, 2014
So what I'm hearing is that if I'm not familiar with Into the Woods, I probably shouldn't start with the forthcoming adaptation. Would that be a fair summary?
posted by lodurr at 8:50 AM on October 21, 2014
posted by lodurr at 8:50 AM on October 21, 2014
If you're not familiar with Into the Woods, there is an American Playhouse edition on DVD or Amazon Instant video. And, probably, youtube.
posted by jeather at 8:54 AM on October 21, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by jeather at 8:54 AM on October 21, 2014 [3 favorites]
Lodurr -- Disney is doing to Into the Woods what Bowdler did to Hamlet and Macbeth. Only worse.
posted by tzikeh at 9:00 AM on October 21, 2014
posted by tzikeh at 9:00 AM on October 21, 2014
Yes, lodurr, start with the production jeather references. It's on Netflix streaming too.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 9:01 AM on October 21, 2014
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 9:01 AM on October 21, 2014
jeather: I don't know who is playing Charming
Captain Kirk.
posted by tzikeh at 9:02 AM on October 21, 2014
Captain Kirk.
posted by tzikeh at 9:02 AM on October 21, 2014
You'd better pace yourself. What are you going to do when the Disney version of Les Misérables comes out?
Gibber in a dark corner until I find the strength to summon the Old Ones
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:04 AM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
Gibber in a dark corner until I find the strength to summon the Old Ones
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:04 AM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
... Disney version of Les Misérables ...
what is it with the knee-jerk reaction to re-make everything that's not nailed down?
posted by lodurr at 9:06 AM on October 21, 2014
what is it with the knee-jerk reaction to re-make everything that's not nailed down?
posted by lodurr at 9:06 AM on October 21, 2014
also, chris pine is why we should still have soap operas. they should be funded as a public service to give performances like his somewhere to live until they die a quiet death.
posted by lodurr at 9:07 AM on October 21, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by lodurr at 9:07 AM on October 21, 2014 [3 favorites]
The thing is, I really wish they would make more musicals into things other people can watch -- like that American Playhouse version. If they want to do movies, that's fine too, but they don't do things like "hire people who can sing and dance" and "use the very popular musical more or less as-is", they do things like "hire people who have big names but who can't dance" and, often, "change the plot and music to terrible things".
posted by jeather at 9:08 AM on October 21, 2014
posted by jeather at 9:08 AM on October 21, 2014
Someone should put me in charge of casting movie versions of Broadway musicals. I want a life-choice do-over.
posted by tzikeh at 9:18 AM on October 21, 2014
posted by tzikeh at 9:18 AM on October 21, 2014
I saw the 2005 John Doyle restaging when it went on tour with most of the original cast (LuPone was replaced by her understudy for the tour, but Cervaris was Todd, and he was magnificent).
It was an interesting production, set in a lunatic asylum, with the patients putting on a show for their own amusement / therapy, and there was no orchestra -- the cast also played the instruments and the orchestral score was reduced to 10 instruments. The overall effect was entirely appropriate to the material and it used some really wonderful simple stage moments. (When someone was killed on stage, a ritual would be carried out that involved pouring blood from a cup into a bucket. It was so simple and so stark.)
I think it's on YouTube, but I haven't searched for it. I'm pretty happy having that just live in my memory. It was so stark and vivid, and remains so.
This production is amazing fun. I love this kind of thing a lot. I often wish "in concert" performances would start with the scores being thrown away. By the time you've rehearsed something enough to be able to do a professional in-concert performance, you're already halfway to just doing the show.
posted by hippybear at 10:33 AM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
It was an interesting production, set in a lunatic asylum, with the patients putting on a show for their own amusement / therapy, and there was no orchestra -- the cast also played the instruments and the orchestral score was reduced to 10 instruments. The overall effect was entirely appropriate to the material and it used some really wonderful simple stage moments. (When someone was killed on stage, a ritual would be carried out that involved pouring blood from a cup into a bucket. It was so simple and so stark.)
