A Little Priest - Angela Lansbury & Len Cariou (July 2005)

Angela Lansbury & Len Cariou reprise their original Sweeney Todd roles for Stephen Sondheim's 75th Birthday benefit concert. Some minor flubbing, and Len Cariou does not have the voice he once had, but an absolutely charming performance.
July 8, 2005 at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles
A benefit concert for Children Will Listen, a program of the ASCAP Foundation.
I did not personally tape this.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Angela
• Lansbury
• Len
• Cariou
• Sweeney
• Todd
• Little
• Priest
• Stephen
• Sondheim
• Broadway

[Holagurrl25]

People should really stop comparing two totally different mediums. There's no way HBC could do what Lansbury did on stage, but I also highly doubt Lansbury could've done what HBC did in the movie. Each (actress and medium) have their own strengths and weaknesses, which appeal to different people.

[MizzifiedSparrow]

To the 20 people who disliked it... How about a shave? I WANT YOU BLEEDERS.

[Holagurrl25]

@rockmedrzaius To each their own.

[rockmedrzaius]

@Holagurrl25 Yes. Lansbury could never turn in a sleepy and boring performance where she mopes and sings in a thin little-girl voice. The great thing about this performance is that it's actually fun, as intended. They're almost competing with each other to see who is the more clever. In the movie it was so unfunny it was barely watchable. The only saving grace was Depp.

[DCMACollectives]

How can anyone dislike this? Just remember....everyone shaves. You'll be added into the plenty of flavors jar. >:)

[sylvanunion]

God I love this show, was in it a couple of times. Saw Lupone and Cerveris in the 2005 revival and it was fascinating, with characters acting as the orchestra (as was done earlier in Company)

In the original B'way cast audio recording, Len Cariou is beyond compare. George Hearn is wonderful in the role, but I would dearly love to see Cariou's acting. Any existing video of Cariou in the original production.

[ethannintendonerd]

19 people didn't get it

[Holagurrl25]

@thespiswolf One man's trash is another man's treasure. It's quite likely that I dislike something you enjoy, however that doesn't mean my opinion is above yours. And as a side note, in case you were here just to defend the theater version, I enjoy both versions.

[thespiswolf]

@Holagurrl25 Sorry, the movie was HORRIBLE. JD and HBC played their roles with NO humor and were utterly boring.

[Katluver56]

1:56 haha, love it.

[qsteve7k]

I'd just like to say that those who have come to this through the Tim Burton film version (which I like, but it does take some song liberties), this is a fantastic show, and though this song's basically about two awful people who are going to kill people and cook them, there's more to the story than the song, and Stephen Sondheim is truly incredible. AL & LC doing this are fantastic and in some ways it's not about the voices, but the performance. And how they remember the words is a mystery!

[KubrickFan2001]

Len Cariou obviously doesn't have the same voice anymore (not surprising, after so many years, and I don't mind really), but I was surprised what a great voice Angela Lansbury still has. Amazing. As someone who first knew Sweeney Todd through the Burton movie (which I still love), and only after that watched the recorded Broadway version, Angela Lansbury simply is Mrs. Lovett for me. The schizofrenic voice, the mannerisms. Incredible.