New York: Thanksgiving Sunday - Oprah, Letterman, and Sweeney Todd
A New York City pretzel cart
The icons of the New York City streets.
Oprah Winfrey’s “The Color Purple” opened officially a few days after we saw it Sunday afternoon. It was a good show, but we were left wishing it had more of the emotional impact of the movie. It was very “Broadway.” We enjoyed it but it wasn’t as original as we had expected. Oprah’s show opened across the street from “The Late Show” with David Letterman, who brought in huge ratings when Winfrey appeared on his show to promote the musical.
In NYC, bobbleheads are everywhere.
Speaking of Broadway… I had one of the most incredible nights of my life in any theatre when we saw the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece Sweeney Todd on Saturday night. The musical was stripped bare to its essentials, brought to life with simple staging and grand imagination. Michael Cerveris as Sweeney Todd is terrifying and Nazi-like. Patti LuPone as Mrs. Lovett brings a sexuality to the role and this is the first Todd/Lovett pairing I’ve seen that would be hot in the sack.
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| Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris in Sweeney Todd (Photo © Paul Kolnik) |
The musical takes you through one third of the first act before catching its breath and allowing the audience to even applaud a song. This builds an immense amount of suspense and emotion in the audience which is then finally released after Anthony sings “Johanna.” The chorus has been replaced by a tight ensemble of only the main characters, making the carnage that much more apparent by the show’s end.
Two songs for which I had little appreciation previously were stunningly performed and brought to new life. “The Tower of Bray” became a tense game by the brilliantly played Beadle, and “Johanna” as sung by the judge was terrifyingly relevant. The usually difficult-to-watch act of self-flagellation is replaced in this production with only musical self-awareness and sharp angst. The scene with the judge, therefore, is stripped of its over-the-top presentation and delivers a direct emotional punch to the audience. You recognize the creepy man before you in the hypocracy and sexual superiority rampant in today’s religious and political leaders.
The small ensemble cast also brilliantly works triple duty as the on-stage orchestra. This never intrudes on the story, but adds to it. The cast earned a long-lasting explosion of a standing ovation at the conclusion of the show. Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd, indeed! This was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had in the theatre.
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