Backstage at Sweeney Todd

[operastar1994]

haha toby hole hehe i love and him and patti

[elilis3]

that is sooo cool! That gir lwho does the paintings, is she Johanna?

[Justlov4]

I sort of met Manoel and Lauren. I was ushering at a show and they were both there to support there friend. I took there tickets and pointed them in the direction of their seats. They were really nice.

[MichaelCrawfordsFan]

hahaha! "God....You Just Heard God!" xD

[stephenburtondepp]

He has a little toby hole!

[broadwaymike92]

Sweeney Todd came to the O'Neil Theater right before Spring Awakening.

[Elfendied11]

lol michael's got a head like a ping pong ball

[rwasmyfirstlove]

A BEAUTIFUL head!!! :-)

[MonicaOnBroadway]

Mmm, yes. :]

[rwasmyfirstlove]

As a matter of fact I'd love kissing it :-)

Hugs, William from Montevideo, Uruguay, South America

[Avatarlover85]

Those pictures are interesting..

Cool video!

[tatyrules12]

lol the ping pong ball head thingy is funny and then manoel "broadway.coms here SHIT!" lol i love this cast they shuld revive it again with this cast their amazing <3

[musicalfool]

it's nice to hug yourself

[MichaelCrawfordsFan]

YES! I LOVE THIS SHOW. IS SAW IT LIVE!

[HiddenBeauty]

Everyone who reads the comments about 13/14/15 year olds loving the "OMGJOHNNYDEPPLOLZLITTLETOBYIS­COOLER." Please know, not ALL of us love 10-year-old Toby and appreciate the Broadway play more...

[EriksChristine]

aaaaaaaaaaaah. Michael. I saw you perform!!! He's awsome I love This musical he and Patti were amazing as always.

[lizmontyfan]

Because not a lot of little kids can sing/act/ and play about 3 instruments at the same time.

[456Josh]

Um, yes there are. There are plenty of kids that can do all of that. My friend Andrew, acts and he can sing plus he is in band and knows how to play 4 instruments, and im sure there are a lot of other kids out there that can do that. And anywyas not all of the shows on broadway that do sweeney todd make the characters play instruments. And it just looks plain stupid when toby is an older man. Honestly it looks stupid.

[HiddenBeauty]

Well said.

[456Josh]

wtf why do they get like 50 year old mean to play toby. They can audition younger kids like 13-15 at least.

[BlackMamba24601]

Because if you had a clue as to what the musical is like rather than the film which is undoubtedly the only incarnation of Sweeney Todd you've ever experienced, you'd know that in the stage musical, Toby is not a child, he's a mentally-challenged man who has the mind of a child.

[456Josh]

First of all, your rude for speaking when you know nothing about what i have seen. Ive known about sweeney Todd before it even was a movie. I bought the original show with angela lansbury and watched it many times and enjoy it more than the movie, and ive also seen 4 shows of sweeney Todd on stage, including this one with patti lupone. So know what your talking about before you speak. And ps, i know toby is supoosed to be an older man but i still think its stupid.

[HiddenBeauty]

They can't do that because teenagers voices don't mature until they're twenty and singing more for an hour is very bad for voices. Sweeney Todd is about 3 hours long. That's why.

[456Josh]

Um, actually teenagers can sing like that. I went to my cousins high school, and they put on Sweeney Todd, and they were from the ages of 15-18, and a 15 year old played Sweeney Todd and a 17 year old played Mrs. Lovett and they were AMAZING. Age doesnt matter when it comes to singing, and a persons voice can mature before 20. Not fully, but it can still be be matured to the point where they can sing like an adult, and perform adult material.

[HiddenBeauty]

I don't mean "mature" as in "Oh yeah I can handle sex" I mean "mature" as in, the vocal chords are fully ready.

And High School, right, three to four performances.

