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ginger-berrie · 7 days

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SO I JUST SAW FALSETTOS LIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME

HOLY SHIT OKAY. HEY GUYS I JUST GOT BACK FROM SEEING FALSETTOS. LIVE. MY FAVOROITE MUSICAL EVER. I HAVE WORDS TO SAY.

So firstly I of course have to say this musical is fucking phenomenal and if u havent seen it even on youtube you HAVE to. onne of the best musicals ever wrutten. ignore any typos in this my hands r still shaking and im not editing htis. OKAY.

The actors. It was a college level production but the actors were so so talented. My favorite performances were from Mendel and Jason, who both pulled off their roles INCREDIBLY. Mendel was like a carbon copy of Brandon Uranowitz he had his mannerisms DOWN. All the nervous ticks, touching his face, being generally so awkward all the time, even his face was just perfec t for the role. And Jason was played by an adult femme-presenting person but they were so good as him!!!!! their voice fit him perfectly and she also perfectly encompassed Jason;s awkward childlike nature. The entire cast was incredible but those two really stood out to me!!!! Everyone's singing voices as well were fantastic, especially Trina's—she KILLED the high notes and even sung up the octave on a few lines !!!! including the "but still the bastard divorced me" and she still belted the "you must exorcise a devil" even AFTER Im Breaking Down. In fucking sane.

THAT BEING SAID THOUGH. Even though i enjouyed every second of it I do wanna make some more analysis-related directing critiques because im fucked up and evil about this show . im so sorry just let me speak here meaout. Stating right now though I've only seen the 2016 revival (about 2 dozen times) and not the original 90's version (been meaning to watch it just havent gotten the chance) so i reserve all TRUE judgement until after I see it!!! maybe some of these choices were in the original but tbh if they were i still like how the revival did it better. okay i swear im not just one of those ppl who is like "tHaTS noT hOw ThEY dId iT On BroADwAy" calm down. thanks <3

First of all. Some of the scenes lacked energy !!!!! Thrill of first love had no homoerotic choreography!!!!! they just kinda sat there on the couch looking morose and barely looking at each other as if they truly just hate each other and feel ANYthing towards each other anymore at all. But thats not the point!!!!!! They dont fully hate each other theyre just lacking the excitement that they once had and it's been replaced with nothing but disagreements and sex. When Whizzer and Marvin do their gay little dance theyre not just dancing and being gross and sexual theyre also FIGHTING!!!! they still care about each other they just dont know how to act!!!! and marvin's a bitch of course. Marvin was still very much a bitch. But because of the lack of energy in this song there was a bit of a lack of chemistry between the two as well, which carried through the whole show. I feel like it's important to see just how gross fucked up n nasty these two are about each other to see how its truly affecting the other people in Marvin's life. Even their chemistry during the chess game was lacking. They just kinda felt like they really hated each other. Which isnt the pointtttttt. Guh

Trina (or the directors idk) also made some choices I wasn't 100% on board with but they were more subtle. Mostly in her tone about Mendel. Up through Please Come To Our House she seemed to really really like Mendel. Like it was clear she was attempting to woo him. But then when he was proposing, and when they were maknig their home together, she just seemed. Unenthused. I know Trina truly doesn't really love her life, and just needs the stability of a nuclear family, but it was odd to see her not even attempt to keep up the facade on her own. Her and Mendel were similarly lacking in a lot of chemistry because of this, which, maybe to some of you makes sense but to me i do want to see them be close even if Mendel isn't absolutely the best.

LAST CRITIQUE OKAY. This one is BIG SPOILERS if u havent seen it yet but probably if ur reading this far youve already seen it okay. The fuckign bar mitzvah!!!!! There was no acknowledgement from Whizzer to Jason as he was reading his Torah !!!!!!! He just layed there in the hospital bed, facing AWAY from the audience so we could only see the very top of his head (which was on purpose for a quick change but) and he didnt get up at all to thank Jason or even acknowledge him :( for all the audience knows maybe he didnt even see Jason get bar mitzvahd. screaming crying throwing up.

OKAY IM DONE W BEING MEAN HERES A BIG CHANGE I REALLY LOVED !!!!!! as well as some smaller changes that i also really liked or were jsut neutral things i noticed

For most of act 2, up until Days Like This, They had this really cool circus imagery? Now once again idk if this is in the OG, but they had a picture of each cluster of characters set up on either side of the stage, and each of them was doing some sort of circus act both in the pictures and on stage, especially during A Day in Falsettoland. When a character was having their point in the song, they'd sometimes cut the lights briefly and suddenly the characters would be struggling to perform their little circus act, and each of them had a differnt one respectively and they all represented their immaturities/flaws/struggles:

Jason was on stilts, representing his need to grow up and perhaps his perceived mental maturity compared to the other characters

Trina was balancing/spinning plates on sticks, representing her need to keep balance and order in her life

Marvin + Whizzer were fencers because of their lingering animosity, yet newfound respect, for one another. Fencing isnt a dangerous sport, like you dont actually hurt your opponent in it, but it;s still a fight and youre still pointoing a weapon at them. guh. (AND BTW they did this during the racquetball scene and HOLY SHIT. I just gotta describe this one. Racquetball number 1 They had their little racquets as they were singing to each other but then when they got really into the game the lights would cut and then theyd be FENCING each other instead!!!!! and then the lights would cut again and itd go back to racquetball!!!! BUT THEN in the racquetball number 2 when it cut to them fencing ONLY MARVIN HAD A SWORD. WHIZZER STILL HAD HIS RACQUET. GIUUHUHGGHGHGHGHGH.;..,.,/;;'.';.;'[[[.)

Then the lesbians from next door were like a duo balancing/acrobatics act where they were always leaning on each other and picking each other up which was cute but also like. Charlotte would start falling in one direction and Cordelia would have to scrambke to catch her. I always hail them as the healthiest couple in the show but sometimes i forget they have problems too, like Cordelia;s insecurity and Charlotte's stress over the virus of course.

And finally Mendel!!!! was the fucking ringmaster!!!!! He had a hoop and a top hat and every time he was trying to calm down Jason (Everyone Hates His Parents), or Caroline, or Trina (A Day in Falsettoland), he would appear with his hoop and top hat, to show that HE is the one who needs to "control" other people's lives, or at least he feels the need to direct them. Mendel of course needs to feel like he's smarter than everyone else and like he's the only one who can help people. It really drove that home and it was an insane realization to come to. Phenomenal directing choice idk who came up with that but. bravissimo to you

Now miscellaneous stuff i liked or noticed!!!

