Sweeney Todd...

There is quite a buzz about the new Tim Robbins' film of Steven Sondheim's musical/opera Sweeney Todd. The latest is that there is a problem with truth in advertising concerning the TV ads. The experts are saying that the ads are (mis)leading people, namely teenagers and young adult males, to believe that it is a slasher movie rather than a musical/opera and a lot of them are going to be disappointed. It is a slasher movie and actually one of the earliest slashers ever. The first version, entitled "The String of Pearls: A Romance." was published in 1846 and based on a possibly true story from 1802.

The only disappointment will be if they go and don't realize that they are getting some culture for a change.

I've seen quite a number of versions of the play/opera and enjoyed all of them. My favorite of all is the concert version that was done in 2001. Though no one can compare to Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett, Patti Lupone does a marvelous job. Below is a clip of the finale from the concert version. Oh, and yes, that is Neil Patrick Harris in the role of Tobias. Sweeney is sung by Len Cariou, who started the role on Broadway, and Judge Terpin is Timothy Nolan, who is probably the most successful crossover artist between opera and legitimate theatre.



here is the trailer from the new movie with Johnny Depp. I'm looking forward to seeing it.