The folks on Fleet Street

So we head into tech on Monday and I have been really bad about blogging. It's a big show so most of my time is spent working on the show or on other projects coming up. And I haven't talked nearly enough about the cast. We did a run through of the show yesterday morning. Well actually we still hadn't staged the last 7 pages, so we ran right up until the half dead judge is clutching on to Mrs. Lovett's skirts. Talk about a tease. It was tough for me to still not be fully staged. I like to have a show fully on its feet 5 to 7 days before tech. That wasn't possible here because the show is a beast, and since it's being done at a university, you just have less rehearsal time. Actually the time we've had in terms of hours equals two and a half weeks under normal rehearsal circumstances. So when we ran yesterday I was thinking, "God it feels like years since we touched the first act of this show. I hope they remember it 'cause I'm not sure I do." LOL. Well they remembered it brilliantly. Not only did they remember it but they were able to give some really full bodied performances. In the afternoon we finished the show and now we're on to tech!

So as you can tell, I think this cast is pretty damn amazing. They come in so prepared, so willing to try anything, and they play it full out.  One thing I've noticed is that they never mark emotionally. Of course when you are rehearsing a musical, actors have to vocally mark at times. If they don't, they'll blow their voices out. I have to say I often find that when actors vocally mark, their "acting wattage" can diminish significantly as well. That never happens with this cast. They're always in it to win it even when they have to be gentle with their vocal chords.

And here they are:

Denver Milord as Sweeney Todd

Lucia Roderique as Mrs. Lovett

Abdiel Vivancos as Judge Turpin

Corey Cott as Tobey

Jessie Ryan Shelton as Johanna

Marrick Smith as Anthony

Grey Hanson as Beadle Bamford

Lindsay Spangenthal as The Beggar Woman

Noah Plomgren as Adolfo Pirelli

And then there's the "ensemble." Since they are part of the "parlor world," they never leave the stage-- well, except for during A Little Priest. Sweeney's Epiphany sends them "running for the hills" or in this case running into the audience. Their commitment to making the entire conceit of the production work, is what actually makes it work. And their concentration is spectacular. 

Nick Rehberger

Casey Anderson 

Taylor Helmboldt 

Olivia Harris

Stephanie Hogan

Jon Jorgenson