They didn't have the big ol foam block. just some couch ends that they moved around to be diff pieces of furniture. If you've ever seen Waiting In The Wings' analysis on falsettos you might have seen a comment in the youtube section discussing how in the set design for the revival, the lack of real furniture through most of the show represents the lack of maturity of the characters, and as things get serious for them, more real props and set pieces get added. Like the chess board, the decor for Mendel + Trina's home, Whizzer's suitcase, the whole hospital room, etc. They didn't lean into that with this but i think that's fine! its not a necessary detail in my opinion and they did their best with what they had!!

Marvin didn't hand whizzer the suitcase after the chess game. He just grabbed it, and packed it himself. I was waiting for him to slam it into whizzer's chest or something. but no. Whizzer just picked it up and walked off. okay. Neutral bad change imo

Marvin's performances of What would I do and What more can i Say were. Breathtaking. Marvin actor if you're out there reading this your voice is lovely and carries so much emotion in your solo numbers. I Did Cry. a little bit

god their group number harmonies were AMAZING. All of the cast members' voices blended together so well and it was absolutely beautiful. the whole show was beautiful and i adored it i swear. I jsut need somwhere to put my feelings

THE ORCHESTRA FUCKED. IT FUCKED

Okay its getting late now and im fading quickly BUT IF U READ THIS FAR UR INSANE. This is for me and nobody else i just eneded to feelings dump. tl;dr: i fucking lvoe falsettos this was one of the best nights of my life i love you actors i love you pit i love you lighting i love you run crew i love you sound crew i love you musical theatre

#falsettos #falsettos 2016 #musicals #musical theater #musical review #rambles #ramblings #shiksa caterer #short insomniacs #hypochondriacs #yiddish americans #spiky families #radiologist #intellectuals #nervous wrecks #sigh #falsettoland

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queenhelenblackthorn · 2 months

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WhatsOnStage dropped a star on their Hadestown review because *checks notes* its a greek tragedy

#hadestown #musical review #musicals #anais mitchell #rachel chavkin

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thesongofpurplesummer · 1 month

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What are some of your controversial opinions about The Tony Awards or Olivier Awards? (Shows/People that should have won)

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follow-the-ghostlight · 4 days

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The way I have studied this musical since 2016 and have made it one of my longest standing hyperfixations is worrying, because I swear on my rare musical merch I have so many opinions and so many words. I love this musical so much that I plan to audition for a show a company 2 hours away from me is putting on. That is the closest I have ever gotten to being in or seeing this musical.

I have also convinced myself that the musical imploded cause of horrible casting decisions, because, like, HOW CAN YOU GO FROM MULTIPLE AWARDS AND BREAKING RECORDS TO NOW NOBODY’S EVER HEARD OF IT. More people have heard of WAY more niche musicals and it’s baffling to me. WHY oh WHYYY did they have to make the TV special that ALL OF AMERICA COULD SEE be the one with Hasselhoff. Why. Why did he have to be the one. To be frank, he sucks ass as this lead. Like, he’s maybe ok at singing, his acting is cheesy and hammy, and he is just absolutely not fit for that role at all. He’d do fine in an ensemble, but not the lead. He cannot bounce between tenor and baritone effectively, he does not sound or look like a different person when he “changes”, unlike Cuccioli and Warlow, his vibrato is out of control… I could keep going, but I won’t unless someone wants to hear it in dm or something lol.

And with the revival??? Why did they have to change the aesthetic??? Why did they have to make it over sexualized AND steampunk?? IT’S A GOTHIC MUSICAL!! IT IS NOT A PUNK ROCK CONCERT!! IT IS IN THE EXTENDED TITLE!!! I could go on forever about this. I am so mentally ill. I wrote a 4000+ word, 10-page, cited paper for fun about how it could be properly revived for broadway and although some of my thoughts and ideas have changed, I will definitely die on quite a few hills with the opinions I have. I’ll likely rewrite that paper over the summer or even make a video on YT discussing it, cause I wanted to make a Jekyll & Hyde iceberg video anyway. In any case, thanks for listening to my TED talk.

#rant post #musical theatre #broadway #jekyll and hyde #jekyll and hyde musical #robert cuccioli #jekkie #musicals #musical review #someone properly revive jekyll and hyde please #or else I will #i have so many thoughts

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marvelmaniac715 · 3 months

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Specifically for @weltato - this is what I thought about the production of Jesus Christ Superstar I saw tonight.

They leant heavily into the musical instrument theme - Jesus was a rockstar; complete with a guitar he had on him at almost all times and a mic stand which he sang into. When he went into a rage during Gethsemane, he tore off his guitar, dismantled his mic stand and tore off his shirt, almost rejecting his Father’s word. Every character sang into a microphone and Jesus involuntarily crowd surfed numerous times, as if being carried to his execution. Oh, and when Jesus carried the cross near the end? It was the mic stand - as was the pitchfork one ensemble member pointed at him - as if his speech was being turned against him.

The ensemble was incredible, their movements were sharp and erratic, and the part that truly took my breath away was in the temple just after Simon Zealot, where the ensemble latched onto Jesus and formed a cross with their bodies, symbolising how his followers led to his crucifixion, and this symbol coincided with Jesus saying how not one of them understood what power is.

Another incredible piece of symbolism came in the form of Judas accepting the silver. In this production, Judas dipped his hands into a treasure chest… and they emerged dripping in silver paint, literal blood money. He could not escape his fate or his actions, and every time he touched Jesus from that point onwards, that silver was there, glinting in the light and slowly flaking away as he regretted his choice.

Jesus and Judas, that’s why a lot of you are here, right? After all, their relationship is at the heart of the show, and it couldn’t have been more queer coded. Two separate times, Jesus held out his hand to Judas, and both times Judas hesitated before coming over to Jesus and wrapping him in the tightest hug. When Judas first confronts Mary, Mary is attempting to lead Jesus offstage by the hand (presumably to sleep with him) and Judas’ intervention reads as slightly jealous to me. During the Last Supper - just before it, actually - Jesus looks at Judas, glances down at his silver-stained hands and then wraps a purple shawl around his shoulders, it was a very intimate moment in my opinion. During Judas’ suicide when he sang a part of I Don’t Know How To Love Him, he sang in falsetto, reminding me more and more of Mary’s motivation when she sang it - Judas loves Jesus, not as a brother but as something much more, and it is heartbreaking. The betrayal kiss is played as more intimate too - Judas gently cups Jesus’ face before kissing his cheek; slow, soft and regretful. And oh, don’t get me started on the final moments of the show! After the crucifixion, nobody is on stage except for Judas and Jesus. The two look at each other before sitting down on opposite sides of the same bench, and the message is clear - they are the same, mirror images of each other, forced to do what they did not want to.

In summary, the UK touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar was incredible and I adored it.

#jesus chris superstar #andrew lloyd webber #musical theater #musical theatre #musical review #character analysis

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pieshopbarber · 5 months

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My dumb little review of the 2023 Sweeney Todd revival!! 😀

I had been hyping myself up for seeing the 2023 revival for multiple months on end, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Obviously I had a bunch of issues with it, there are always going to be issues with anything, that’s how the world works, but overall I could not be happier with the experience.

