Sweeney Todd in Concert :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

Absolutely Incredible! Will bring tears to your eyes.

2008-08-27
I cannot even say how much I love this DVD. The staging, with the orchestra on the stage mixed with the chorus and soloists, is amazing. The lighting and the minimal set and props fit in so well with the character of of the musical that you can't imagine it set any other way.

I have a friend who has played in the pit for Sweeney many times. He saw this DVD and I asked him his opinion. He said he was in tears watching it. I replied that I understood, the ending is really emotionally overwhelming. He said, "The ending! I couldn't get through the first half!" This DVD is that good.

If you've seen the recent movie, you owe it to yourself to see this raw, barren, yet totally sophisticated version. You owe it to yourself to hear it sung by professional singers and played by a great orchestra! See it and hear it as Sondheim intended.

...More Than a Concert

2008-08-21
This was an amazing purchase. It is quite possibly the best version of Sweeney I have ever seen, and I've seen many. Patti is always a powerhouse vocalist, and her sexy eccentric portrayal of the kooky Mrs. Lovett alone is reason enough to purchase the DVD. Hearn didn't really do it for me in the Broadway version, but in this version he overflows with pride & love for the show and his title role, which makes his performance a joy to watch. The supporting cast and musicians are excellent. The only thing that may raise an eyebrow to those unwilling to suspend their disbelief is the aged faces of the young lovers (and Tobias, sry Neil). This performance goes about as far as a concert can without being a fully staged musical. Brilliant

Amazing Performance

2008-07-10
Sweeney Todd in Concert is a stunning performance of Sondheim's greatest work. The only thing better than this DVD would be to have seen it live in San Francisco. George Hearn is brilliant and has eclipsed his stellar performance in the touring show of Sweeney Todd, some 20 or more years ago. As to Davis Gaines as Anthony - no one could sing that role better. Patty Lupone tackles Mrs. Lovitt with unequaled technique. But most importantly, this is the only venue in which to hear Sweeney Todd performed by a symphony orchestra...that alone makes this DVD a superior value and an absolute favorite for anyone's collection. Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd!!!

Sweeney Todd in Concert

2008-07-02
I love this musical and have copies of all of the productions that are available. In this case, I was present for the concert and had fabulous seats. I enjoyed it then but didn't enjoy watching again. The reason for that was the artifically young look of George Hearn. Between his face lift and orange hair he looks like a bad copy of himself. The singing is great, but I would recommend the original verson or the new movie over this one.

A Fully Satisfying Production

2008-05-27
This paired-down, yet inventive, staging of "Sweeney Todd" actually enhances the excellence of Sondheim's musical score. The intelligent use of lighting suggests horror rather than hitting the audience in the face with it. Without the distractions of fake blood and trap-doors, the viewer is able to focus on the outstanding performances of the cast. George Hearn may be twenty years older, but his acting, which is phenomenal, makes up for any of the former fulness that might be missing from his voice. Patty Lupone presents a far darker Mrs. Lovett than Angela Lansbury did, but her characterization clears up some of the ambiguities of motivation that were present in her predecessor's trademark interpretation; Lupone's powerful voice blends well with Hearn's. Neil Patrick Harris was pleasantly surprising in the role of Toby, and the voices of the supporting characters, Anthony, Johanna, Lucy, Judge Turpin, the Beadle, Pirelli, are simply splendid.

Sweeny Todd in Concert

2008-05-17
This delicious production of Stephen Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," a musical thriller of revenge and romance set in Victorian England, features Broadway diva Patti LuPone as Mrs. Lovett and veteran stage actor George Hearn in the title role. Premiering in 1979, the legendary "Sweeney Todd"--winner of nine New York Drama Critics Circle Awards and eight Tony Awards--is recorded with the San Francisco Symphony as conducted by Rob Fisher.

