Stephen Sondheim & Hal Prince play through the score of Sweeney Todd to a room of potential backers of the show. The score hadn't even been finished yet...
I'm SO HAPPY to have found this! I saw Sweeney right after it opened. It might have still been in previews. I'd found myself unexpectedly in NYC so I went down to the half-price ticket place and, just as I got up to the ticket window, somebody shouted from behind " I've got six for the new Sondheim". I didn't hesitate. It was Sondheim. So I got one of the six even though I'd never heard about the show. Seeing ST without knowing anything about it is absolutely the best way to see it. Every minute was surprising and wonderful - the best theatrical experience of my life!
These Sondheim-Prince presentations get passed on described as being "backers auditions," but I think that's not really accurate. They were presentations for people who were already backers, for other members of the creative team (and people who'd already been cast were sometimes in the audience, too), and for friends and family of the creative team. Even with Sweeney, where they did have some trouble raising money at first, which led them to take out an ad in the Times looking for investors (and that ad proved quite successful), they did not do "backers auditions." The one show for which Sondheim did backers auditions was Saturday Night. EDIT: I have since found that Sondheim has said that he did backers auditions for Sweeney because they couldn't raise money for it. In one or two sources, he specifically mentioned doing 13 backers auditions. In another interview, Sondheim specifically mentioned that he performed seven songs at the backers auditions. He does a lot more than that here. It seems that the auditions were all done before they took out the ad in the issue of the New York Times dated March 19, 1978. That ad was taken out in desperation after they did not raise money from the auditions. Given that they perform up through “Now While I’m Around,” and the production was delayed a couple of times because Sondheim was behind on completing the score, it's clear that the presentation posted here was done well past the time when Sondheim did do some backers auditions.
Thank you all for your kind comments, i'm not on my site much at the moment due to other heavy commitments, but i do read all comments and appreciate each one. If you are interested & haven't heard it, i also have the backers tape for COMPANY uploaded here. Sadly, those are the only two i have.
This is marvelous! The excitement in their voices is thrilling; they knew they had something special. I had the great good fortune to see Angela Lansbury and George Hearn in a special limited engagement in the fall of 1980 at the Kennedy Center. It was a night of theater I will never forget.
@@harriethill7632 I've lit two separate productions of it in England, one well received on the Fringe, one a community version. That was a fun one. I love working on Sondheim. Assassins was my real fun show, such scope to play with.
I'm SO HAPPY to have found this! I saw Sweeney right after it opened. It might have still been in previews. I'd found myself unexpectedly in NYC so I went down to the half-price ticket place and, just as I got up to the ticket window, somebody shouted from behind " I've got six for the new Sondheim". I didn't hesitate. It was Sondheim. So I got one of the six even though I'd never heard about the show. Seeing ST without knowing anything about it is absolutely the best way to see it. Every minute was surprising and wonderful - the best theatrical experience of my life!
And the best first act finale in history!
coming back in honor of mr. sondheim's life
RIP, Mr. Sondheim. Had to come back and listen to this again. It's always so amazing.
I have chills on top of chills. This is history.
These Sondheim-Prince presentations get passed on described as being "backers auditions," but I think that's not really accurate. They were presentations for people who were already backers, for other members of the creative team (and people who'd already been cast were sometimes in the audience, too), and for friends and family of the creative team. Even with Sweeney, where they did have some trouble raising money at first, which led them to take out an ad in the Times looking for investors (and that ad proved quite successful), they did not do "backers auditions." The one show for which Sondheim did backers auditions was Saturday Night. EDIT: I have since found that Sondheim has said that he did backers auditions for Sweeney because they couldn't raise money for it. In one or two sources, he specifically mentioned doing 13 backers auditions. In another interview, Sondheim specifically mentioned that he performed seven songs at the backers auditions. He does a lot more than that here. It seems that the auditions were all done before they took out the ad in the issue of the New York Times dated March 19, 1978. That ad was taken out in desperation after they did not raise money from the auditions. Given that they perform up through “Now While I’m Around,” and the production was delayed a couple of times because Sondheim was behind on completing the score, it's clear that the presentation posted here was done well past the time when Sondheim did do some backers auditions.
Thank you all for your kind comments, i'm not on my site much at the moment due to other heavy commitments, but i do read all comments and appreciate each one.
If you are interested & haven't heard it, i also have the backers tape for COMPANY uploaded here. Sadly, those are the only two i have.
Steve Miller Mr. Miller, this is priceless. Many thanks for uploading it.
Stephen is a stud at the piano here, can’t believe he has the energy to sing out so well too
A diamond in the rough.
It's thrilling to hear Sondheim and Prince at this stage of the masterpiece's development. Thank you so much for posting this.
This is marvelous! The excitement in their voices is thrilling; they knew they had something special. I had the great good fortune to see Angela Lansbury and George Hearn in a special limited engagement in the fall of 1980 at the Kennedy Center. It was a night of theater I will never forget.
The electricity in the room must have had these backers on the floor, unable to breathe - as i am now
RIP Mr Prince...........passed July 31,2019
I wish I had been in that room just to listen even
Thank you for posting this!
Thank you for sharing this -❤
This is GREAT stuff!!! Thank you!
thank you for uploading omg
This is wonderful !! Thank you so much for posting it.
I couldn't love this more, if I tried
Bless you sir
I am suddenly wishing they could have used the pipe organ from Notre Dame........... but too much...would have drowned out the voices.
Where the heck do you find these recordings?!? You must know somebody on the inside! Your channel is a Broadway fanatic’s dream!
just found out that steven has passed. miss you already old man, may your memory be a blessing
I would have given them all the money I have to back this! ♥️
And you would have lost it all.
This isn't Stephen Miller of the White House is it?
Gods no ! Makes me ill to think we share a name. Nor indeed am i a space cowboy. Happily i'm just me.
@@stevemiller859 I was in the original production of Sweeney Todd so I find this so precious thank you. I was not on Broadway but joined the tour.
@@harriethill7632 I've lit two separate productions of it in England, one well received on the Fringe, one a community version. That was a fun one. I love working on Sondheim. Assassins was my real fun show, such scope to play with.
There's not a tune you can hum...
There are plenty…but not if you’re musically illiterate.
Aw, come on - try.
I'm assuming this comment is (a) tongue in cheek, and (b) a reference to Merrily We Roll Along.