I thought it was really well casted overall, each and every one of these performers were fantastic and 100% deserved the roles they have and the praise.

Josh Groban’s performance as Sweeney Todd was absolutely fantastic. While I wish they cast someone older, I can’t argue that Groban was absolutely fantastic as the role. I had high hopes since hearing the first few songs from the cast album, and was blown away when I saw him live. Todd is always one of those characters who is very interesting to see performed, mainly due to how erratic he can be, switching between being completely depressed and withdrawn from the world to enraged and running around screaming and slashing throats at the drop of a hat, and Josh managed to really capture this. I also really enjoyed a lot of the little things he did. He definitely brought a bunch of middle aged white dad energy to the role that I don’t see a lot, really driving home the point that he really is just a father who lost absolutely everything. I also adored the choreography (I don’t know if this is the right word, but I’m just kinda dumb) with the razor, especially during epiphany, my favorite moment being where he descends the stairs to start confronting the audience where he slams the razor into the railing and scrapes it down. Really good stuff. A personal favorite moment of mine is the end. The enraged screaming of “BENJAMIN BARKER!” To violently sawing at the judge’s throat (which I was not expecting but holy shit was that awesome), but then holding the razor out in front of him as if disgusted by it and his own actions, but snapping back into a rage when he sees Johanna, practically turning into a feral animal, growling and literally lunging at her and down the stairs. His performance was definitely the highlight of the show.

Now onto Annaleigh Ashford. Oh jeez. Her accent was not great. It was better than it was in the cast recording, so that was nice, but it still sucked. I do not like Ashford’s characterization of Lovett. She’s too touchy and grabby with Todd, which definitely isn’t how Lovett should be. She waits, and she wouldn’t be that touchy and impatient. It does help with some of Todd’s characterization, with him either completely ignoring her advances, being disgusted and pushing her away, or being too much in a daze to fight back against her, but I still did not like it. I also do not like her casting, Ashford is too young and conventionally attractive for the role, however despite this, I can not ignore how genuinely funny she is as Lovett. Her comedic timing and line delivery never failed to get a laugh out of me, and I loved how she really embraced the Lovett hyperactivity. The energy she brought during little priest was absolutely amazing, literally rolling on the ground and doing the little Lovett jig. The banter between her and Todd was absolutely fantastic, and it’s impossible to ignore how well her and Groban meshed together. I have to say that the moment she really shined was during Not while I’m around. At the beginning she’s defensive and on edge as she realizes that Toby is on to the whole thing, turning into a very motherly sternness as she tries to convince him to stop thinking about the whole thing, to the heartbreak and panic as she realizes that they need to kill Toby. Her sadness when she is telling Toby how to work the oven and meat grinder is something I don’t see a lot when people play Lovett, and it was fantastic. I also loved her approach right before she gets killed. With her practically sobbing as she sings because she is happy since this is the closest that Todd has ever been with her, but also because she knows that she’s going to die, she knows that this closeness is not because of love, it’s because Todd wants her dead because she lied.

Obviously, Gaten just left the production, so Tobias was played by Daniel Marconi. I really enjoyed him as Toby, he really portrayed the whole pathetic orphan thing really well. However I did think his voice was a little too mature sounding if that makes sense. Overall though, really good as Toby. Was absolutely amazing during not while I’m around, the panic in his voice was palpable, really talented guy.

Nicholas Christopher was probably one of the best Pirellis I’ve seen. Pirelli is my favorite character from this musical overall, and he was just so freaking good. Really played into the camp and flamboyance of the character, really being a fruity little piss seller. During the contest he dramatically sprawled across the guy in the chair, or would fling the razor out towards the ensemble making them freak out and shrink away and overall was absolutely hilarious. One of the most brilliant things about his performance was how towards the end of the contest where he realizes that he’s losing, he begins to lose the Italian accent and the Irish starts to slip through, which I’ve never seen anyone do when playing Pirelli. I also loved the contrast that Nicholas Christopher had between the high pitched Italian accent and the super low gruffness he had with his Irish accent. Was definitely my favorite character from the whole thing.

The beggar woman was played by Ruthie Ann Miles, and I don't really have any issues with her. She was super good as Lucy, and her singing was really good. I thought it was brilliant that they had her wig obscuring her face and had her keep her shoulder or back to the audience so we couldn’t see her face until city on fire, right before Todd kills her. I also really enjoyed how she would physically interact with the other characters, as I don’t see that often with beggar woman performances.

Jamie Jackson was overall pretty good as judge Turpin, however I felt his acting was a little overdone. His voice was a little too wheezy and nasally at points, and him grabbing onto Lovett’s skirt was far too dramatic. However he did give me the ick, which is needed whenever someone plays Turpin.

Beadle Bamford was really funny. Similarly to Pirelli, Johnathan Christopher really played into the flamboyance of the character, which I always love. I really loved the bit before parlor songs where he unabashedly steals from Lovett. He was super funny and a great mesh with Turpin.

Maria Bilbao was fantastic as Joannah. Her singing was absolutely fantastic, and she was able to capture the naivety, yet strength of the character. Johanna here actually felt like a teenager who was both scared of the world because of how Turpin sheltered her, but also had eyes full of wonder and hope. Really loved her.

Daniel Yearwood as Anthony was good. I really don’t have much to say about him. He was really good. His line delivery was really good, but I thought he sounded really similar to Gaten on the cast album. That’s not a gripe with him, it’s just something I noticed.

I went in knowing that the factory whistle would be (sadly) absent from the show, yet still found myself bracing for it. I was kinda disappointed that the whistle was excluded since it’s such a massive part of the class system metaphor, but I totally wasn’t expecting the extra loud whistle when Turpin was killed. Literally made me almost shit myself in the mezzanine. Also again, Josh literally sawing at the judges throat was great at that moment too.

I also was somewhat tentative about the dancing. I don’t think of Sondheim or Sweeney Todd and think of dancing, so I went in cautious about it, and honestly I hated it a lot less than I thought I would. The dancing in the opening and closing ballads works? It’s not atrocious to be honest, it’s jarring yes, but isn’t the worst thing they could have done. The dancing is used very sparingly throughout the rest of it, and it’s not awful. It created a really surreal and dreamlike atmosphere which is quite fitting for the scenes they had it in (ladies and their sensitivities, poor thing, city on fire) or it created a hectic and almost unsettling aura (god that’s good, Pirelli’s miracle elixir). I also noticed that during these dancing moments that Todd, Lovett, Turpin, beadle, Toby, and Lucy would be the only ones still moving normally, kind of highlighting their disconnect from the rest of London. This was really highlighted during city on fire during the beggar woman’s part.

