One question: why is Lansbury billed first when Sweeney has a much bigger part than Mrs. Lovett? Was it just because she's a much bigger name than Hearn? It just seems odd to me.
I'm tired of following my dreams. I'll just ask where they're going and meet up with them later.
That's probably why, yes.
Every wicked thought is inexorable, and hurries to become a fact.
I know Sweeney is in it from the beginning but I think Mrs. Lovett is actually a bigger part. if you notice in all the productions, whoever plays Mrs. Lovett gets the last bow.
~H*
"Where the HELL is my Chiffon?!"
-Andrae...?
Except that Sweeney is much more involved in the story, the whole story is about him. It's not "Mrs. Lovett: The Devil Baker of Fleet Street".
I'm tired of following my dreams. I'll just ask where they're going and meet up with them later.
I know what you mean. I just got finneshed watching the movie and I was very upset that Lansbury got the final bow. I thought Hearn was brilliant and deserved it more, being the main character as well.
The Cripple Boys. We should start a band.
House
Lansbury was (still is) a huge star, 35 years in the movies and on stage in several hit shows, namely MAME on Broadway and GYPSY in London. I suppose that's the reason, yes.
"Good night, and good luck."
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Patti had the better agent.
Seriously I have seen many operas where the leading lady has had the last bow. It could be a manners tradition like opening a door for a lady except in reverse.
NOW a warning?!?
Also -- Lansbury won the Tony for her performance in Sweeney, whereas Hearn was a replacement for Cariou.
shareI think it's really unfair that Lovett gets the final bow. But it's because both times Lovett was the bigger star.
shareAngela Lansbury is a Broadway legend and was an established name. Also, she has a couple of Academy Award nominations ("The Manchurian Candidate," "Gaslight.") Her name on the marquee no doubt helped get "Sweeny Todd" financed in the first place and attracted audiences. Then as now it's helpful to have a bona fide star attached to a property when you're trying to raise money and get "butts in seats." Her billing, etc., was surely spelled out in her contract before the first rehearsal.
shareI can understand that because it is broadway tradition, Lansbury would get the final bow, but I think on the bill Hearn should have taken precedent over her.
Idiots are fun. No wonder every village wants one.
It probably was in her contract to be billed first, but i bet everynight that Sweeney had to turn to her after taking his bow, he wanted to smack the hell out of her,
how can Sweeney Todd not have the last bow?? i don't who's a bigger star, as someone said earlier, its call SWEENEY TODD: the demon barber of fleet street, not Lovett and the bake shop
I doubt he wanted to smack the hell out of her. He smiles at her on the DVD and he looks genuinely happy. I thought the leading lady always got the last bow, regardless of whether she was the bigger star or not. I'm trying to remember if I've ever seen anything where a guy got the last bow if there was a leading lady, and I can't really remember. I thought it was a tradition or something.
shareWell, the character of Christine is undoubtedly (at least in my mind) the leading lady in "The Phantom of the Opera," but the phantom always gets the last bow. Some may well say "well of course, he's the title character," but then again...isn't Sweeney Todd the title character as well? And in Phantom, Christine really has a bigger role than the Phantom (at least as far as time on stage).
That is one instance where the lead male gets the final bow instead of the leading lady.
ever seen anything where a guy got the last bow if there was a leading lady
why is Lansbury billed first when Sweeney has a much bigger part than Mrs. Lovett?
Plus, how could anyone ever want to smack Angela Lansbury?
"Shut up, Patti LuPone! Shut your brassy magnificent trap!"
I saw [i]Company[i] in LA a few years ago and Carol Burnett was in the ensemble cast. Naturally, she got the final bow even though she was not the lead.
Yes, it has everything to do with the contract and market value. Somehow, I don't think everyone was there to see Bob Smith (?) even though he was the lead. ;)
And, besides that, although Hearn was phenomenal -- I'm glad Angela got the final bow. After all those/these years she deserved it. I love how their eyes met as she passed him for her bow. They respect each other and it was always nice when George Hearn showed up on her MSW.
Lansbury and Hearn had a grand time playing SWEENEY together - somewhere I read an account of their attempts to break each other up on-stage - I know that sounds un-professional, but it is something performers do in good spirit, and the audience is usually completely unaware.
Incidentally, Lansbury sent Hearn a telegram after he won the Best Actor Tony for playing the drag queen Albin in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES: "Dear George - you and I could be the Queen and Queen of Broadway!"
"I don't use a pen: I write with a goose quill dipped in venom!"---W. Lydecker
I think it's just the fact that Mrs. Lovett is so much more fun and lovable. I mean, look at how she acts! Who COULDN'T love her?!
share[deleted]
ot only was Lansbury a bigger name than Hearn or Cariou... Mrs. LOvett is the real villian of the Piece..she manipulaates Todd into almost everything..sets it up...controls it.
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Bottom line, without Lansbury's participation the show might never have been produced AT ALL on Broadway. With such unusual subject matter, I'll wager the backers INSISTED on a big name to help recoup their investment.
And I'm equally sure if you want someone like Angela Lansbury to be in your show, her AGENT will INSIST that she receive top-billing (name above the title), the final bow, the biggest dressing room, etc.
Okay guys, I'm gonna put this one to rest once and for all:
The reason Angela Lansbury and Patti LuPone got the last bows is because George Hearn wanted them to have it, it had nothing to do with their agents or the fact that they may be a bigger name than him. He says so himself in the extras on the Concert dvd. He simply felt they deserved the last bow more than himself and even referred to himself as an " Above-Broadway-hack".
Well, when Hearn hadn't even played Sweeney yet, Lansbury had final bow over Len Cariou, simply because she was the bigger name of the two. When Hearn and Dorothy Loudon took their places on Broadway, Loudon got final bow as well - she had the bigger name. When Hearn and Lansbury got together for the tour it was the same thing. I'm pretty sure it had NOTHING to do with Hearn's preference. For the concert however, I see how it can be tricky. LuPone's a big theatre star, but Hearn is a very popular Sweeney...so you're probably correct there.
shareOkay guys, I'm gonna put this one to rest once and for all:
The reason Angela Lansbury and Patti LuPone got the last bows is because George Hearn wanted them to have it, it had nothing to do with their agents or the fact that they may be a bigger name than him. He says so himself in the extras on the Concert dvd. He simply felt they deserved the last bow more than himself and even referred to himself as an " Above-Broadway-hack".
Final Bow-noun- The final bow is given to the person with the largest role in the show. In shows with more than one "lead actor" (Jesus/Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Galinda/Elphie Wicked) this can often be the cause of great ego tension between the two stars.
shareUh...weren't they both onstage together giving the bow?
shareIt bears saying once again. While Len and George Were Sweeeny, and the musical IS "Sweeney Todd" ms Landsbury takes the final bow for several reasons.
1 - She was the true STAR of the show. Her role was larger. This goes back to the Original play that spawned the musical.
2 -Angela Landsbury was a bigger star of film screen and stage. The people cam to see her.
not that it matters but it is what it is, and while Landsbury and Lupone have final bows, to my knowledge Paige did not have the last bow. and arguably she is broadway royalty