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Angela Lansbury, 1925-2022

 Angela Lansbury won a Tony for "Gypsy"; Ethel Merman did not.


Lansbury spoke candidly about the role of Momma Rose. She said she (Lansbury) brought emotional and intellectual understanding to the work; the implication was that Ethel Merman was a bit less of an artist.

When I think of Lansbury, I think of Mrs. Lovett in "Sweeney Todd"; the recording makes you believe there really is a person called Lovett, somewhere in history. There isn't any winking at the audience; you'd think Angela Lansbury really does sound the way she sounds. There seems to be no gap between the actress and the role she is playing.

Everything Lansbury does in "Sweeney" is iconic, but my favorite of her many great moments is "Wait." Here, she is trying to persuade Sweeney Todd to put aside his obsessive groaning about the "on-hold" status of his murder-efforts--put this aside, for just a bit:

Don't you know, silly man?
Half the fun is to plan the plan.
All good things come to those who can....wait.....

Lansbury didn't write this, but she *sells* it. As an amoral sociopath, Mrs. Lovett has no issues with Sweeney's homicidal dreams. She is just tired of the whining. Unforgettably, she attempts to redirect Sweeney's attention:

I've been thinking flowers--maybe daisies--
To brighten up the room!
Don't you think some flowers--pretty daisies--
Might relieve the gloom?

Gilly flowers, maybe?
'Stead of daisies?
I don't know, though....
What do you think?

It's so shocking to jump from death to daisies. Mrs. Lovett's attempts at manipulation are hilariously ineffective--and we've all done this. We've all tried to change the subject. Wonderful writing--beautifully acted. I've loved that performance since high school.

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Comments

  1. Adolfo ProfumoOctober 25, 2022 at 3:31 AM

    Death to daisies... I love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ReaderOctober 25, 2022 at 7:01 AM

      Thanks! Just noticing all the strategies "she" (via Sondheim) uses in this song: (1) Don't whine because this time is really the best part, (2) don't whine because it's more fun to talk about daisies, (3) don't whine because this time isn't even notable, it moves so quickly.

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