THEATRE REVIEW: Sharp staging of Sweeney Todd could benefit from some musical raggedness.
Legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim’swon the 1979 Tony Award for Best Musical. But with 85% of its dark, dramatic storyline sung, and a score requiring a tormented F2-Gb4 bass, flamboyant B2-C5 tenor, and sprightly Bb3-A5 soprano, operatic stagings seemed inevitable.
It was also only a matter of time before Austin Opera would give it a go. its first musical since opening in 1986 and, to date, its highest-grossing show. Still, genre-jumping comes at a cost.revolves around a despondent barber out to avenge his wrongful imprisonment and the senseless destruction of his fledgling family.
The stage is brimming with multistory pieces and parts that rotate and roam with ease, purpose, and dramatic effect. And because the musical has now transitioned into the realm of opera, that performance space is also filled with classically trained artists with powerful head voices and, it seems, genetically engineered diaphragms.
Bob Fosse once said that “the time to sing [onstage] is when your emotional level is too high to just speak anymore.” In opera, there’s the additional need to sing in heightened expression with raised volume per the traditional tropes and techniques that guide the art form. The featured players indo this brilliantly and masterfully manage Sondheim’s dense and difficult lyrics, demanding vocal range, and enigmatic melodies.
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
Meat Pies (One Meatless) with “Sweeney Todd” ’s Newest StarsAnnaleigh Ashford (Mrs. Lovett) and Josh Groban (the demon barber of Fleet Street) compare notes on their early Sondheimian setbacks.
Baca lebih lajut »
Comcast sells nearly 6 million shares of its Buzzfeed stake amid sharp rallyComcast has sold part of its stake in Buzzfeed, which has seen its shares surge in recent days amid enthusiasm for the publisher's AI efforts.
Baca lebih lajut »
20 years after space shuttle Columbia disaster, lessons learned still in sharp focus at NASATwenty years ago this Wednesday — on Feb. 1, 2003, at 8:48:39 a.m. EST — a sensor in the space shuttle Columbia's left wing first recorded unusual stress as the orbiter and its seven crew members headed back to Earth.
Baca lebih lajut »
Todd Chrisley's Mom Makes First Appearance After He Reports to PrisonTodd and Julie Chrisley are currently serving their combined 19-year prison sentences after being convicted of tax crimes.
Baca lebih lajut »
‘So Help Me Todd’ Renewed for Season 2 at CBSCBS has renewed freshman drama “So Help Me Todd” for another season. The series follows meticulous attorney Margaret Wright (Marcia Gay Harden) and Todd (Skylar Astin), her talented but…
Baca lebih lajut »
‘So Help Me Todd’ Renewed For Season 2 On CBSSo Help Me Todd will be back for a second season. Amid strong ratings, CBS announced today it has renewed the hit drama series starring Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin for premiere in the 2023-2…
Baca lebih lajut »