Your American Idol servant, Sweeney Todd....

[tzikeh]

Thanks to movies_michelle for the link -- clip of Johnny Depp singing part of "Epiphany".

Besides the fact that Depp sounds (to me, anyway) like a Cockney pop-star on the ganja, this sentence from the introduction to the clip is making me a bit... er. Well, judge for yourself.

"Depp's doing a lot of speak-singing, but that's necessary for the complicated melodies that Stephen Sondheim's musical uses."

Let us reorganize that thought without changing any of the meaning. "Stephen Sondheim's music is hard to sing, so it only makes sense that Depp won't be singing much of it."

To summarize, Depp can't sing the role, and the author of the paragraphs preceding the clip is almost mind-blowingly ignorant of, you know, music and singing and how they are supposed to go together.

*sigh*. I'll post a "What I'm Thankful For" entry later, to counter the utter mehtasticness of this one.

Comments

[brak666.livejournal.com]

I don't think I can click that link. After seeing the first trailer, I just don't think I can take it. When I first heard this movie was going to happen, I was so excited. Now I can't even bear the thought of it.

[volaremn.livejournal.com]

I've heard bootleg recordings of "Epiphany", "My Friends", and "Johanna (Quartet)" (now a trio--they've axed Johanna's part). And Depp's singing isn't even going to be the biggest problem in the film. Like you said, he's not exactly off-key and he can hold a note if he doesn't aim too high. However, Helena Bonham Carter cannot. Like, AT ALL. Her singing is incredibly whispery because she doesn't even have the minimal baseline vocal ability that Depp does, and she, unlike Depp, had professional lessons.

And it's killing me that Sondheim is totally fine with all of this!

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

what? what? what?

I am now beyond afraid to click on the link.

of course, I'm still freaking out that in a month, I have to watch a 64-year-old JCS... ::whimpers::

[jackiekjono.livejournal.com]

I really like the word mehtasticness. It opens up possibilities for a whole new vocabulary of fannishness.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Wow. That was really horrible.

::is sad::

[jackiekjono.livejournal.com]

I loved the comments where everyone said, "Wow! That doesn't suck nearly as hard as we thought it was going to."

We'll just have to plug our ears and vid.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Hard to vid with your ears plugged!

[jackiekjono.livejournal.com]

That's what the little sound wave lines are for.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Hee!

[deejay.livejournal.com]

I dunno about this ... to me, he sounds like the wacked-out brother of Jack Sparrow.

[thecomfychair.livejournal.com]

I'm going to save myself the disappoint and not click the link. Oh, movie, I had such hopes for you.

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

*blink*

*blink*

*blink*

So, basically this person has no comprehension of that fact that "speak-singing" and "melody" are pretty much mutually exclusive concepts?

Oy.

*sigh* Thanks for the reminder that I really, really, really need to stay away from all fannish and fannish-ish commentary on anything to do with movie musicals. Although they do help me understand why the people making them make the stylistic choices they do. Sort of.

*deep, heavy sigh*

[vass]

For his next trick, Don Giovanni. He'll be doing a lot of speak-singing, but that's necessary for the complicated melodies that Mozart's opera uses.

"At last my arm is complete, savvy?"

[wemblee.livejournal.com]

I'M NOT EVEN A HUGE SONDHEIM FAN* BUT IT HURTS, IT HURRRRRRTS.

*I totally respect Sondheim to the Nth degree (which is why it hurrrrts), but I'm more of a pop/rock-musical-lover, is what I mean. Not that I think his music is bad or anything. Because it's not. Because it's frickin' Sondheim.