The View From Kalamazoo

Long time no post, not even news links. S’sorry. Server up and downs (and downs, and downs), office madness, needing to care for my Mother pre-and-post surgery…things have been rather full lately and will remain so – much Emma things afoot, including psych/neuro testing, genetic testing, and the ever-lovin’ fun of the IEP looming. Yegods.

I am, however, looking forward to the holidays – but not because of the shopping (I despise going to ‘the maul’ on a good day, to be frank – thank goodness for Amazon.com and deep impulses to give children books, even the brand-new niece!), nor the tinny piped-in caterwauling that vaguely resembles The Twelve Days of Christmas that accompanies me even through grocery-getting (iPod + swing = sanity. Squirrel Nut Zippers FTW!), and it certainly isn’t the stress and the press.

Besides the university closure, which in no small part fuels my giddiness I admit, this year I selfishly cling to something that isn’t about making the kids or my grandmothers happy, just me. Me, me, me.

Sweeney Todd. *squeeee!*

Seriously. I am thirteen shades of ecstatic and have been watching this unfold with glee. I have desperately loved this show for over 25 years (I saw it during the 1980 [Angela Lansbury and George Hearn] national tour), and from the first announcement have gleaned each dark little nugget of information about this film production with enthusiasm. Add to it the little detail of my thoroughgoing esteem of Alan Rickman’s work for nearly 20 years and the result is, well, obviously one of One Seriously Crazy Lisa. Just short of frightening, I expect. It’s a good thing my friends love and understand me, or they might have banded together to have me committed before now.

So, that being said, I have, of course, been watching each new trailer, clip, and interview that appears on the web…and, being a generous soul, sharing with others who have nervously admitted sharing my madness. I won’t post all of everything here, but… Musicaltalk did an interview with Sondheim. (listen to the box to the right, clicky) Also includes Bonham-Carter, Rickman, Depp, Burton.

Your mission, should you dare to accept it: go to the Sweeney Todd movie site. Click ‘enter the site’, you can hear snippets of the songs (if you click on ‘audio’ at the upper right corner you can arrow through them, pause, etc..).

Pretty Women … is wonderful. It was one of my favorite songs from the production when I saw it lo those many (many, many – have I mentioned I’m old?) years ago, and hearing it again makes me smile. You know, I wondered how Rickman’s voice would hold up, as someone with..er, rather high Turpin expectations..and he really has a delightfully resonant singing voice and I readily admit ecstatic and relieved surprise! Sweeney…well, Depp does a fine job, honestly, but Hearn is, I must admit, my heart’s One True Sweeney. Still, the duet is marvelous.

And, since I can’t seem to do without over-doing by my very nature, for your viewing/listening pleasure, more Pretty Women – And for those unfamiliar with the musical, this way you can hear the whole piece, see the whole scene in the first clip, and see different Turpins in action; Sweeney in concert in 2001; And this is an interesting version – Hearn as Turpin, this time. Love George Hearn, what a fantastic voice!

So this this clip of behind-the-scenes footage bits of this very scene, combined with another clip newly out of Turpin, sent me into paroxysms because Rickman really nails Turpin as a deeply foul, nasty piece of work, and displays a wonderfully arrogant, seriously sinister, and powerful presence; and ETA 12/12: another, new, Turpin clip out!

Oh, and Musicaltalk did an interview with Sondheim. (listen to the box to the right, clicky) Also includes Bonham-Carter, Rickman, Depp, Burton.