The "new" version of Sweeney Todd

[SOTSDO]

Has anyone here either seen the recent production of Sweeney Todd, the one where the members of the cast both acted/sung and played all of the instrumental parts for the pit orchestra, or played in a production of same?

I am interested both in the quality of the music thus produced (one of the female leads was alleged to perform on the bassoon (!!!) as well as doing the thespian honors - I can see how that led to a quality performance), and if any backing tracks were used to take up the slack.

Inquiring minds want to know...

 

[Gandalfe]

A community theater group did that last year where I live. I'm not sure if this is the version you ask about though. I don't remember much about it except it was dismal with only guitar, bass, piano, and drums. IIRC some of the cast held instruments that they didn't play and the piano comp'd most of the music. Suzy and I walked out during the intermission. Dreck if'n you ask me.

 

[WoodwindDoubler]

I haven't seen it personally. I do have the Broadway Cabaret revival cast recording that uses the same principles of the cast playing the band parts on stage.

I personally think the band is absolutely terrible. Is it all terrible, no, but it's REALLY REALLY hard to listen to a lot of the time. (There are moments that it sound pretty good though, I have to give them that).

The sound that most of the woodwind players have is that of an ok highschool kid. The tenor sound is god awful.

The band doesn't phase together and they are not in tune.

I totally understand it's supposed to be a "Cabaret", but there's a difference between playing in a style and just not knowing any better.

My suggestion to these productions is hire musicians that happen to act not actors who happen to play an instrument. Or leave it in the pit where it belongs!

Obviously, I'm being perhaps a little over critical, but except for one pit for a show I saw last year in Toronto, every pit orchestra I've heard / sat in (at the pro level) has been fantastic ... therefore, I expect the same for shows coming out of Broadway.

 

[SOTSDO]

Then it is as is I thought (based upon the pro version in Toronto, that is).

When the "concept" was first aired, I heard the folks on the Broadway channel of XM Radio all rave how bleeding edge it was, and how great the production sounded. This was the one where a woman in the cast (one of the leads; don't know which one) was alleged to have played the bassoon part.

I'd lay a dollar to a donut that her "bassoon playing" was something along the lines of what was seen in the performance of the instrument "holders" in the community theater (excuse me, that should be community "theatre") production above. I can't see anyone covering the middling-hard bassoon part that I've heard over the years and getting up and playing one of the roles.

However, Broadway has done more insane things in the past - remember Carrie? There's even a book of Broadway insanity called Not Since Carrie that covers such things.

Me? Well, I draw the line at Once Upon A Mattress. Any score calling for bass clarinet playing an octave above the soprano clarinet part in parallel deserves to be sent through the shredder...

 

[Gandalfe]

Me? Well, I draw the line at Once Upon A Mattress. Any score calling for bass clarinet playing an octave above the soprano clarinet part in parallel deserves to be sent through the shredder...

I've never understood the arranger who puts the low instruments line higher than the mid to high range instruments. I mean it's been done to good effect in some very rare occassions but for the most part I think it speaks poorly to the arrangers' skills. That and the low A for a tenor sax that I've seen more times than I like to admit.