I also really like the inclusion of the scene that originally was after Mia Culpa. Normally it’s cut alongside Mia Culpa, but was kept in the revival, which is honestly awesome. It gives the context of how Johanna got the key and gave it to Anthony, and also how she found out Turpin wants to marry her, and without it it’s kinda weird and confusing. Honestly though, I wish Mia Culpa was included, just because it’s a great song and helps to characterize the judge, and the fucking social media used its lyrics to show off the judge that one time, so yeah. But it’s understandable why they didn’t. I’ve seen it performed and can only guess how hard it is for the judge performers to go from that into ladies and their sensitivities so quickly.

Overall, I could not have been more impressed and happy with the revival. I’m incredibly thankful I was able to go. The cast, crew, and orchestra have every bit of my joy and thanks for putting on such a great production of one of my favorite musicals.

#sweeney todd #stephen sondheim #sweeney todd the demon barber of fleet street #sweeney todd: the demon barber of fleet street #broadway #musical #musical theatre #mrs. lovett #sondheim #josh groban #annaleigh ashford #2023 revival #sweeney todd 2023 #musical review

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hisdude-ness · 1 month

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Avenue Q Review

Avenue Q was the catalyst for me to break it off with my shitty boyfriend and started every event in my life for the past year. Wonderful soundtrack and very funny. 5/5 stars

#the dude reviews #avenue q #musicals #musical review

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loverofcartoons · 4 months

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So I watched the Prince of Egypt proshot

It wasn’t good

The Bad

The characterizations

Moses and Rameses father Pharaoh Seti is portrayed much more Jovial. In the film is was very stoic and strict which is reflective of him in the Bible. In the film he is honestly pretty scary. In the stage production, his yells at rameses once, but immediately joking around right after.

The Pharaoh when confronted by Moses about the death of the Hebrew babies, states that it wasn’t something he necessarily wanted to do but needed to. The sentiment that “they were just slaves” is absent, which lessens the cruelty of the crime.

As Moses runs into the desert, he clearly isn’t as upset with his father as he should be. The line “ask the man I once called father” is missing during this scene. After Moses left, the pharaoh banishes him but begrudgingly. We see him still grieving Moses absence as he dies.

Rameses is portrayed much the same way throughout the play. Even once Moses returns to beg for the slaves to be set free, Rameses is seen as kind hearted, actually wanting to grant Moses request but is stopped by his wife and the Priest. It isn’t until Rameses son dies that we see a turn in him, but is clearly still being influenced by the priest. In the end, hesitating to kill Moses and sends his soldiers back, letting the Hebrews go.

The costume design

As I understand these costumes were changed for this specific production, but gosh they are bad. They are a strange mix between British royal garb and ancient Egypt Halloween costumes.

All of the royal outfits just feel incredibly out of place

The songs (but mostly The Plagues)

This was the biggest hit for me. They changed Moses and Rameses verses in The Plagues. The Chorus stayed the same the verses were completely changed. The charged emotion that had been there before lost completely. If you want to hear for yourself, go give it a listen on YouTube or Spotify and hear for yourself.

The rest of the song from the film were kept in tact and performed perfectly fine. The new songs are honestly very forgettable. The Act one Finale, Never in a Million years and Heartless seem to be the best among them, but are still just ok. The music itself felt like it belonged in a D tier Disney movie, not a Bible epic.

The absence of dramatic resonance

The stage production has a habit of making the quiet dramatic moments loud or rushing through them entirely. The scene were Moses mother sings a reprise of All I Ever Wanted is supposed to be quiet and comforting, instead, it is belted out. It seemed that every time there was a scene where two characters were talking about something serious, they were just trying to get to the next scene. Never giving the audience time to sit and feel the moment.

The burning bush scene is one of the most impactful scenes in the movie. Although the stage production handles it interestingly enough, using dancers to interpret the fire and all of there voices as one sing the word of God, the scene is too short and throws away the quiet majesty present in the film.

The good

The choreography

The choreography and the dancers themselves were the best part of the whole show. The dancers were often used to tell the story that is difficult to tell on stage. They are the fire, the river, the Red Sea, the desert sands fighting against Moses. They are the hieroglyphics on the walls and the Midianites dancing with Zipporah. It was gorgeous to look at.

More inclusive

For those of you who were not aware, the film cast of Prince of Egypt was astonishingly white. In this production almost every member of the main cast is a person of color.

This production also tries to put more focus on its female characters. They actually introduce us to Rameses wife Nefertari. Showing that they were forced into marriage by both of their families. Moses wife Zipporah is also given slightly more emphasis. There is an added scene of Zipphrah and Moses flirting while Moses watches the sheep, enabling us to see a bit of their courtship which is complied into a montage in the film. While fleeing with the Hebrews, she has an emotional moment expressing how much she will miss her family, never being able to see them again.

Moses and Rameses mother is also given an extra scene during The Plagues, pleading with Moses to stop and see reason.

Conclusion

The prince of Egypt musical looks spectacular with its stellar choreography, staging and lighting, but falls insanely flat with its costume design and script. They took an amazing, epic story of two brothers at odds that felt almost Shakespearean at times, and made it feel entirely childish. It’s almost as if they didn’t think the audience could handle the original interpretation and decided to water it down.

If you, for some reason, have Broadway HD and love the film, give this one a pass.

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velvette-hussle · 2 months

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Ranking The Hazbin Hotel & Helluva Boss Songs (because I can)

Before I even start I’ll say right off the bat that HH has much stronger and rememberable/catchier songs than HB (at least to me).

Like, outside of House of Asmodeus (and Moxxie and Millie’s song that’s mixed into it), Cotton Candy, & Stolas’ song to Via in - I think - the Loo Loo Land episode I can’t even think about any of the other HB songs off the top of my head. And I only really remember Stolas’ song technically, but really I don’t remember the beat or the lyrics or anything, I just remember the visuals and that it was sung like a lullaby. Show wise I do like HB more than HH though.

I’ll say this too, I don’t like how a lot of HH’s songs lead in. The entrances just feel very fucking jarring to me sometimes.

ALSO, I’m only ranking series songs for now, anything released outside of the explicit show canons means nothing to me in this ranking. I’ll include Pilot songs though. Ha, never mind I ended up doing some of the out of show songs too.

TOP FIVE

Hell is Forever: Has a nice snappy entrance and it makes sense, loved it. I sing this one all the damn time and I know it word for word at this point I can’t even lie. Alex Brightman, enough said (though I do like him as Fizz more than as Adam).

House of Asmodeus: Best HB song in my opinion, but it looses points because there’s not actually an end to the song. I sing this one frequently. Plus, there’s a snappy entrance.

