If you want to know
where your heart is,
look where your mind goes
when it wanders...
It is OK if you do not have all the answers, sometimes you just have to take the chance.
If the stars conspire, anything is possible...
Welcome to my blog at Alive Not Dead!
I am a freelance writer, and if you would like to use any of my entries and/or publish them anywhere else, please email me at JediJean@gmail.com to let me know.
I first watched "Sweeney Todd" on DVD in the comfort of my home. I had heard of "Sweeney Todd" before, sort of knew that it was a stage musical of some sort, with songs by Stephen Sondheim, one of which Barbra Streisand had sung during one of her sold-out concerts, but I had no idea what the storyline was, just that this song came from the show.
Anyways, the song sung by Barbra was "Not While I'm Around" and she had dedicated it to her son, who was also in the audience that evening. This song has also been covered by Josh Groban, and in the Broadway musical, it was sung by Angela Lansbury who had played the character of Mrs Lovett.
The Barbra Streisand version of this song had been so sweet and loving, it had been a song sung by a mother to her son. So you can just imagine my shock and horror when I saw the movie version, not knowing what the story of Sweeney Todd was all about, and finding out for myself for the first time!
It is interesting how this song can be sung in such a threatening manner in this movie... just a matter of changing who sings the song, the expressions of the actors, the tone of the music, and the points of emphasis in the song.
The short clip below is from the movie, "Sweeney Todd". The song "Not While I'm Around" was sung by Edward Sanders and Helena Bonham Carter in the movie.
Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, was an early example of an urban legend. The story of the demon barber had been based somewhat on facts, but as the story got retold down the ages, various elements had blended together to become the story of Sweeney Todd that we know today from the movie and the stage musical.
The first time I had ever watched "Sweeney Todd", I had rented the 2-disc special edition DVD to watch at home. Not knowing very much background info to it, I had watched it with an open mind.
Actually, the only reason I watched it at all, was that my friends were saying how much they wanted to see it, and that it was good. Of course, they had gone to the movies to see it when it first came out, but not being very eager to watch it, I missed it at the movies entirely, and it was only when I saw it on the shelves at my neighbourhood VideoEzy store that I decided to finally rent and watch it myself.
So what's the verdict?
I enjoyed it immensely!
I do enjoy musicals in general, but I'm rather picky about what I will actually go and watch, be it in the cinema or in a theatre. And when I speak of musicals here, I'm using the term very loosely, and not strictly referring to stage musicals alone.
But that being said, my most favourite stage musical of all time is "Les Miserables". I have watched it twice in the theatre, when the production came to Singapore, and I would watch it again in an instant!
Actually, I can't believe I was in London before, and never made the time to go watch a musical there... what was I thinking?!?? Oh yeah, I had run out of time and just wasn't able to catch anything, since I was only in London for 2 days... oh well, maybe next time.
Among the musicals I've enjoyed are international fare like Rodger & Hammerstein's "The King & I" and "The Sound of Music", Lionel Bart's "Oliver!", Lerner-Loewe's "Gigi", Baz Luhrman's "Romeo & Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge", and locally produced musicals like Ken Low & Ekachai Uekrathong's "Chang & Eng" and Michael Chiang & Dick Lee's "Beauty World".
For more info on Singaporean musicals, check out the links below:
My fascination with musicals probably stems from the fact that they combine the worlds of acting and music, creating a synergy that heightens emotions and touches people more deeply than either genre could do on its own.
But coming back to "Sweeney Todd" now... the movie had an impact on me right from the very beginning, from the opening credits to the opening scene, where Sweeney Todd is returning to London after many years of being away, and the first song, "No Place Like London".
Being such a freshie to the show, can you just imagine my reaction, after watching the opening credits alone and realising what the story of the musical was actually about! My jaw was on the floor!