I think it's on YouTube, but I haven't searched for it. I'm pretty happy having that just live in my memory. It was so stark and vivid, and remains so.
This production is amazing fun. I love this kind of thing a lot. I often wish "in concert" performances would start with the scores being thrown away. By the time you've rehearsed something enough to be able to do a professional in-concert performance, you're already halfway to just doing the show.
posted by hippybear at 10:33 AM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
I was watching this online a couple of weeks ago and immediately rewound to the beginning after the opening number. I've watched it a couple of times since then, just trying to follow all the little bits of business and costume showoffery that are happening at once. So great.
DebetEsse, thank you. I got thinking more about Mrs. Lovett after watching this production (I'd seen the Burton one and some clips of other performances, and heard some recording or another many time hanging out with my theater-geek friends.) She doesn't quite fit in a lot of ways; it's strange to me that she loved Benjamin Barker--by all accounts a good loving husband and solid citizen--and how that love carries over even after she discovers how different he is now, happy even to lead him a little farther than his pure revenge fantasy in "Priest." Perhaps Emma Thompson's fault for making her so damn likeable.
posted by tchemgrrl at 11:36 AM on October 21, 2014
DebetEsse, thank you. I got thinking more about Mrs. Lovett after watching this production (I'd seen the Burton one and some clips of other performances, and heard some recording or another many time hanging out with my theater-geek friends.) She doesn't quite fit in a lot of ways; it's strange to me that she loved Benjamin Barker--by all accounts a good loving husband and solid citizen--and how that love carries over even after she discovers how different he is now, happy even to lead him a little farther than his pure revenge fantasy in "Priest." Perhaps Emma Thompson's fault for making her so damn likeable.
posted by tchemgrrl at 11:36 AM on October 21, 2014
I've watched this production of Sweeney Todd like four times since it originally aired. I didn't expect much of it, as I adore the version that PBS taped in 1982 with Angela Lansbury and George Hearn, and I didn't think the Patti LuPone revival or the movie lived up to it. But damned if there isn't a lot to love about this version!
Emma Thompson was by far my favorite aspect. Her interpretation of Mrs. Lovett resonated with me in a way that I didn't anticipate. Angela Lansbury's Mrs. Lovett felt charmingly dotty and grandiose, and her love for Sweeney came off as more romantic than sexual (though the sexual references are there in the text, she also put a lot of emphasis on her desire for the role of his wife, including being a mother-figure to Johanna). But Emma Thompson's performance felt rawer, realer--not realistic, but more self-aware and grounded in relatable human emotion. Her longing for Sweeney was tangible, painfully so. I love the moment in "Poor Thing" when her voice trails off and you can see she's recognized who he is. When she tells him that Lucy poisoned herself, you can see the panicked calculation moving across her expression--she wants him, so much, that it's worth the lie she's about to tell.
Though his voice was gorgeous, I agree that Bryn Terfel wasn't quite there in terms of acting the role. But funnily enough, I think his relative lack of affect played into the whole idea that for most of the production, Sweeney just isn't paying attention to Mrs. Lovett, lost in his own world of anger and vengeance. He doesn't look her in the eye all that often; he shakes off her touch. Then there's that beautiful moment at the start of "A Little Priest" when he realizes what she's suggesting, and he swivels around and really looks at her, amazed, as if he's seeing her for the first time. Mrs. Lovett's spent the whole first act fluttering around the periphery of his attention, and now she's finally got it, and she is rapturous in return. She spends the rest of "A Little Priest" in this state of manic, almost disbelieving joy, and suddenly all those cannibal jokes become incredibly flirty!