I’ll count Moxie’s song to Millie as a part of this song as well, and while I wouldn’t rate it separately in my top five (it’d probably be right above More Than Anything) as a part of House of Asmodeus I like the contrast 👍🏾. This is just such a sweet song it makes me smile every time I hear it.

Respectless: Another song with a jarring and snappy entrance and I love it. Velvette’s character is showcased well here, and this is really the last we get of her characterization in season one. I love the argument aspect of this song and Velvette’s “Ugh” too, it’s just such an expressive sound of disgust. Lilli Cooper’s voice is just great. I sing this one (both parts) frequently too.

I’m Always Chasing Rainbows: This shit was too good, what the fuck? I get lost in this song it’s so lovely to listen to. It’s just so melodic and whimsical and beautiful.🩷

Stayed Gone: I enjoy Vox’s part the most (mainly from a character standpoint) but Alastor caps the shit off wonderfully and brings a sense of menace that I just don’t tend to feel from his character throughout a lot of the show (outside of when he made Husk cower on the floor of course). Alastor’s laugh at the end is also my favorite of his and his most chilling to me. I sing this one relatively frequently compared to the ones below it but still a good bit less than the others above it.

SIX-FORTY FIVE(?)

You Didn’t Know: Especially love Lute’s first part that leads into her and Adam singing together (ie: “Did you forget that Hell is forever?”) because Jessica Vosk ate that, and Emily and Charlie’s lil duet together. The way the song drops off after Vaggie’s revealed to be a former Exorcist also reminds me of the musical cue in POTO when Christine rips Erik’s mask off during Don Juan Triumphant which I also enjoy. I sing this bitch (all parts) all the fucking time. I listen to this one more than I do Stayed Gone, but both songs are fairly even to me ranking wise.

Poison: I like the song from a technical standpoint but I don’t revisit it, I don’t even really think about revisiting it all that much actually. We all know this song does a good job of conveying story no matter how you personally feel about it so I don’t have much to say. Though I will say that I like how this song sounds far more than I like how Addict sounds. Honestly if it wasn’t for the subject matter this song would be right below Crooked, I can’t even lie; like, forget the lyrics and visuals for a second, I just don’t like the music very much.

Finale: The Vees’ part is specifically why this song is placed where it is, and the animation that accompanies the song as a whole as well. Outside of that though while I think Lucifer’s part where he’s holding his hand out for Charlie is sweet and Alastor’s solo part is interesting, musically it’s just not doing very much for me so….yeah. I actually like this song a bit more than Poison, but Poison’s thematic relevance is just greater. Overall the song’s a nice callback and cute enough. Also, if all the Vees had gotten to sing I would’ve ranked this higher.

"Crashin' a Muthaf***n' Wedding" by “Until Further Notice” - Wrath’s #1 “Fuck You Up” Hits: I think this song is better than it has any right to fucking be, but I love it. It just sounds good and fits the atmosphere of Millie’s fight scene so well. Would un-ironically put into a playlist.

The Ballad Of Striker: It’s fun, what else is a woman to say? I’m a sucker for wild west themes and how much Striker hates the song is also a bonus. The song also reminds me of the Old Yeller theme song (ie: “Best doggone dog in the west”). Idk.

I.M.P Commercial Jingle: Apparently I’m also a sucker for a quick little song, but whatever.

Loser, Baby: Roughly the same as my reasoning for Poison, just that this song hits hard with the mixed messaging and just isn’t as poignant at Poison is. I enjoy what the song is trying to say more than what the song seems like it’s saying when you actually listen to or read the lyrics, but it’s also just a fun song to sing along to (I do revisit it more than Poison though). Plus Keith David; what else is there to say after that?

More Than Anything: One of those I felt didn’t lead in smoothly so it felt awkward at the start. The song itself is sweet though and sounds great as it keeps going. Jeremy Jordan is always a pleasure to hear also.

Inside Of Every Demon is a Rainbow: Is fun. Definitely gives Phineas and Ferb vibes to me. I like it. This and Happy Day In Hell are actually mostly at even ranks to me.

Happy Day In Hell: The song’s cute but I hardly think about it, let alone give it multiple listens. The comedic “please tell me she’s not singing again” type part at the beginning was funny too, now that I’m listening to it again. Erika Henningsen (I believe) is singing though don’t get me wrong and I love the change from minutes 1:47 to 2:16.

Oh Millie: I think this one’s just adorable and I love Mox and Mill so *shrugs*. No but seriously even though the pilot isn’t canon anymore this song still captured their relationship nicely.

Till The Day We Die: I like how Moxxie and Millie’s voices mix here, they both sound great, but I don’t love the lyrics or the delivery on some words.

Crooked: I don’t like how some of the lines are sung (I do like most of the song though) but the song itself is far too precious for me to put it any lower than this. Ozzie and Fizz are just too sweet.

Klown Bitch: Sounds like an actual pop song you’d hear on the radio, catchy, and fun so it gets hella points.

Cotton Candy: It’s a fun song to listen back to even if I don’t take much from it otherwise. I think it showcases Beelzebub being the manifestation of Gluttony in a creative way with her being an attentive party host who keeps reminding/encouraging her guests to indulge and drink and eat more and more and to keep having fun.

More Than Anything (Reprise): The song sounds beautiful but I feel like Charlie and Vaggie (the main pairing/ship) deserved a love song that wasn’t just a reprise of the song Charlie sang with her father, and just a longer song in general. I digress though, the song is fine.

Ready For This: I like a good march, but other than that I don’t have very strong feelings about this song. I technically like how supportive Alastor is here, but him actually giving a shit about Charlie is something that feels so forced to me that it doesn’t enhance the song for me that much. Also, I know it’s just the genre of music being the same but this song really reminds me of Star Spangled Man With A Plan from Captain America: The First Avenger.

Out For Love: I’ll say this, it is catchy. I just don’t care about it very much.

Inside Of Every Demon is a Lost Cause: I don’t dislike this song but I like so many other songs more so it kind of gets tossed to the side. I like the execution and delivery though.

You Got The Power: Some of y’all already know what this song will remind me of (The Touch by Stan Bush from Transformers the movie), but either way it’s pretty good.

Monster’s Ball: I’ll be honest I hadn’t even listened to this song until I started making this list, but it’s nice.

Loo Loo Land: I’m so sorry, this song is just so funny to me. Plus Alex Brightman.

Addict: Um….I disliked this way more than I expected to. It’s the music style. Characterization wise I like it I guess, though it doesn’t all translate over to the Amazon series (mostly with Cherri).

Whatever it Takes: I like this song in theory. This song just…starts though, no prep, which I didn’t like, and while the voices involved sound wonderful and the story the song is presenting is useful the song itself is pretty ‘meh’ and doesn’t flow pleasantly to me. I’m sorry. I do like the message though and the “I’ll be your keeper/ I’ll be your armor” lines that Vaggie and Carmine sung back to back were good as hell.