There are so many great songs in this show, that it is hard for me to fathom just how a terrible and horrifying story like that could actually become somewhat acceptable to an audience, just by it being accompanied with such amazingly beautiful songs... but that's the power of musicals for you!
They have an ability to tell the most sordid tales and to make them palatable enough for us to see the ugly truths that we may not want to face and to learn from them, so that we walk out of the theatre or cinema, not being quite the same people we were when we first walked in.
Here are some of my most favourite songs from "Sweeney Todd":
So what is "Sweeney Todd" all about? It's a story, an urban legend, a tragedy with some dark and comic elements, and it's about love, family, hope, ambition, dreams, a yearning for joy, freedom and peace of mind, second chances, jealousy, revenge, hatred, greed, hunger and one's most secret desires. In short, it's about life as we know it.
If you're able to find Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" DVD at your local video rental store, or in a DVD store somewhere... go pick it up and have a look... it'll be worth at least 5 minutes of your time.
<hands on hips, wearing grumpy face> hey! No fair! Don't I get a mention too? <looking or ego stoke> I built the Johnny's Supa Star Salon with Andy and Johnny after all :(
Lol, lots of info! My sound still doesn't work on my computer, so I can't listen to them. Actually, I haven't seen the movie, lol... Knowing the premise of it, I knew it wouldn't be something I enjoyed, even though I really like musicals. But I'd seen the promo pics ;)
A real person, a woman of substance, a loyal friend, a hopeless romantic, articulate, intelligent, genuine, approachable, friendly, warm, easy to get along with, fun-loving, loves to laugh, loves to p...
A real person, a woman of substance, a loyal friend, a hopeless romantic, articulate, intelligent, genuine, approachable, friendly, warm, easy to get along with, fun-loving, loves to laugh, loves to party and have a good time, enjoys spending time with friends and loved ones, relishes good conversations, enjoys Japanese and Italian food, definitely a coffee person, patient & understanding, passionate yet calm, with a wicked sense of humour when the fancy strikes me, a traveller, a dreamer, a lifelong learner, a free spirit, a person who admires real talent, is addicted to concerts and movie premieres, hates being mistaken for a doormat, and loves to be lookin' good n feelin' great! :)
I'm a Nonya (Peranakan lady) with a mixture of Hakka and Peranakan Teochew on my Dad's side of the family, and Peranakan Hokkiens on my Mom's side of the family, and I'm proud of my rather unique heritage.
I've been told that my talents lie in writing, music & interpersonal relations... I can get along with most people, and my friends have always been an eclectic mix of folks... I believe that it is key to have respect for others, and to be mindful of yourself.
Being born in the Year Of The Rabbit, I like harmony, living in harmony with others, and being in harmonious situations.
But also being a Leo, it doesn't mean that I don't have fangs and claws.
Other than an intense passion for music, and an appreciation for all kinds of arts in general... I love Star Wars!!!
I'm a member of the StarWars.SG forum:
http://www.starwars.sg/forum/
And I'm a friend of the 501st Legion Singapore Garrison:
http://www.501st.com.sg/
During the day, I work as a Marketing Executive for an arts organisation called Emily Hill... we have a lovely colonial bungalow venue available for rental for all kinds of events:
http://www.emilyhill.org
I own a blog called "SG Music Mine", where I write concert reviews, celebrity interviews & feature articles on Singaporean or Singapore-based artists, as well as foreign artists performing in Singapore... you can read my entries here in Alive Not Dead, or at this link:
http://sgmusicmine.blogspot.sg/
And from time to time, the stuff I write ends up getting published in a webzine called "Power of Pop", you can check it out here:
http://www.powerofpop.com
My other affiliations include the Screenwriters Association Singapore (SAS), Singapore Music Society (SGMUSO), and Six Degrees (a network of people and organisations in the arts and creative industries in Singapore).
"I seek out the beauty in people, places & things - and I'm often not disappointed."
"The worst things happen to the best people, 'cos they're the ones most capable of handling them."
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