I also like that her joy in that moment is matched in magnitude by her despair at the end. When Sweeney finds out she's been deceiving him, he play-acts that same moment that gave her such happiness: zeroes in all his attention on her, tells her what she wants to hear. But Thompson mingles hope and dread in a way that suggests she knows exactly what is about to happen, and I feel for her--murderous, amoral Mrs. Lovett, who was literally planning to murder a child not ten minutes earlier!
Top all that off with a very good supporting cast, and this might be the first version to challenge my long-standing love of the '82 production. I'll have to watch it 20 more times to make sure, though.
posted by brookedel at 11:43 AM on October 21, 2014 [5 favorites]
Emma Thompson was by far my favorite aspect. Her interpretation of Mrs. Lovett resonated with me in a way that I didn't anticipate. Angela Lansbury's Mrs. Lovett felt charmingly dotty and grandiose, and her love for Sweeney came off as more romantic than sexual (though the sexual references are there in the text, she also put a lot of emphasis on her desire for the role of his wife, including being a mother-figure to Johanna). But Emma Thompson's performance felt rawer, realer--not realistic, but more self-aware and grounded in relatable human emotion. Her longing for Sweeney was tangible, painfully so. I love the moment in "Poor Thing" when her voice trails off and you can see she's recognized who he is. When she tells him that Lucy poisoned herself, you can see the panicked calculation moving across her expression--she wants him, so much, that it's worth the lie she's about to tell.
Though his voice was gorgeous, I agree that Bryn Terfel wasn't quite there in terms of acting the role. But funnily enough, I think his relative lack of affect played into the whole idea that for most of the production, Sweeney just isn't paying attention to Mrs. Lovett, lost in his own world of anger and vengeance. He doesn't look her in the eye all that often; he shakes off her touch. Then there's that beautiful moment at the start of "A Little Priest" when he realizes what she's suggesting, and he swivels around and really looks at her, amazed, as if he's seeing her for the first time. Mrs. Lovett's spent the whole first act fluttering around the periphery of his attention, and now she's finally got it, and she is rapturous in return. She spends the rest of "A Little Priest" in this state of manic, almost disbelieving joy, and suddenly all those cannibal jokes become incredibly flirty!
I also like that her joy in that moment is matched in magnitude by her despair at the end. When Sweeney finds out she's been deceiving him, he play-acts that same moment that gave her such happiness: zeroes in all his attention on her, tells her what she wants to hear. But Thompson mingles hope and dread in a way that suggests she knows exactly what is about to happen, and I feel for her--murderous, amoral Mrs. Lovett, who was literally planning to murder a child not ten minutes earlier!
Top all that off with a very good supporting cast, and this might be the first version to challenge my long-standing love of the '82 production. I'll have to watch it 20 more times to make sure, though.
posted by brookedel at 11:43 AM on October 21, 2014 [5 favorites]
Emma Thompson is my role model for combining impending middle age with ass-kicking awesomeness. A distant, unattainable role model, but still . . .
Someone should put me in charge of casting movie versions of Broadway musicals.
I have never seen a movie musical that worked for me. I know there are good ones out there, but the energy and excitement that I get from seeing musicals on stage is not even close to replicated on film, even with extreme close-up singing. I'm not sure why I can enjoy film adaptations of non-musical plays on their own merit, but without that sense of "Holy shit, these amazingly talented people are singing, dancing, acting, throwing stuff, whatever right in front of me and they might mess up but they probably won't . . . !" It's like watching a rock concert or a Cirque du Soleil performance on video. The technical and artistic merit is there, but the dynamism of seeing that art created in front of you is missing.
Even a recording of a live show, like this one, is more captivating that I imagine any movie could be. I enjoy that same vicarious energy from all (good) live theater, but I don't know why it's so much more vital to my enjoyment of musicals.
posted by bibliowench at 2:38 PM on October 21, 2014
Someone should put me in charge of casting movie versions of Broadway musicals.