It Starts With Sorry: The song doesn’t do anything for me outside of how it moves the storyline along. Sir Pentious is an absolute drama queen and I love him for that though.

Regular Joe: This is Millie’s first solo song so I hate to put it this low but I just don’t feel very strongly about it. The singing is lovely though.

Look At This: It’s a fun song so I won’t put it too low, but it’s not very catchy and I don’t listen to it more than I have to.

Vacay to Bonetown: Actually a surprisingly nice and chill song considering the subject matter. Pleasant on the ear musically.

2 Minutes Notice: The story is fine but the song just doesn’t do anything for me. However, I do like the triumphant horns that play at the end, so there’s that.

Welcome To Heaven: Shit. Just about forgot about this one entirely. I think that says enough, yeah? It’s fine, I simply just don’t care about it. Everyone sounds good though and Sera singing “I’m sorry you can’t stay” was beautiful and in the context of her character a very sweetly sinister and backhanded thing for her to say that really fits.

Juggling Iz Cool: It’s got some nice rhymes. Fun.

Hell’s Greatest Dad: It’s okay, I think the story it’s supposed to be conveying is stupid though (and just not well set up). When I first watched it I thought Alastor was posturing and pretending to be “like a father” and feeling paternal towards Charlie because he has a superiority complex and wanted to “best” Lucifer or something, and it took until other people mentioned it for me to realize that Alastor’s feelings were actually supposed to be sincere, leading up to this song that is not apparent though, so yeah.

“Gilded Jail” (Stolas’ Song | s2ep1): It’s fine. I like it a little more than You Will Be Okay.

You Will Be Okay (Stolas’ song to Via): Similar vibes to More Than Anything because Medrano loves father daughter pairings. It’s cute but I’m not attached to it and I certainly hadn’t listened to it a second time since watching the episode until I was making this list.

“Teacher Song”: It’s got a nice lil rhyming scheme but that’s pretty much it.

Moxxie’s Bad Trip song: Thoroughly enjoy the Phantom of the Opera-esq visuals and musical nods but that’s largely it. Everything else about the song is just okay. Also the cussing and sex jokes are so excessive it takes away from the song and makes it far less enjoyable (for me at least). Honestly the song just makes me cringe so hard. The story’s nice though.

Just Look My Way: I guess the story it’s telling is nice, but I don’t really feel any type of way about it in any direction. Pretty basic, but it is filled with plenty of yearning.

C.H.E.R.U.B Jingle: It’s fine.

Sweet Victory: Also fine, and just as fast as the Cherub Jingle just less catchy. Striker sounds alright. This song does showcase how much off an asshole he is well.

Everybody Look At Me: It’s annoying (and it’s supposed to be) but I still don’t like it.

Chaz Time: I really dislike this song so...

All in all, I’m glad there’s been so many songs written that I can make such a long list ranking them like this. So thanks to everyone who made the music for both shows even if I didn’t like all of it.

#hazbin hotel #helluva boss #musical review #hazbin hotel soundtrack #helluva boss songs #hazbin hotel thoughts #helluva boss thoughts #helluva boss criticism #hazbin hotel criticism #helluva boss music #hazbin hotel music #me•#i speak bitches *mwah*

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jaspaboi · 20 days

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HOLLY SHIT RIDE THE CYCLONE IS THE BEST MUSICAL OMGGG THE DEATH AND SHIT CRAZZYY NOEL BRO????

#ride the cyclone #brainrot #RIDE THE CYCLONE IS SO GOOD OMG #musical #musical review #reveiw #wow

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estellamiraiauthor · 3 months

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Some thoughts on the Ken Hill Phantom in Tokyo—both the show itself, since I’d never seen it before (only partial recordings, never even a full video) and this particular production.

Apologies in advance that I do not know the names of much of the cast… only three cast members are named on the website. I guess you had to buy a program to get some credit for the others, which seems a little shitty… they all did a great job and I’d like to be able to give credit where it’s due… if anyone happens to have a full list, let me know and I’ll add that information.

So, overall thoughts… it was a lot funnier and more fourth-wall-breaking than I expected. Not all of the jokes quite landed (either with me or with the audience in general), but it wasn’t because they were especially dated either, which is always nice in an older show. Just some moments that were like “I know I’m supposed to laugh here, but the joke’s just not that good.”

The banter between Richard (the only new manager in this version) and the old manager, and between Richard and Remy (his assistant or manservant, who kind of fills the role that a second manager sometimes does) usually worked, and all three of them were talented actors. Richard is the former manager of a railway company in this version, which he brags about quite a bit, and I think it was an interesting attempt to showcase the difference between a businessman who really doesn’t appreciate or even attempt to understand opera at all, vs. the Phantom, to whom art should be everything… unfortunately I feel like overall, the Phantom’s characterization was a little weak, which really hurt the emotional impact of the second act. More on that later.

Jammes sort of fulfills the ALW-Meg role here, and this was an interesting character for me because she wasn’t really very good of a dancer? What she did, she did competently, but definitely came off as “actress who has taken ballet lessons” rather than professional ballerina. It also didn’t seem to be much of a singing role, so not a case of choosing a singer over a dancer… I suppose she was maybe supposed to be comic relief, but the actress played her pretty straight?

Paul Potts as Faust is one of the three credited actors, alongside the Phantom and Christine. I LOVED him on Britain’s Got Talent, and watched a few videos of more recent performances when I learned he would be in this, but I wouldn’t say I’ve seriously followed his career. I was surprised in general that the role was such a funny one, and that he was extremely funny in it, because the image I had of him was definitely “Super Serious Tenor”. He was extremely enjoyable, both as a singer and as an actor here. For those who are wondering, because I Googled the role and didn’t find much, “Faust” is essentially the “Piangi” character here, except we never learn his actual name (although we do learn Mme. Giry’s!). He actually had a bigger role than I expected based on his first couple of scenes, unlike poor Mephistopheles, who got killed off fairs soon, for the actor to return as the Persian!

The other major character we meet in that first scene is Raoul, who is Richard’s son in this version. The whole “Little Lotte lost her scarf in the sea” backstory never seems to have happened. Christine and Raoul are already in love from the first scene, but we never learn where or when they met. Interestingly, while the whole “Raoul as aristocracy would never be with an opera singer” issue is not addressed here, since he’s not aristocracy, he does bring up how inappropriate it would be for Christine to be alone with a man in her dressing room. (Not that that stops HIM from barging in!) This Raoul was Sweet and noble, and I really wish I knew the actor’s name because he was a beautiful singer as well.

