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 lyrics, and the cataclysmic turn of Sweeney’s character in the sequence is, I confess, intimidating to act. This week our cast finished blocking Act 1. The last two days we’ve been working on this final Act 1 sequence. Rehearsal has been exhilarating. As I’ve gotten more familiar with my role, the nervousness about the mechanics of acting–will I remember these lines? Is my posture what it should be? Is my face expressing what this character is feeling here?–is giving way to an excitement that reminds me of why I loved live theatre so much in high school and college.
On Thursday, Christine Pinson (Mrs. Lovett) and I rehearsed the final two numbers of Act 1: “Epiphany” and “A Little Priest.” In my judgment “Epiphany” is the most challenging song that Sweeney sings. It is melodically complex, filled with hyperbolic rage at a world gone wrong, and is a beast to sing well. The song marks a critical moment in Sweeney’s own story when his quest for justice is transformed into a maniacal realization–an “epiphany”–that Judge Turpin’s death is not enough. All men deserve to die. After “Epiphany,” Sweeney is no longer a vigilant; he becomes a serial killer. How does one convey on stage such a turn? That’s what I’ve been wrestling with. During our rehearsal Katie Hahn, our director, encouraged me to step into the manic rage. I’ve got more work to do here; this is not natural space for me. I slightly injured my shoulder on Thursday while executing a slash with my razor–my fifty-year old body isn’t used to this. The song is exhausting! I can’t wait to sing it in front of an audience.
“A Little Priest” has turned into my favorite song in the show. It’s a wicked, hilarious, bawdy, vaudeville-style number filled with puns and darkly comical humor. It’s a glorious ending to Act 1. There are moments in the song when I can’t help but crack up. I don’t want to give too much away to readers who haven’t seen the show (and trust me, you really should!). Abilene friends, Christine Pinson is going to slay as Mrs. Lovett. You don’t want to miss it. With the lyrics mostly committed to memory, I had so much fun this week simply enjoying the humor, throwing punch lines back and forth with Christine. It is a pleasure to work with such gifted actors.
It is hard to believe that we are a month out from our first show! We are off book for Act 1 beginning next Tuesday. I am mostly there. There are few lines that I am still working on, but I’m feeling confident about where we are as a cast. The Paramount stage is empty at present. In the coming weeks the stage will be transformed. I’m eager to begin working with real props, platforms and staircases, and a barber chair–my friend. My son Gabriel has agreed to let me practice my shaving strokes on him so that I appear somewhat competent with a straight razor on stage. There are a lot of pieces that need to come together, and they will. I look forward to seeing family, friends, and strangers at the Paramount Theatre in a few weeks.