Tours and actually Broadway- seven to eight performances a WEEK. Tours last about a year, Sweeney Todd is three hours long, so that's three hours a night every day except Sunday not to mention matinées every Wednesday. WAY to much for a sophomore to handle. Not to mention he'd have to have classes, too.

[456Josh]

I also mean mature as in "voice matured", and being able to sing adult material. And I know very well about Broadway tours, my aunt has been on Broadway, and toured in shows. And i'm a frequent Broadway show-goer. And i am sure high schooler's can handle Broadway and singing like that. Have you ever heard of Billy Elliot the musical? A boy not even in high school is in that, and he sings ALL THE TIME. Also, a 6th grader that went to my old middle school was on Broadways Peter Pan.

[HiddenBeauty]

This is a reply to the comment you left me on my page, seeing as I cannot comment you back because of your friend lock: Gee, maybe I have me getting stuck i a basket like a mere teenager because maybe I am a teenager, and I know how to have fun? Not all teenagers flock over Disney Channel and the Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana or any other shit out there today,

[HiddenBeauty]

and you use "mere teenager" as an insult to me, because it seems you are saying that because I am a teenager I cannot like Broadway. I've loved Broadway since 3rd Grade.Sadly, I do not yet have any major show experience personally like I've acted in a major show, the most experience I've had is "Alice in Wonderland Jr." at my school, but that doesn't mean I do not know what it takes to put a show together. I have seen "Phantom of the Opera" live twice,

[HiddenBeauty]

and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" live as well. And I do research on Shows, and I have a huge book that has the 101 greatest Broadway shows of all time, and it talks about the shows and talks about flops, designs, etc. And you, sir, commenting me and acting like a Broadway God just because your aunt was in a Broadway tour was not fair. yes, I know, life's not fair I've had my share of bitches in life.

[HiddenBeauty]

I was repeating what I heard from my vocal teacher, and looking back on it I should reconsider that because my teacher is a new graduate. That was my mistake and I'm sorry. And in my broadway book, it says Peter Pan is usually played by a young woman because older men who are experienced enough to act cannot reach the notes required in Peter Pan. I don't know if they've revived Peter Pan or not, but if they have maybe that has changed.

[HiddenBeauty]

And I know that Broadway sometimes, when you think about it it depends on the show, does not require age but as you said ability. There are some shows that can have a younger cast, but some require older people in order for it to be pulled off.

So please, the next time you call someone a "mere teenager", or "a broadway know-it-all" (Which, I am not. I do not know everything...but I'm working on it.)

[HiddenBeauty]

know there is more that meets the eye. Besides, you seem nothing but a teenager trying to pull off a Broadway Know-it-all as well.

((And I'm sorry about the spam, garota))

[456Josh]

Um actually, i don't even like Disney Channel first of all, nor Hannah Montana, nor Jonas Brothers, and to let you know, I am 22 years old currently attending the Performing arts school at Duke University, one of the hardest schools in the nation to get in to. And i am not what you call a normal person. When i was in High School, for four years in a row i got voted by my classmates "Most out of the box" which is HUGE compliment when your an actor.

[HiddenBeauty]

I didn't say you liked Disney Channel, I said it sounded like you were putting me in my place for being a teenager and that I should fit into the "Teenage Girls all like Disney Channel" stereotype. And good for you, but I'm not normal either.

Look, I'm sorry we're fighting and I barely know you, but please, don't insult my Broadway Knowledge. I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way, but Broadway is seriously my passion in life. So, have a nice life and maybe I'll see you on stage sometime. Bye.

[thatswhatshesaid878]

just so everyone knows...there is no performing arts school at Duke University haha

[thatswhatshesaid878]

just so everyone knows, there is no performing arts school at duke university haha

[456Josh]

Actually, there is. Its not like a huge performing arts university, but there is specific classes for the arts, look it up.

[thatswhatshesaid878]

actually, theres no specific "school" for performing arts there. i don't need to look it up, I go there. tsk tsk, clum would not be happy you are misrepresenting his program.