Christine actually didn’t get a chance to sing until fairly late in the show, and I’m pretty sure the first time she really sings is at her father’s grave, not during a performance or rehearsal! Tayla Alexander as Christine was AMAZING. It’s nice in general to see a Christine who actually is an operatic soprano (although I know that’s not really the POINT of a lot of versions, and don’t mind at all when they don’t, it’s refreshing to see a Christine close to the Leroux character?) She was a great actor too, and this is definitely a Christine with agency. I thought it was an interesting choice to have her come straight out and say “I PITY you!” at the end… that IS possibly a bit of “datedness”? Leroux, or at least the translation I have, also says “pity,” but pity isn’t necessarily seen as an emotion people WANT others to feel about them these days… not sure if that’s an evolution of language/evolution of disability culture thing, or just that this Christine is brutally honest?

So I guess this brings me to the Phantom… he also doesn’t show up until almost the end of Act 1, which is a choice I respect… mystery is good for this character! But I also feel like less interaction with Christine ultimately just made him come off as a creepy incel? I have to say, I did not love Ben Forster in the role. I just went and Googled him because other than playing the ALW Phantom, I wasn’t familiar with him at all, and it’s not at all surprising to me that he got his start in JCS and Rocky Horror etc… I’m much more interested in seeing him in those roles, because he has this like… rock-n-roll twang? To his voice that just did not fit a mostly-Leroux-faithful, generally-period-appropriate Phantom. He was overshadowed vocally not only by Potts but by the woefully uncredited Raoul and the Persian, and if the Phantom doesn’t have the most angelic voice on that stage, it just doesn’t work. I’m curious to see him as the ALW Phantom now, because I surprisingly don’t hate SOME more rock-ish voices there (Paul Stanley isn’t my favorite, but he’s far from my least favorite)… Looking those videos up once I get home!

Since I’m going through all the characters, this version actually has Mme Giry AND the Persian, although Mme Giry is in her original role as box manager! Mme Giry was another great actor and singer, she had a few nice funny moments to break up the overall gravitas of the character.

The Persian… well, this gets into the whole weakness of the second act and of the Phantom character in general. The actor who played the Persian (as well as Mephistopheles) was great, and I didn’t really have a problem with HIS character so much as the needlessly convoluted backstory they gave him and the Phantom. Just about the ONLY sympathetic backstory we get from the Phantom comes from the Persian, and he’s actually pretty brunt about it, just outright calling him “disfigured” rather than a monster or a devil’s child or whatever… which yes, is correct, but it just feels like it’s never really communicated to the audience with any degree of emotion how the Phantom (who never gets a name here) has really been robbed by society’s fear of any chance to have a normal life.

Christine doesn’t have that moment where she sees his face and is initially horrified. She doesn’t see his face at all until the end, so never gets to speak sympathetically about him to others. The Phantom never talks about his OWN past. And what we get from the Persian is mostly about how good at torture he is, oh and that he killed their parents. Because the Persian is his brother.

And I just… that feels so unnecessary? And I think, throws something in there that doesn’t need to be, because is this story set in France, written in English, now commenting on the treatment of children with facial differences in Persia? I don’t really think so, I think it was just supposed to be a big reveal, but it really fell flat. And honestly, if the dude’s parents neglected and abused him… we’ve all been following the Gypsy Rose Blanchard thing for long enough to say, maybe not that it’s OKAY to murder an abusive parent, but it’s certainly a lot more sympathetic than the Persian makes it out to be.

So, in the end, the Phantom is trying to force Christine to marry him by… yelling at her and telling her Raoul is dead. There’s no scorpion and the grasshopper, no Raoul held hostage. If she says no, he’s probably going to kill her, but he’s planning to do that anyway, so it’s a little hard to say what either of them hope to get out of the situation.

And in the end I guess he repents and kills himself, and then all of a sudden all of these people who have been physically and psychologically tormented by him gather ‘round to sing about how he won’t die without a friend? And Christine says he was once her angel of music, but because we’ve never really seen them in the same scene before this, it’s hard to really feel anything about that.

The second act just felt like a huge disappointment after the first… and a lot of that just hung on the Phantom, both the way he was written and the way he was played and sung. I’m glad I saw it, and it’s really interesting to see the parallels either way certain scenes that probably inspired ALW. I was particularly glad to be introduced to Tayla Alexander. But I’m also not going to be going back, at least not during this run.

#ken hill phantom #phantom of the opera #Ken hill #ben forster #Paul Potts #Tayla Alexander #musicals #musical review #live theatre #live theatre review

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sixty-silver-wishes · 11 months

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My thoughts on Broadway's "Sweeney Todd"

A few days ago, my friend and I saw Sweeney Todd on Broadway, and I have a lot of thoughts about the production. I've been obsessed with this musical for years and have seen quite a few performances, so here's what I thought of this one.

Right away, it was amazing. The lighting added a lot to this production, and while the way the set was constructed was a bit unconventional (usually, there's a separate area of the stage sectioned off for the pie shop so two scenes can happen at once, but in this one, they had a bridge over the stage that some scenes took place on), I thought it was still effective. The orchestral arrangement was an interesting change (and even sounded like Shostakovich or Weill at times!), although I was disappointed to not hear the iconic factory whistle in the opening.

So, the acting. I'll go through each character/actor and what I thought of their performance, and how it impacted the overall show. "Sweeney Todd" is a play where every single action or bit of dialogue is important and culminates towards the conclusion, and so the way the characters are interpreted often offers a different angle on the play as a whole.

Josh Groban did an excellent job as Sweeney Todd, and I really appreciated that, since his voice is very melodic, he didn't try to replicate Len Cairou or George Hearn. Sweeney is a very complex character, and I've noticed that most actors who play him take on a different angle of his personality to focus on. Cairou focuses on the pensive, methodical side of the character, Hearn's Sweeney emphasizes madness and rage, and while I'm not a huge fan of Johnny Depp's performance in the movie adaptation, his Sweeney Todd focuses more on his melancholy side. Groban's Sweeney, by contrast, is sentimental. We see him express rage and impatience, two core aspects of Sweeney Todd, but where he's most effective are numbers like the "Johanna" reprise and "No Place Like London/The Barber and his Wife." Sentimentality isn't an emotion typically associated with the character of Sweeney Todd, but Groban's performance hammered in how critical it is to his character. After all, Sweeney Todd is haunted and motivated by his past- his love for his wife and daughter, and his hatred of the judge who tore them from him. This even allows for moments of tenderness- for example, during the "Johanna" reprise, Sweeney spares a man who comes into his barber shop, because he came with his wife. While this could be explained by him not wanting any witnesses, Groban's performance made this moment (forgive the pun) surprisingly cutting. Sweeney is hoping to be reunited with his daughter and is reminiscing about Lucy, and so the man who earlier declared that "we all deserve to die" is letting a young couple live. Groban's "Epiphany," probably the moment I examine the most when watching an actor play Sweeney Todd, was stunning. The insanity and anger wasn't as pronounced as Hearn's, perhaps, but with the way Groban played the character, it didn't need to be. His rage is mainly driven by grief more than madness, and it showed through his angular movements, the near-desperation mixed with fury during the "you, sir" sequence where he breaks the fourth wall, and of course, his emotional performance during the "and I'll never see Johanna"/"and my Lucy lies in ashes" sequences, which require a sudden, yet convincing, emotional shift that he pulled off masterfully.