I have never seen a movie musical that worked for me. I know there are good ones out there, but the energy and excitement that I get from seeing musicals on stage is not even close to replicated on film, even with extreme close-up singing. I'm not sure why I can enjoy film adaptations of non-musical plays on their own merit, but without that sense of "Holy shit, these amazingly talented people are singing, dancing, acting, throwing stuff, whatever right in front of me and they might mess up but they probably won't . . . !" It's like watching a rock concert or a Cirque du Soleil performance on video. The technical and artistic merit is there, but the dynamism of seeing that art created in front of you is missing.
Even a recording of a live show, like this one, is more captivating that I imagine any movie could be. I enjoy that same vicarious energy from all (good) live theater, but I don't know why it's so much more vital to my enjoyment of musicals.
posted by bibliowench at 2:38 PM on October 21, 2014
bibliowench: Emma Thompson is my role model [...]
You could have stopped there, really. Emma Thompson, how I heart thee! (Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favourite and best comfort movies. Watching Emma and Kenneth Branagh flounce around and throw magnificent barbs at each other is the best of times.
If for some reason you haven't seen that movie, jump on it. Just ignore Keanu Reeves OR delight in trying to work out what on earth he thought he was doing.)
As regards the upcoming Into The Woods movie, count me among the people who have strong feelings about Red and Jack and Rapunzel's storyline and the Baker's Wife and whither The Narrator and and and.
I'm horrified that fucking Johnny Depp is in it, honestly. It's almost fascinating in a way to realise that he's actually managed to work his way through the enormous store of personal goodwill I had for him for Jack Sparrow and everything before.
And i'm kind of leery of Meryl too, really. (I'm sorry, Meryl. I love you, I do. But..!) Bring back Bernadette Peters!
posted by pseudonymph at 4:28 PM on October 21, 2014
You could have stopped there, really. Emma Thompson, how I heart thee! (Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favourite and best comfort movies. Watching Emma and Kenneth Branagh flounce around and throw magnificent barbs at each other is the best of times.
If for some reason you haven't seen that movie, jump on it. Just ignore Keanu Reeves OR delight in trying to work out what on earth he thought he was doing.)
As regards the upcoming Into The Woods movie, count me among the people who have strong feelings about Red and Jack and Rapunzel's storyline and the Baker's Wife and whither The Narrator and and and.
I'm horrified that fucking Johnny Depp is in it, honestly. It's almost fascinating in a way to realise that he's actually managed to work his way through the enormous store of personal goodwill I had for him for Jack Sparrow and everything before.
And i'm kind of leery of Meryl too, really. (I'm sorry, Meryl. I love you, I do. But..!) Bring back Bernadette Peters!
posted by pseudonymph at 4:28 PM on October 21, 2014
Anyone up for a Fanfare post of Into the Woods? (The real one.)
posted by jeather at 4:34 PM on October 21, 2014
posted by jeather at 4:34 PM on October 21, 2014
Can I very, very quietly confess that I thought that Emma Thompson's singing voice was a little....sticky-outy in terms of the very different training? I mean, yeah, she can sing, and her acting performance is YES, but...the poor thing is up against operatically-trained singers and Audra McDonald and it kind of feels like she's been unfairly stuck in with The Big Kids.
But her emotive performance and all-around general awesomeness, I have no dispute with. (Some friends of mine, years ago, shared with me once that they were watching the Branagh MUCH ADO movie and about halfway through they asked each other, "wait, doesn't Emma Thompson as Beatrice remind you of EC in a way?" When they shared that with me I swore eternal friendship.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:48 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
But her emotive performance and all-around general awesomeness, I have no dispute with. (Some friends of mine, years ago, shared with me once that they were watching the Branagh MUCH ADO movie and about halfway through they asked each other, "wait, doesn't Emma Thompson as Beatrice remind you of EC in a way?" When they shared that with me I swore eternal friendship.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:48 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
Hell, I am right on the Bernadette Peters is My Personal Goddess train, but what I really want to see for Witch casting? Is the Billy Porter version that Sondheim blessed, but the producers scuttled.
