This past Sunday, May 5, marked the end of the run for Sweeney Todd on Broadway, and I figured I would wait a few days to reflect on the run of the show.
I had the great fortune for subbing on the viola book for Sweeney Todd a number of times over the course of the past year, and I have to say it was the privilege of a lifetime. I learned so much from the regular players in the pit, as well as the incredible conductors and other subs who have been subbing on shows a bit longer than I have. I will miss some of the mayhem of the string players in that pit, bouncing out of their chairs in “A Little Priest,” and quoting lines from the stage with my stand partner du jour. The first time I heard Josh Groban’s voice sing, “Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd,” my heart skipped a beat. I was blown away by the power of Ruthie Ann Miles’s sorrowful (yet quite mischievious) lines as the beggar woman, and loved both Annaleigh Ashford and Sutton Foster’s “Mrs. Lovetts” for very different reasons. Each night (and day) was slightly different, depending on who was on the podium, if someone in the cast was out on a particular day. It was my first opportunity to play the music of Stephen Sondheim, and I hope that it will not be my last.
I am incredibly grateful to Orlando Wells, Debra Shufelt-Dine, and David Blinn for having me sub for them over the course of the past year. I hope that I will have other chances to play on Broadway in the future. Time will tell!
Gregory K. Williams 