[bean_C4U]

I have an audition for Sweeney Todd, and am in a real state as to who is should go for.

I'm a baritone, and could either sing "my friends", "Johanna", "The Contest", Nothin's going o harm you" not sure if that's the exact title, but Tobias sings it), and "LAdies in their sensitivities".

How should each of these be peformed?

[seeemilysing]

Well....All those songs are performed completely differently. "Johanna" is the closet thing to a love song of them... (lol actually maybe you could consider "my friends" a love song!) Anthony sings that to Johanna, obviously. Its really beautiful and can be a really good audition song, tho you don't get to do QUITE as much acting as the others. Play it like you've just seen the most amazing thing you ever saw in your entire life (that amazing thing being Johanna...And her yellow hair). Nothings Gonna Harm You is really sweet but you have to remember that Tobias is sorta crazy (as is the entire cast) so it can't be played just as cute and sweet, there has to be more subtext. My Friends, thats pure craziness right there. Revengeful, a billion things going through your head, basically physco, haha. Ladies In Their Sensativities...Well...I dunno what to say about that thats not the best audition song unless your really going for that part. "My Friends" or "Nothings Gonna Harm You" would let you show off your acting chops the most, "Johanna" is the most vocally impressive. All the songs and parts in that show are great. Whatever you chose work on it a lot, Sweeney Todd is one craaazy show and everything is multi-dementional...Study whatever song you chose very well. Make your own acting choices on how you feel about the songs. I don't know what kind of roles you prefer but if I was a man I'd go for Sweeney or Toby. Both of them are just such interesting characters. However Anthony when played right can be awesome too!! Pretty torn. I just got called back for Johanna like 7 times and then didn't get cast...I HATE when that happens...Get my hopes up just to squash me down !! Hope you have better luck than me!!!!....Goddamn I just typed way longer than I thought I did.....

[The_Wicked]

I kind of don't think Toby is crazy at all. At least not at first. He is just simple. He grew up on the streets as a kid before he was hired as cheap labor by Pirelli who still treated him horribly. That's why he sees Mrs. Lovett as a mother-figure and is so protective of her, because she is the only person who has ever treated him kindly. At the time of "Not While I'm Around" he is just telling her how much she means to him and that he would do anything for her. He isn't insane at all during that song. I think it should be played very sweetly, almost childlike because Toby is so innocent. That's why it's so horrible when Mrs. Lovett locks him in the grinder room and tells Sweeney to kill him. God, I love this show. In the end, however, when Toby comes on with his "patti-cake" diddy, he is completely insane because all the horrible things he has seen in Mrs. Lovett's pie shop have caused him to lose him mind. I don't mean to be a know-it-all or anything, it's just that Toby is my favorite male part in this musical and he is so interesting I think everyone should get the full effect of his character.

[seeemilysing]

Perhaps crazy was the wrong word....He IS simple but I've never seen him played as just a sweet cute simple mistreated little man. Well actually one time but it was SOOO boring. Toby is freakin awesome character I agree. However I do think he has some issues from the get go, my theory for the show when I directed it was "everyone is little bit crazy" weather you know it from the beginning or not. I didn't have people running around screaming and banging their heads into walls but everything has to be BIG. Every emtion is to the extreme. Years of abuse wouldn't leave him TOTALLY inncocent. The way I see the song is "I love you so much Mrs. Lovett you are the greatest thing thats ever happened to me and I will (litterally) kill anyone that messes with you". Like innocent love but in overdrive. But Toby is one of those characters that is open to interpretation, theres a lot of ways you can play him. He is an amazing charactor though no matter what acting choices you make. (man can you tell I'm in love with this show?)

[adcahela]

well, i've always been taught you never audition with a song from the show you're auditioning for, you do a song by the same person who wrote the music, but from a different musical, and sung by a character who is similar to the one you are actually hoping to be cast as.