I know: I made that whole big resolution about writing one non-baby post a day, and then THE VERY NEXT DAY, I totally sucked it up. So I will give you two pieces to this post. How does that sound? Well, my friends, take it or leave it.
Part 1: My husband and I got to be grown folks last night (thank you very much to my family, who allowed this to happen). We went and caught the 5:15 of Sweeney Todd at the brand new Monaco theatre, and then we had dinner at Surin in Madison. First off, I was NOT impressed by the theatre. Jenni and Dad both said that they thought it was an okay theatre, but when we went, it was FILTHY. I mean, gross nasty eww do I really wanna watch a movie here kind of dirty. And in an attempt to be slick and fancy, they’ve given up a lot of the functionality of a theatre. (For instance: displaying the name of the movie playing outside of the individual theatres. You just have to hope you’re in the right theatre.) Granted, we didn’t do the upgraded “VIP” tickets, which are $6 more than the actual ticket, and we’ll try that before we totally swear off the theatre. But seriously.. at this point, we aren’t really planning on going back.
The movie, however, was OUTSTANDING. When I was 12, I saw the production onstage here in Huntsville.. and man, it was probably one of the most life-changing experiences I’ve ever had. I can still recite the cast by heart because I was so deeply moved by the show. So, needless to say, I had some high expectations set for the movie. (Johnny Depp? Singing? Do they pass out crack before the lights dim?) But, in the end, I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, there was a lot cut out of the libretto (the character of the Judge, for instance, is MUCH slimier in the stage version), but I was sincerely moved by the dedication of the cast.. who, for the most part, were not musical performers. Johnny Depp took his own paint brush to the brooding Todd, but he made it work. (I still think he was too young.) LOVED Alan Rickman as the judge. (It’s hard not to.) Sascha Baron Cohen knocked my socks off. (Not that I was surprised by that one.) The most disappointing part of the film, and I think it’s because I take it personally, was Helena Bonham Carter. The role of Mrs. Lovett is one that I want to do before I die, and while I LOVED the spin she put on the role when she was acting, her singing left TONS to be desired. She has some of the best music in the show, most of which I’ve performed before, and it was all thrown away. What made up for it? THE BLOOD.
In short, I think everyone should go see this movie, even if you don’t know the show or you hate Tim Burton or you hate musicals, because you’ll like it. It’s just genuinely good movie-making. Great entertainment. And we certainly need to encourage more of that in Hollywood.
Part 2: My husband and son and I walked to Sonic today for lunch. I thought I was going to pass out. I am SO out of shape! There was a time, about a year ago now, where walking to Sonic and then walking home felt like cheating. We used to walk to Big Spring Park! Without even sweating! And yet, on the way back, I thought I was going to pass out. I guess it was a good start to a long road ahead, but now I realize how TRULY long that road is. Conveniently, there’s a Sonic on the way.
There ya go. I barely mentioned the baby. Hooray!
I haven’t been able to articulate what I liked about Helena Bonham Carter’s Ms. Lovett until now. Ok, we all know there have been some legendary performances attached to the role. And obviously, Helena being seasoned knows better than to try and recreate any of them. Instead, I think she made a very bold choice. She choose to tell and to further the story, which is about Sweeny. And for the first time, I felt a sense that she was waiting for his return, and that he was her everything…which is what makes the most sense in the story. A lot of singers who act give tons of energy while singing, and little to the dialogue. She did the opposite which again, I think she did on purpose and ended up “over doing” an attempt not to look too “musical”.
I just wanted to concur on the new theater. I was pretty disappointed when we went and visited. Dirty and crowded. The screens are also pretty small, or at least in the room we were in. We saw Enchanted. It’s adorable. I don’t know about Todd, I heard it was pretty scary. I don’t have the stomach for horror films. David loved it though, he bought some of the soundtrack.