Jeanna De Waal's Lovett was just plain fun. While I was curious to see how Annaleigh Ashford would have played her, De Waal pulled off a youthful Mrs. Lovett in a hilarious, flirty way. Angela Lansbury was perhaps the most iconic Lovett (although LuPone's performance was stunning as well), and was particularly notable for her dark comedy through the juxtaposition of being a matronly pie shop owner and an accomplice to murder and cannibalism. I feel like the "matronly" aspect of Mrs. Lovett is probably one of the most important facets of her character, which is why I tend to prefer performances by older actresses as Lovett to younger ones, but De Waal, like Groban, gave a unique performance, in her case using her youth to her advantage. Her Lovett was constantly flirting with Todd, which created some hilarious juxtaposition between their personalities, and she added a lot of energy to her comedic lines, especially during "A Little Priest," where her chemistry with Groban was a blast to watch. I do wish she had a bit more chemistry with Gaten Matrazzo as Toby, which would have made the ending scene hit harder emotionally, and her sinister side explored further. De Waal focused mostly on the comedy aspect of Mrs. Lovett, who at her core is a ruthless manipulator, so I understand she's an incredibly difficult character to pull off when balancing those two elements. Nonetheless, I thought her acting was really enjoyable to watch, although she was more effective in comedic scenes than dramatic ones.

I don't have a ton to say about Jordan Fisher's portrayal of Anthony; I liked his performance overall, but I felt he came across as slightly too mature, although maybe this came down to his voice. Anthony is a very idealistic and naïve character, meant to contrast with the cutthroat, conniving world of "Sweeney Todd." I didn't think I really got this with Fisher as much as with some other performances I've seen, but the maturity he gave to the character did pose an interesting angle in his scenes with Todd, as Groban's sentimentality meant an almost paternal dynamic between Todd and Anthony. This isn't an angle I see a lot, but it was definitely one I thought was really fascinating. His chemistry with Maria Bilbao as Johanna was good, and I felt he provided some grounding to her more neurotic portrayal.

I loved Bilbao's Johanna. Technical skill of singing "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" aside (which she nailed), I feel like a lot of productions miss the point of this number. "Green Finch" is to introduce Johanna and her trapped circumstances, yes, but I see too many productions that simply have it performed as a sad, pretty, virtuosic number, without saying too much about who Johanna is as a character, or the effects the circumstances she sings about have had on her. Betsy Joslyn's was unique in that she attempts to seem somewhat frazzled while singing it, but her purposefully-crossed eyes and overexaggerated vibrato risk coming across more as caricature than a sincere performance. Bilbao, however, is heartbreaking. Her Johanna is fighting to keep her wits together, evidently broken by living with an abusive father figure, and when she sings "teach me to be more adaptive," it almost seems like a prayer. (This also has the effect of making the following number, "Ah, Miss," darkly hilarious, as it implies Anthony was watching this random girl having a mental breakdown and immediately decided he was in love with her.) Her blocking was restricted and tense, almost making her look like a caged bird, and her facial expressions and gestures were cautious and restrained, bringing to mind a scared animal. This really brought home the essence of Johanna's character- while she's often played as a classic ingenue, Johanna is, in fact, a subversion of the archetype- a realistic portrayal of the mental strain a young girl locked away with a man like Turpin and kept from seeing the outside world would actually face. I honestly really like Johanna as a character because there's a lot more depth to her than is often portrayed, so it was really refreshing to see Bilbao apply this level of nuance to her.

Matrazzo's Toby was, of course, excellent. Toby is probably the character with the most variation across productions, as he can be portrayed as anywhere between a child to a young adult. Matrazzo shone particularly in two scenes- "Not While I'm Around" and the final monologue. Like "Green Finch," "Not While I'm Around" is a number that's frequently misinterpreted, with some performances portraying it as simply as an example of Toby's affection for and devotion to Mrs. Lovett. "Not While I'm Around," despite its lyrics, is not a sweet, tender number. In context, it's terrifying, and luckily, Matrazzo portrays this. His Toby is desperate, even frustrated. While it's not particularly dwelled on in the play, Toby has been mistreated by Pirelli, and so latches onto Mrs. Lovett, who he sees as a genuinely nurturing protective figure. However, not only is Lovett turning people into meat pies, she has no real love for Toby and is primarily focused on manipulating Todd, who, in turn, is also trying to use her for his own gain. However, from Toby's perspective, he's been abused, sees signs of abuse in Todd, and wants to prevent Mrs. Lovett, whom he genuinely loves, from meeting the same fate. Matrazzo's desperation puts this context largely into focus, adding to the suspense of the number. And in the final monologue, I got chills from the way he vacillated between a manic sing-songy tone and complete numbness, sometimes even normalcy. I've seen many productions where Toby keeps the "insane" tone throughout the monologue, but Matrazzo doesn't do that. When he says "you know, you shouldn't harm anyone," it's eerily straightforward and calm.

John Rapson (Beadle Bamford), Nicholas Christopher (Pirelli), and Ruthie Ann Miles (Lucy) were all fun to watch; I enjoyed how Rapson kept the character quirk of rolling his "R's," which not all Beadle Bamford actors do. His falsetto range was incredible, and his performance during "Parlor Songs" was both amusing and suspenseful. Christopher's Pirelli was good, but I felt he didn't place as much over-exaggeration in his lines as I would have liked to see, although I really enjoyed his facial expressions. And Miles' Lucy was absolutely haunting; I've seen a few productions where "Poor Thing" is portrayed through interpretive dance, and thought she especially stood out here, as her movements and blocking added a lot to her character.

Finally, Jamie Jackson as Judge Turpin was repulsive in the best possible way. His voice and delivery had me on edge, and I also couldn't get it out of my head that his facial expressions reminded me of Werner Krauss in "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," which added a whole extra layer of creepiness. His Turpin felt incredibly realistic, like that creepy uncle or skeevy politician you always read about in the news, although he was surprisingly effective with comedic lines, especially the way he enthusiastically delivered the line "ah yes, women!" in "Pretty Women." He brought an air of discomfort to the stage every time he was on it, and the suspense in every scene between him and Groban was extremely palpable.

#sweeney todd #broadway #stephen sondheim #josh groban #gian matrazzo #jeanna de waal #maria bilbao #jamie jackson #john rapson #nicholas christopher #ruthie ann miles #musical #musical review

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