Sweeney Todd – Original Version

The ISU Production of Sweeney Todd is fast approaching its final two weeks of rehearsals (tickets still available!) and it has been a wonderful experience for the orchestra, the cast, and the production crew. As I mentioned in my previous post Big Choices, the Director of the show has been great and all of the ISU faculty who are working on it have been just fantastic.

So what’s the problem?  The problem is the 3 different versions of the show that exist within our one version.  Now before you start explaining to me that there are multiple versions of the show, I know.  We are working from the original full size production.  And, it would be really great to hear from people who have worked in the newer versions to see what has been improved, stays the same, etc.

But back to the issue at hand, and the issue is the orchestra parts are just not that great.

They are handwritten, as is the piano-conductor score, which means there is constant rechecking to be sure of correct notes because handwritten parts are messy and inexact.  One note could look like possibly three different notes.  This is a typical complaint for musicals, and it is “part of the fun.”  But that doesn’t make it any easier.

Our goal in starting this Living Errata is to begin a series of discussions and lists, but not necessarily to be exhaustive in our initial posts. Instead, we want to start something to which you can then add your thoughts and experiences.

Let me just say that straight lists can be boring. As a friend of mine likes to say, informational but not interesting.

But I think this list is actually quite interesting, especially if you are preparing to conduct Sweeney Todd. So, hopefully, someone in the distant future will Google something like “Sweeney Todd, conductor, score,” find this post, and then have a head-start on some of the issues.

So really, when you think about it, I am doing this for the future of mankind.

TO THE LIST!!

First thing to know:

The Piano-Vocal Score ≠ the Piano-Conductor Score ≠ Pit-Orchestra Parts

• The Piano-Vocal score is typeset and has all of the dialogue of the show in it.  It is presumed that this is the most accurate version of what the show should be, which would be fine, except for one significant problem (see previous statement).  You can have the most accurate version out there, but when the orchestra gets the parts, they can only play the music they have in front of them.

• Significantly, multiple numbers are in different keys in the orchestra parts than they are in the piano vocal score.  The singers in the show have adapted and are fine, but it would have been good to know.(list to come)

• The cues listed in the Piano-Vocal Score do not match or are not in the Piano-Conductor Score

• Safety/Vamps do not always match between scores and parts and not in any consistent manner.  Some are in one score and not in the other.

• Dialogue Cues in the Piano-Conductor Score are less accurate than in the Piano-Vocal Score.
• In the orchestral string parts, there are frequent mistakes concerning pizzicato/arco.  Even an instance in the cello part where it is printed in the part, straight from the publisher “Arco?”

• Yes you read that right, “arco” + “?”

Much more is in there and I plan to come back and provide more as my list grows.  However, it would be GREAT if you, the reader, would contribute as well.  What problems have you found?  What mistakes did I not list that really made you want to pull your hair out?  Do you have any stories about triumphs or disasters in your productions of Sweeney?  We would love to hear about it here at the Conductorsblog.