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Originally Posted by MalinTrumpet Hey guys:
Actually the revival with Bob Gunton and Beth Fowler that is mentioned in the article used 2 synthesizers. It was done in a very small space and worked well. It started at the York Theater (in a church gym) and moved to a small Broadway house, the Circle in the Square. Ironically, the Circle in the Square is in the same building that was the Uris and is now the Gershwin. Both Jonathan Tunick and Sondheim approved the miniature production, which was sometimes referred to as "Teeny Todd". I saw it a few times and enjoyed it.
It certainly didn't have the impact of the huge, original production. Sweeney Todd is one of the few shows that really works well in a large theater like the Uris/Gershwin. It's a wonderful commentary on the evils of the industrial revolution in London. Lately, it's been done in large opera houses. I've seen it done successfully at the New York City Opera.
I'll go see it with Patti LuPone,(Didn't she do it in concert with the Philharmonic 2 years ago?), but it won't have the size and excitement of the original production.
Wilmer, someone told me that Wynton subbed for you at Sweeney Todd. True? Also, I recently played a week of opera with Dick SanFillipo. I think he was your section mate on the orignal Sweeney Todd.
Larry Malin |
Sweeney Todd was the first time anyone in NYC heard Wynton, he had just arrived in town. My friend, James Tinsley alerted me about Wynton. Wynton had just dazzled them at The Tanglewood Festival. Check out the "New York Jazz Gang" picture, that's the way he looked his first year in NYC, skinny with a ton of hair:-}
Stephen Sondheim, I am told, loves this version. You can hear all the words, they claim. I still remember the chills I got in the pit every show when kid dispatched Sweeney on stage just above the brass section. We had stage blood on our music.
Dick SanFillipo was the second trumpet player.
Wilmer