Attention fellow Sondheimites and Sweeney lovers who've never seen Cariou in action!

[LittleClarkie]

Go here.

http://www.youtube.com/user/tonyb1981

I can't believe he has so many sequences from the OBC, and in such good shape, too. Some are too dark, but some are the best quality I've seen. And the sound's good. Not bad at all considering they'd have been filming this in the late 70's. I'd never thought I'd ever get to see the original Sweeney do his thing, but now I've found two people on youtube who've got some of the sequences. This user is the better of the two. He has more of them, and they are of a better quality.

Anyway, enjoy.

[LittleClarkie]

1. Kickin' it for Len

Also good in "A Little Night Music" as well.

And did you know that the original Anthony from Sweeney Todd was the original Jesus for Godspell and John Wilkes Booth in Assassins. Go, Victor Garber. Another one of my musical favorites.

Another one I love is Jonathan Pryce.

[LittleClarkie]

2. Kickin' it again for Len

.

[Danger Mouse]

3. I love Sweeney Todd.

Thanks for posting this.

[Bryan]

4. This is dynamite.

Thank you so much.

[LittleClarkie]

5. No problem.

Len hardly seems to get his due as the original Sweeney, and I think that's due to a lack of exposure aside from an OBC (and he had laryngitis when he did that). But there was something about the way he acted his way through a song that always intrigued me. And I NEVER thought we'd see his original run in this form. I knew the film existed, but I'd give up on ever seeing it. Viva la YouTube. You can find ANYTHING there.

[Bryan]

10. Yes, YouTube is quite the Sondheim treasure trove

For example, some folks snuck cameras into the 2002 Sondheim festival at the Kennedy Center and got awesome footage:

John Barrowman, "Being Alive" (Company)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAA1WW0Qpcw

Raul Esparza, "Finishing the Hat" (Sunday in the Park With George)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90kA5dp1KuM

Mr. Esparza again, "Franklin Shepard Inc." (Merrily We Roll Along)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3RAF6jqOYc

[IntravenousDemilo]

6. Y'know, some of us refer to ourselves as Sondheads, after the fashion of devoted Grateful Dead fans.

As it happens, I just saw Len Cariou in action early last week. My BF Terry (terrya on this board) and I saw him play Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon, which just ended its run at Canadian Stage here in Toronto. We met him in the lobby after the play and I passed along greetings from a mutual friend (Sondheim, appropriately enough for this thread).

Thanks for the link.

[LittleClarkie]

8. Wow. Has he been playing that part for a while?

I thought I heard something about him playing Nixon on Broadway, but I might be wrong.

Eh, I like the slight naughtiness of Sondheimite. Never heard Sondhead before. But it works.

I envy you for meeting him. He is still my favorite Sweeney.

[terrya]

12. Len Cariou was superb as Nixon.

I told my bf, Doug (IntravenousDemilo) after we saw "Frost/Nixon" that it's so easy to fall into caricature when portraying Richard Nixon. Doing the "Let me make one thing perfectly clear" thing, shaking the jowls, arms upraised, etc. Impersonating Rich Little impersonating Richard Nixon. But Cariou didn't do that..he gave a fine, nuanced performance...Nixon's insecurities, arrogance was there.

[Orsino]

7. Me, me!!!!

Oh. Sondheimites.

Never mind.

[AmyDeLune]

9. A lovely interview with Mr. Cariou :-)

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/spot/cariou1.html

[MilesColtrane]

11. Sir Rodney was great!