Now a major motion picture directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp! Opens in theaters December 21, 2007

Superb sound and magnificent staging 2008-02-13
I have always loved Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd" especially after designing the lighting for a community theatre production and running it for 15 plus performances hearing the music over and over and never getting tired of it. My other connection to "Sweeney Todd" is that the role of Joanna was played in the original production by a young lady from my college's drama department who donated a copy of the first video tape with Angela Lansbury which has now become a great DVD (also in my library). BUT this San Francisco Symphonic version is musically the greatest recordig of them all. The leads are excellent as are alll the supporting roles and noteworthy is the appearance of Neil Patrick Harris in a major supporting role, He is unexpectedly magnificent in the part with more than adequate voice but definitely the acting complementing his performance. The staging is excellent utilizing the liimited space available in and around the full (and it is a full sounding as well as physical) orchestra whose conductor brings out the best in the musicians and the singers. Patti LuPone has never been better--better I think then her earlier concert "Candide". George Hearnas the Barber is also outstanding. The lighitng (my strong suite) was possibly the best I've seen for a non-theatre presentation. All in all this is a most marvelous piece of theatre in concert form of all the DVD's in my collection which numbers over 700. Bravo!!!

Sweeney Todd is the best and this is my favorite version 2008-01-26
Sweeney Todd is one of the best musicals ever written, and there is plenty written elsewhere about its artistic merit and plot, so I'll just comment on this particular performance. It seems like a lot of people hate Patti Lupone, but I really enjoyed her performance. In particular, her "A Little Priest" duet with George Hearn was the funniest thing I've ever seen and you could really feel the chemistry between Lupone and Hearn. I also liked the flirtatious looks she threw at Sweeney during "The Worst Pies in London." All of these nuances made me believe that she was really in love with Sweeney, which I think is pivotal to making the final scene work. Compared to Angela Lansbury's Lovett, I had a lot more fun with Patti Lupone. George Hearn was amazing. His commanding presence and rich, colorful voice were a joy. Sweeney can be difficult to play because you can either be too cold and calculating (unsympathetic) or too wildly emotional (unrealistic). Everyone has their own opinion about where on the spectrum Sweeney should fall, but I felt like Hearn struck the perfect balance in this version (where as he was overacting a bit in the stage production with Angela Lansbury). As an extra treat, we get the full backing of the San Francisco Symphony and a cast of veteran singers from both Broadway and opera. Many of the supporting cast are usually lead singers in their own productions! The semi-staging by Lonny Price worked pretty well though some of the scariness of the stage production was lost. I really missed the barber chair and the oven especially since the Act II "Johanna" is one of my favorite numbers. Overall, I liked the acting and singing much better in the concert version than the 1982 stage version so this is my favorite Sweeney on DVD. But I recommend starting with the 1982 video first, if you are new to the show.

Not the Best 2008-01-18
I really don't know why I bought this, as it isn't nearly as enjoyable as the TV version with the same Sweeny and Angela Lansbury. Neil Patrick Harris is surprisingly good, though.

Extraordinarily vibrant concert version of "Sweeney Todd" 2008-01-05
Though I haven't seen the film version, this DVD of the concert version produced with the S.F. Symphony Orchestra is extraordinary good.

The characterizations are acute, vibrant, outstanding, while the staging is miraculous. I'm not for literal interpretations, so for me, it was actually better not to have it staged.

Why?

It allows for the actor-singers, the lighting, and the wonderful music to come to the forefront, as it should.

I have seen clips of the Tim Burton film, and it seems far too literal. A piece of storytelling, with the music as a soundtrack, the voices of the actors not really singing but speak-singing, which decreases the power of the original piece.

The great choral number with its powerful lyrics has been completely limited.

This concert version is exciting and alive. The actors come in and out of the darkness, the choreographed movements and staging allow the human imagination to take wing. You don't need a literal re-creation of Ms. Lovett's bakeshop or the tonsorial parlor, just a receptive imagination!

That said, I wonder how the bass baritone Bryn Terfel would have been (he was originally to play the role of Sweeney in the Chicago Lyric Opera staging).

Here in the concert version it is THUNDERING, a blast of human and instrumental fury, the brilliant lyrics penetrating the viewer/listener's mind.