Word: sondheimer
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Stephen Sondheim...
...raised to be charming, not sincere," says Cinderella's Prince to the Baker's Wife. It is an apt description of this production of Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim's musical valentine to the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales. The competent cast does a good job with the funnier first act. But especially in the inherently weaker second act, the actors too often seem lost in pro forma direction and overwhelmed by the pit orchestra from hell. There are saving graces--the well designed set and scene-stealing cow are two examples--but John Weinstein's production of Into the Woods...
...Stephen Sondheim...
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is rarely attempted by amateurs. Like all Stephen Sondheim musicals it has tricky lyrics, complex orchestrations and a plot that's more than a little strange. Three hours spent watching a barber who cuts people's throats and a baker who turns the corpses into meat pies may make some audience members queasy. Sweeney Todd is by far the most operatic and most complex of Sondheim's shows. The production currently at the Loeb Ex is a brilliant reminder why the show is one of his best...
...what makes this production of Sweeney Todd such a joy to watch is that everyone in the cast can not only act but they can actually sing Sondheim's tortuous lyrics. Particularly notable are Joel Derfner as Tobias, Carolyn Rendell as the Beggar Woman and Adam Feldman as Beadle Bamford. Derfner is almost a little too campy and needed to project more but his wide blue eyes and clear tenor are perfect for the waif befriended by Mrs. Lovett. Rendell, a Crimson contributing reporter, is a terrific actor and the complexity of her music allows you to forgive the occasional...