Helena Bonham Carter

Pie Maker, Loony Boy Steal Rightful Spotlight From Sweeney Todd in Chicago Musical

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:17:03 -0700

CHICAGO – While Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the demon barber of Fleet Street in the 2007 film iteration sells you on his fiendish ways, actor and singer David Hess in the musical bobbles more in purgatory rather than living hysterically in hell.

In the musical thriller “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” which has a two-week Chicago engagement now through May 4, 2008, two other supporting characters – the pie-making Mrs. Lovett and the batty Tobias – rise above to take top presence prizes.

The musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
Image credit: The Marketing Group

While Hess doesn’t underwhelm and is a sound selection for the lead role, neither does he overwhelm in the ferocious way he needs to. The production with only 10 actors and musicians, which began in 2005 by British director John Doyle as a financial necessity, stayed that personal in future productions as an artistic choice.

“It’s a positive way at looking at smallness and intimacy,” Doyle said about the production. “What we’re all searching for ultimately is the honesty of storytelling. [Central to this production] is the need to make the audience do some of the work. We ask them to use some of their imagination. There’s no barber’s chair, for instance. You can imagine it.”

As well, Sweeney Todd’s victims are taken prey through the reddening of background light and screeching sound – too long and painful to hear, by the way. Indeed, you’re more intimately engaged in each note and calculated decision within the music of legendary composer Stephen Sondheim.

That said, while the 2007 film depiction features a balanced cast with Sweeney Todd as the rightful standout, the musical performance that’s currently touring 20 U.S. cities (ending in June 2008) is decidedly plagued with some weak and undistinguished links. The performance also feels too long.

Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett in the 2007 film as well as Judy Kaye as Mrs. Lovett in the musical both win you over in different ways. They both invade their characters – completely in body and mind – but Kaye in the musical performance adds a refreshing twist of comic relief.

The cast of the musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
Image credit: The Marketing Group

The audience craved more comedy, though, whether from her or from the dark and dreary-toned performance in general.

While we’re not handed wit from Edmund Bagnell as Tobias, we’re instead delightfully surprised by his unexpected, standout performance.

Bagnell infuses in his character ornately intense ticks, impeccably overdramatized enunciation (the repeatedly memorable musical line “the demon barber of fleet street,” for example) and is ultimately revealed as one of the stars of the show.

In the concluding ovations, Bagnell won the crowd’s applause – along with Kaye as Mrs. Lovett – even over Hess as story subject Sweeney Todd. Just as so many of the actors were multi-talented musicians, Bagnell is also committed to memory for his uniquely quick-noted violin.

To inject more evil in his wicked ways, Hess should have taken a page from the natural and authentic way Bagnell played the straight-jacketed fanatic.

Alan Rickman was Judge Turpin in the 2007 film whereas Keith Buterbaugh tried in vain to act like him. Buterbaugh had the right idea in his eerie, skin-crawling scene where he fights his sexual feelings toward adopted daughter Johanna, but he ultimately needed more of it to leave a lasting impression.

Lauren Molina as Johanna fit the bill of a shackled, fair maiden and is especially remembered for her lines where she reminds the man who’s courting her for marriage – Anthony (played by Benjamin Magnuson) – that she doesn’t even know his name.

Anthony’s recurring song “Johanna” with the romantic lyric “I’ll steal you, Johanna” is the musical’s standout number as it’s sung in beautiful pitch and screams out in such clear key.

After countless musical performances around the world, what became “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” the musical and then the film (both in 1936 and 2007) first began as the story entitled “The String of Pearls” in 1846. It was published in a British penny dreadful and was likely penned by Thomas Prest.

The musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” runs through May 4, 2008 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre at 151 W. Randolph St. in Chicago every day except for April 28 at 7:30 or 8 p.m. on most nights. Tickets range in price from $25 to $75.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

New ‘Sweeney Todd’ Stills; Movie Posters: Dr. Seuss Film, ‘The Forbidden Kingdom,’ ‘Hottie,’ ‘Zohan’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:24:37 -0700

Paramount Pictures on Wednesday evening released new production photos for “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” which opens on Friday.

Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in “Sweeney
Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
Photo credit: Leah Gallo

Alan Rickman (left) in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
Photo credit: Peter Mountain

Johnny Depp in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
Photo credit: Leah Gallo

Johnny Depp in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
Photo credit: Peter Mountain

Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp in “Sweeney
Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
Photo credit: Leah Gallo
Various new movie posters have just surfaced for films including “Horton Hears a Who!,” which opens on March 14, 2008.

The Dr. Seuss computer-animated adaptation features a star-studded cast that includes Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Isla Fisher, Dane Cook, Jaime Pressly and Carol Burnett.

Next up, we have a new poster for “The Forbidden Kingdom” with Jet Li and Jackie Chan – yes, in the same film. “The Forbidden Kingdom” is slated to open on April 17, 2008.

We also have the new movie poster for – you’ve got to be kidding me! – “The Hottie and the Nottie” with Paris Hilton, which is scheduled to open on Feb. 8, 2008.

Finally, we have the movie poster for “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan” with Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and Mariah Carey. The film, which is written by Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”) and Adam Sandler, is slated to open on June 6, 2008.

‘Sweeny Todd’ Won’t Show in 49 Theaters in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, North Dakota, Iowa

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:02:59 -0700

If you live in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, North Dakota or Iowa, you won’t be able to pay to see Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen in “Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” at your local Marcus Theatres cinema.

Johnny Depp and Alan Rickman in “Sweeny
Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
Photo credit: IMDb
In a bizarre turn of events, Marcus Theaters – the seventh-largest circuit in the U.S.– on Tuesday told Paramount Pictures it won’t book the film in any of its 49 theaters because the studio’s asking price is too high, according to Variety. Variety also reported:

It’s rare for an exhibitor and studio to end up in such a situation.

“Unfortunately, as a result of the negotiations with Paramount reaching an impasse, Marcus Theatres will not be showing ‘Sweeny Todd’ in any of its locations,” Marcus prexy Bruce J. Olson said in a statement.

Olson added: “This decision was reluctantly reached because the price requested by Paramount to show the film in Marcus Theatres was too expensive in the opinion of our film buyers.”

A spokesman for Marcus Theatres said he believes the move marks the first time the circuit has decided not to show a movie because of a studio’s asking price. Marcus declined to say how much of a split [Paramount] sought.

Generally speaking, the split is higher in favor of the studio at the beginning of a movie’s run.

Paramount has planned to release “Sweeny Todd” in about 1,200 theaters nationwide. The film opens on Friday.

Might ‘Sweeny Todd’ Take Cake For Biggest ‘Bait-and-Switch Scheme’ in Movie History?

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:39:22 -0700

As “Sweeney Todd” continues to capture all sorts of different kinds of buzz, one that particularly caught my eye on Monday came from the pen of Chicago Sun-Times reporter Lewis Lazare.

Johnny Depp and Alan Rickman in “Sweeny
Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
Photo credit: IMDb
He asks if its marketing will give patrons a haircut and says unsuspecting fans might sing another tune. Plus, the best line of all:

From what we know about the movie from its marketing strategy to date and from a small body of critics and VIPs who have seen the film (we have not), this “Sweeney Todd” also might be remembered for being the subject of one of the biggest bait-and-switch marketing schemes in movie history.

[This] bait and switch … became an imperative to ensure the film generates an opening weekend box-office figure substantial enough to suggest “blockbuster” to the moviegoing public.

Lazare is ultimately questioning if the film’s actually for “slasher fans” or if it screams “Sondheim musical”.

Tim Burton’s film – starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen – is based on composer Stephen Sondheim’s stage musical from three decades ago.

Its marketing, though, has shifted from deliberately targeting its musical side and separately honing in specifically on its throat slitting. Lazare wrote:

Sondheim’s original Broadway score in almost its entirety is said to be included in the Burton movie. In fact, reports indicate that about 90 percent of the movie is comprised of sung scenes.

But curiously, you’d never know that to be the case from watching the 150-second trailer, which makes the movie seem like a fast-paced bloody period thriller/horror flick about a crazed murderer and his sidekick.

The full Chicago Sun-Times story can be found here. “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” opens on Dec. 21.