I long for someone to figure out multiverse travel just so I can get a DVD of that production from the universe where it happened.
posted by Stacey at 4:58 PM on October 21, 2014
I long for someone to figure out multiverse travel just so I can get a DVD of that production from the universe where it happened.
posted by Stacey at 4:58 PM on October 21, 2014
For those looking for another Into The Woods to see I highly recommend the Regent's Park production (trailer). The musical really works well filmed outside!
Public Theater brought the same production to Shakespeare in the Park in 2012.
posted by mountmccabe at 5:33 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
Public Theater brought the same production to Shakespeare in the Park in 2012.
posted by mountmccabe at 5:33 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]
I saw a production of the Boyle version in 2009 that was really great. I also liked the Neil Patrick Harris version that I saw on YouTube.
Going to check this one out now. Thanks.
posted by daHIFI at 7:27 PM on October 21, 2014
Going to check this one out now. Thanks.
posted by daHIFI at 7:27 PM on October 21, 2014
Okay, two more contributions to the "Emma Thompson Rocks" gushery -
1. This picture (for an Emma Thompson VANITY FAIR cover article) always made total sense to me.
2. She was on Graham Norton's show recently, and was talking about a funny incident from when she was filming one of the NANNY MCPHEE movies at the same time that they were filming one of the CLASH OF THE TITANS movies one studio over. She was apparently wandering around in her Nanny McPhee makeup during a break, got a bit muddled and walked into the wrong studio...and wandered onto the set of Olympus, with Liam Neeson sittin' there all made up like Zeus and everything.
And he recognized her and waved her over (remember, they were in LOVE, ACTUALLY) and wanted to catch up, but then the director started trying to set up a shot and she went to leave but Liam said "nah, stick around, it always takes him ages to set up the shot" - except in this instance the director was way faster at setting up the shot than usual, and there was no time for her to escape off the set.
And that is why (she claims), in one of the Olympus scenes from the second CLASH OF THE TITANS movie, in the take that actually made it INTO the movie, Emma Thompson was apparently in the shot, hiding behind a potted plant.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:32 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]
1. This picture (for an Emma Thompson VANITY FAIR cover article) always made total sense to me.
2. She was on Graham Norton's show recently, and was talking about a funny incident from when she was filming one of the NANNY MCPHEE movies at the same time that they were filming one of the CLASH OF THE TITANS movies one studio over. She was apparently wandering around in her Nanny McPhee makeup during a break, got a bit muddled and walked into the wrong studio...and wandered onto the set of Olympus, with Liam Neeson sittin' there all made up like Zeus and everything.
And he recognized her and waved her over (remember, they were in LOVE, ACTUALLY) and wanted to catch up, but then the director started trying to set up a shot and she went to leave but Liam said "nah, stick around, it always takes him ages to set up the shot" - except in this instance the director was way faster at setting up the shot than usual, and there was no time for her to escape off the set.
And that is why (she claims), in one of the Olympus scenes from the second CLASH OF THE TITANS movie, in the take that actually made it INTO the movie, Emma Thompson was apparently in the shot, hiding behind a potted plant.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:32 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]
OH WAIT I FOUND CONFIRMATION OF HER STORY AND THE STORY IS EVEN BETTER
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:09 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:09 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]
I have never seen a movie musical that worked for me.
The Music Man with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. Possibly the absolute best movie musical ever (and I've seen a metric fuckton of movie musicals). Check it out.
posted by hippybear at 12:21 AM on October 22, 2014
The Music Man with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. Possibly the absolute best movie musical ever (and I've seen a metric fuckton of movie musicals). Check it out.
posted by hippybear at 12:21 AM on October 22, 2014
Sweeney Todd is one of my favorite musicals, so thanks for this post! (I was in a production with George Hearn as Sweeney my-god-it-is-quite-a-large-number-of-years-ago-now-isn't-it, and it was definitely a high point of my late adolescence.)
