Happy Birthday, Stephen Sondheim

[filkertom]

Seventy-six and goin' strong.

If you could play any Sondheim-scored character, who would it be? My very first choice is Sweeney Todd, although I could also manage Judge Turpin, Leon Czolgosz, or Charles Guiteau. And if someone told me I had to play Pseudolus, I think I'd somehow conceal my distress. ;)

Comments

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

If you could play any Sondheim-scored character, who would it be?

One that's appearing opposite Bernadette Peters. :)

[roane.livejournal.com]

Mrs. Lovett, without a doubt. I seem to be following along behind Angela Lansbury in terms of roles I want to play/have played. ;)

[orawnzva.livejournal.com]

Your father was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He ceased to be Benjamin Barker and became Sweeney Todd. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed.

[markbernstein.livejournal.com]

Ah, there are so many. Pseudolus, for sure. Sweeney Todd would be interesting, though that moves into the realm of fantasy, since I don't have the vocal range. Bobby, in Company, just for the chance to sing "Being Alive". Buddy, in Follies, for "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love_Me Blues".

But my first choice remains Frederick Egerman, from A Little Night Music. A great character, with a number of wonderful songs ("Now", "In Praise of Women", "You Must Meet My Wife", "A Weekend In The Country", and "It Would Have Been Wonderful")

[archanglrobriel.livejournal.com]

Well I sorta have been playing a slightly more empathetic version of Armand Goldman for my entire life, especially when you figure in how very much Soren -is- Starina/Albert. I've also been a big fan of Pseudolus' part, but I mean really, how can you compete with Zero Mostel's treatment of that part? Pegged, nailed, and sealed in a crypt. I always thought I'd be in "Into the Woods" if I had a choice...either as the Wolf or as Jack. Barring my drag incarnation of Rose in "Gypsy" of course. *laugh*

[ladyotterfae.livejournal.com]

the baker's wife, unquestionably. I can think of a half-dozen other roles I wouldn't object to in the slightest, but that one caught my heart years ago.

[darrenzieger.livejournal.com]

Charlie in Merrily We Roll Along, or the Baker in Into the Woods. Those are the two I could probably manage...there are many others I would love to play that I'm just not right for, or just don't have the chops for.

I'm soooo envious of my old buddy Raul Esparza (whom I worked with in Miami in some college/community productions and who, now that I come to think of it, dated my sister for a while), who has so far played George in "Sunday in the Park" (Kennedy Center Sondheim Festival, 2002), Charlie in "Merrily" (ditto) and Bobby in the current Cincinatti production of "Company" (which, like the recent reviaval of "Sweeney" by the same director, features actors doubling as the orchestra. He's currently Sondheim's favorite bari-tenor. Damn him.

[nuveena.livejournal.com]

The Witch from "Into The Woods." All the way.

[batyatoon]

So very, very right there with you.

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

For me, Bernardo from "West Side Story"... but then I'm more akin to the dancers than the singers.

"When you're a Shark... "

Just thought you'd be amused

[delayra.livejournal.com]

Seeing as how I have a lack of internet at the current time at home, I have spent a lot of time reading and playing music. It seems I play my music loud, but no one seems to mind because I play a wide variety of good stuff. I have apparently addicted my entire building at my new apartment complex to "The Last Hero On Earth" to the point that I have heard at least one neighbor merrily whistling, "What If (I Were A Superhero)?" as he took out the trash and another humming "A Million Light Years From Love" to her baby daughter as she rocked her to sleep on the bench-swing. I've also noticed that as I walk across the parking lot at night toward home, people's other music... shuts off. Seeing as how my standard playlist holds all of TLHOE and at least 20 other Tom Smith songs (the playlist is around 300 songs), it seems that you've contributed to me developing a reputation as someone with music that everyone likes. Heh

[ravenclaw-eric.livejournal.com]

I got the nickname "Sweeney Todd" at college, after I came home one-over-the-eight and trolling out arias from _Sweeney Todd._ If they'd be accomodating about keys, I could handle about any singing role (my late father used to grumble that they, all too often, spelled "bass" "t-e-n-o-r," and I had to say he had a point) but Sweeney Todd would be the role that would really force me to test my limits.

In my list of "Things I Am No Longer Allowed To Do At Hogwarts," I listed:

"Professor Snape's grooming habits are his own business, and suggesting that he could stand to stop in at Sweeney Todd's Tonsorial Emporium in Fleet Street (just above Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Shoppe) was a _bad, bad, bad_ idea. Particularly since it turns out _he's_ a Sondheim fan, too."

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

Squeaky Fromme. All the way! She's got one of my favorite songs.

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

So the appropriate birthday serenade would be with trombones?

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

This man had better not die before I can meet him. I've adore him since I was 11 years old.

If I could only play one Sondheim-scored character? Booth. Or the Balladeer. Though The Witch and Mary (from MWRA) would be alright, too.

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

Er, or The Baker's Wife. I left her off. Oops.

[pixelene.livejournal.com]

Well... if I could play ANY character, it would be Henrich in "A Little Night Music".

If I have to choose a character that's the same gender as me, then Anne in "A Little Night Music".

What I actually DID play was Madame Armfeldt.

Yeah, I love that musical, with a passion.

[ericcoleman]

My favorite is always Night Music .. but I really couldnt see myself in it ...

Lycus ... or the father (the name escapes me) just so I could do Maid

I played Erronious in college ...

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

Ignore the deleted entry; I brainfried for a moment and read Schwartz for Sondheim. As the question actually stands, I'd love to play Amy out of Company, if I could do that song without spraining my tongue.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

Cinderella or the Baker's Wife. Probably couldn't pull off Mrs. Lovett; Johanna might be a nice challenge but she's a little on the boring side; possibly Dot/Marie if I learned the show a little better. And *maaaybe* Breathless Mahoney, although I look a little silly as a blonde.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

OH! Or the Witch. I never can make up my mind which part to sing along with when listening to the score. :)