How do you describe what it feels like to end a show? What does it feel like to say goodbye to a complicated character that you spent over half your life dreaming of playing on stage? How does this all end? One of my favorite documentaries of the last decade is Won’t You Be My […]
“Sleep now my friends. Sleep now forever. Sleep the untroubled sleep of the angels…” Read More »
One of my favorite songs of Sweeney Todd is “Johanna,” a song sung not by Sweeney but by Anthony, the “romantic” lead of the show (if there is such a thing in Sweeney Todd). In the song, Anthony sings of the splendors of the girl he sees in the window, a girl trapped like a
“I was half convinced I’d waken, satisfied enough to dream you…” Read More »
We are less than two weeks from opening night for Sweeney Todd. The entire cast is entirely off book beginning tomorrow. I’m in good shape with lines and lyrics. I’m feeling prepared, and I am extremely eager to see all of the connective tissue of the show–set, props, costumes, lighting, a live pit orchestra, etc.–fall
“Children will listen…” Read More »
We are three weeks from our opening! It is hard to believe. My days are filled with excitement and nervousness. This last week I paced the Lunsford trail around ACU daily with my notebook in hand, running lines and singing songs to myself. The Lunsford is no replacement for the Thames Path, but in Abilene
“Anything you say…” Read More »
At the end of Act 1 of Sweeney Todd there is this deliciously wicked three-song sequence that Sweeney sings. It’s one of my favorite parts of the show. It has been a lot of fun learning these numbers. When I began practicing early this month I found the end of Act 1 daunting. So many
“They all deserve to die…” Read More »
We are now in week three of rehearsals for Sweeney Todd. As I become familiar with the libretto I am continually struck by the subversive humor of Sondheim’s lyrics, the dark turns that the music takes, the shocking juxtaposition of beauty and grotesquery evident in some of the finest moments of the show. Several lyrics
“And though I’ll think of you, I guess, until the day I die…” Read More »