I enjoyed this version greatly, particularly Emma Thompson -- I basically agree with everything brookedel says above. The staging is clever and works. Bryn Terfel doesn't rank as my favorite Sweeney, but he does a perfectly good job in the role and even has some inspired moments.
I'll reserve judgement on the Disney Into the Woods until I have seen it, even if preliminary indicators are dire. Although ...
> "What are you going to do when the Disney version of Les Misérables comes out?"
Surely they would not dare to make too many ludicrous changes too a work by an author as well regarded as Victor Hugo!
(Sigh.)
posted by kyrademon at 4:29 AM on October 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
I enjoyed this version greatly, particularly Emma Thompson -- I basically agree with everything brookedel says above. The staging is clever and works. Bryn Terfel doesn't rank as my favorite Sweeney, but he does a perfectly good job in the role and even has some inspired moments.
I'll reserve judgement on the Disney Into the Woods until I have seen it, even if preliminary indicators are dire. Although ...
> "What are you going to do when the Disney version of Les Misérables comes out?"
Surely they would not dare to make too many ludicrous changes too a work by an author as well regarded as Victor Hugo!
(Sigh.)
posted by kyrademon at 4:29 AM on October 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
And that is why (she claims), in one of the Olympus scenes from the second CLASH OF THE TITANS movie, in the take that actually made it INTO the movie, Emma Thompson was apparently in the shot, hiding behind a potted plant.
ONE MILLION INTERNET DOLLARS to the first person who finds a screenshot.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 6:47 AM on October 22, 2014
ONE MILLION INTERNET DOLLARS to the first person who finds a screenshot.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 6:47 AM on October 22, 2014
ONE MILLION INTERNET DOLLARS to the first person who finds a screenshot.
Unfortunately, I misremembered the story - she wasn't actually on the screen, she was just on the set hiding behind something so as not to throw off Ralph Fiennes. ....But the fact that she went into the room on purpose and sat down on Liam Neeson's lap and said "Now, Zeus, Nanny's heard you've been a naughty boy" more than makes up for it.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:51 AM on October 22, 2014 [3 favorites]
Unfortunately, I misremembered the story - she wasn't actually on the screen, she was just on the set hiding behind something so as not to throw off Ralph Fiennes. ....But the fact that she went into the room on purpose and sat down on Liam Neeson's lap and said "Now, Zeus, Nanny's heard you've been a naughty boy" more than makes up for it.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:51 AM on October 22, 2014 [3 favorites]
And he recognized her and waved her over (remember, they were in LOVE, ACTUALLY)
For a moment, I didn't recognize the movie title and thought that you were being very emphatic about your RP OTP.
posted by bibliowench at 8:19 AM on October 22, 2014 [2 favorites]
For a moment, I didn't recognize the movie title and thought that you were being very emphatic about your RP OTP.
posted by bibliowench at 8:19 AM on October 22, 2014 [2 favorites]
The Music Man with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. Possibly the absolute best movie musical ever....
It's good, but I still go with Singin' in the Rain. (Though you may want to disqualify that for never having been staged.)
posted by lodurr at 9:28 AM on October 22, 2014
It's good, but I still go with Singin' in the Rain. (Though you may want to disqualify that for never having been staged.)
posted by lodurr at 9:28 AM on October 22, 2014
I didn't recognize the movie title and thought that you were being very emphatic about your RP OTP.
If it weren't for the fact that she's happily married and he's pretty much made no bones about Natasha Richardson having been the love of his life, I actually might start shipping them.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:32 AM on October 22, 2014
If it weren't for the fact that she's happily married and he's pretty much made no bones about Natasha Richardson having been the love of his life, I actually might start shipping them.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:32 AM on October 22, 2014
« Older The best chime | I have no idea how these people got their cats... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by grobstein at 2:03 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]