[456Josh]

Well no, but there are various classes you can take, im not talking about some huge fucking university dedicated to the arts, im talking about various programs and classes you can enroll in. BUT there are differant arts programs such as taking internships in new york and london which is provided by the theater studios at duke university. And i go there as well, and intern in new york.

[thatswhatshesaid878]

wow thats quite a little resume, so i assume you've been in like all the shows they have there?

[456Josh]

Not all, but quite a a lot.

[thatswhatshesaid878]

mmhmm mmhmm, what spring show were you in?

[456Josh]

Well one of them was called "On The March To the Sea" and that was in 05, and i dont feel like sitting here naming the other ones, just to show you i go there and perform, if you dont believe me, sorry i dont really care haah.

[thatswhatshesaid878]

well i hope u join us for the big fall show, we'd love to have u

[songlark]

In Billy Elliot, the role of Billy is currently rotating between four boys (In London, at least. The Broadway one will only have three). Of course, he's the title character, but still. Children in general are awfully hard to cast in stage shows and have to be double or triple casted (even minor roles) so even if the role could be played well by a teenage boy, if he was younger than about 16, it would be an unnecessary trouble when you could simply cast a man.

Sorry for bring back a dead topic!

[ericrobertbritt]

finally tracked down a copy of presumed curable.

great book, and great use for my actors in my production.

[SpringAwakeningFan]

I LOVE and MISS these people!! :(

[FallingRedRose]

hahaha Michael,

I love his gifts

[BigCityDreams17]

Michael Ceveris... :-)

[BigCityDreams17]

wow i'm a good speller... i meant:

Michael Cerveris... :-)

[Justlov4]

Manoel and Lauren went to see a production of Godspell that I was ushering. I helped them to their seats. I think they knew that I knew who they were because I got all excited, but I had to control myself....because after all I was working. hahaha

[Hiccup75]

Ben Eakeley pwns my life. Mano too!

[Erikcosette]

I laughed SOO hard!

I now LOVE Manoel and Michael. I already loved Lauren and Patti, but now I lover them even more. This was sooo funny!!

[jannetteL]

'Ben Eakeley please sign in...'

[askacollegegirl]

"God, you just heard God...Ben Eckkley please sign in."

LOL!!!

and I've actually been known to burst into random "Micheal's got a head like a ping pong ball" on occasion...XP

"Broadway dot com's here...shit!!!" ^_^

[BigCityDreams17]

after watchig this video, I too have been known to randomly sing: "Michael's got a head like a ping pong ball" its quite amazing actually... =]

[HiddenBeauty]

Hey, doesn't Ben Eckkly play the Beadle in the tour now?

That just kinda clicked xD

[GrobanPhan2]

Yay Mano!!! I love him!!

[jayna2000]

Thanks for the Micheal Cerveris fix.

[imightjustbeinsane]

FANTASTIC! :O ugh, I hate the fact that they have the footage but they won't release the revival out on DVD :( that gets me so pissed...

Thanks for the upload!

[Mattbrain]

I think a lot of people are pissed about that.

[HiddenBeauty]

maybe we should put out a petition or however it's spelled.

[Mattbrain]

Wouldn't help. The show's on tour now. Everyone else has gone off to other projects. Patti's in Gypsy now. Just wouldn't work.

[HiddenBeauty]

I thought they already had footage, though... I'm confused =/

[Mattbrain]

Oh yes, the B-Roll Footage. But how do we know it's the entire show that they filmed and not just segments?

[HiddenBeauty]

That's a very good point. I could talk to my Mother- she's a lawyer- and she could tell me if we have the right to have that information disclosed.

It could be a copyright issue too, because the show revival isn't that old.

Maybe...

[MarcosCohen]

Manooooooooo <3

[ImperfectlyPerfect2]

Thank you for sharing this video!