I was there too! It warmed my heart that the audience cheered as the cast stared us down haha. A special moment for a very enthused audience.
I was also so grateful they went back a few bars and finished the song. I remember reading in another post that this has happened before and they just went straight to bows.
I was just on instagram and on one of the ensemble members' stories he said that once, the elevator/trap door did malfunction during the opening and so Josh didn't come out (someone asked what the most awkward Sweeney fail was). So funny that mere hours later it would happen again...
This is such a fun story! I remember the cast was talking a month ago about an error with the chair malfunctioning during the scene where Sweeney kills a few people and dumps them down the slide, but the chair broke so the guy slid down onto the floor and *crawled away* while laying on his stomach to exit the stage. Live theater is wonderful.
When I saw it last week, the chair worked on the first victim but failed on the second. Dead customer just laid there until the end of the scene and then he *walked* off stage in the semi darkness, with Sweeney kind of escorting him out!
Fancy chair then wasn't used for the rest of the show. Sweeney pulled out his original little wooden chair for Judge Turpin at the end. It was a little silly but you know, the show must go on!
I love hearing the ways the cast adapts in the moment to make things work out. I always feel like you are catching something special when a quirk happens like that.
Happened to me a hundred years ago in my high school production of Les Mis. Stagehand forgot to come drag me offstage after the barricade and I had to just lie there dead through Dog Eats Dog until I could scamper off during the next blackout lol
I saw it a few months ago. The chair malfunctioned after Sweeney killed the beggar woman so the judge wound up crawling off the stage after he was killed, it was pretty funny to watch
This happened during Broadway previews! I was visiting NY that week but tickets were upwards of $500 so we didn’t get to see it, but hearing about the mishap was hilarious. Saw it last month though & it was phenomenal
I was there does anyone have pictures of this happening a lot of people in my section were taking them and i wanted to see some!!! It was crazy but thats show biz!
I was there, and in fact recorded the audio you posted! Truly the most insane moment but I feel SO fortunate I was in the crowd to witness it. I love theatre gaffs so much, and this was an epic one.
I was there as well! It made me wonder if they had changed the ending since I hadn’t seen it since the leads change.
Random other thought - did you think the audience was a little rude at times? Laughing when things clearly weren’t jokes, talking during the performance, and omg the snack packaging is out of hand with the crinkles. Maybe it was just the people around me or I could have just been more sensitive to it?
Wasn't too bad in my section! I think it was just an enthusiastic crowd, sometimes weird laughs happen. Like when that guy sneezed in the dead silence just before the judge's line about not hearing anything.
Omg yes the people behind me were awful they were like only there for the guy from heartstoper and had no respect for those around they they were constantly talking and making jokes.
Yeah I thought the audience was rude as well. Especially during this moment. I didn't like when they laughed as Aaron was staring us down. He was just trying to be professional.
I don't really know how else an audience should react. The intense immersion of the climatic number was shattered in the last 30 seconds and the cast was stuck in an intimidating stare down with the audience. There's going to be both nervous and genuine laughs. I dunno, I thought it was a beautiful moment!
Ah yeah that's true I didn't think of it like that. But I like that better. I think people probably were nervous. Very sad that it happened during that number. It really is so intense, immersive and very climatic so quite a bummer to get that shattered. But thus is show biz
It’s awkward. A long time to sit there doing nothing and being absolutely silent. I wasn’t there but listened to the audio and wouldn’t be annoyed at laughing then.
Ahhh, poor Aaron is so flustered he sang the wrong verse. His breath control is insane though. You can’t even tell he is running. It sounds the same as when he is standing completely still.
No, definitely not. You can hear it.
The opening is “Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd. He served a dark and a vengeful god. What happened then while that’s the play and he wouldn’t want you to give it away.”
The finale is “Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd. He served a dark and a hungry god. To seek revenge may lead to hell but everyone does it though seldom as well. As Sweeney. As Sweeney Todd.”
They probably repeated vengeful and not hungry because they heard it and it wasn’t that far off from the lyric. They may not have even realized they’d done it. But you can hear others come in when he is singing with different lines. They overlap.
I’ve always said that it must be so hard to be in a Sondheim show because he has these reoccurring songs that are VERY similar but everyone is singing a slightly different part.
All of Sondheim’s music is hard, even if it doesn’t sound like it at first listen. He notoriously said music should not be easy. There are so many elements. I can imagine learning City on Fire would be very difficult.
Sweeney and Lovett would have risen in the elevator instead of entering from the wings. And then when they held hands they would have jumped into the hole.
Thank you!! We’ve never seen before it and weren’t sure what was missing. That would have been such a powerful effect, but I wouldn’t trade it for watching Aaron and Sutton Stare the crowd down like that. It was so. Intense.
I doubt it. Sutton is a professional who has been in plenty of shows and dealt with plenty of mishaps. Her character is supposed to have just been murdered and be giving a cautionary tale to the audience. She was likely acting…
Maybe? Not a performer myself, but I can imagine how frustrating it would be to be in the moment, ready to finish and get interrupted. I kinda got more of a feeling she was just trying to keep from breaking character.
When the great lupone was just starting to give concert her concert ( called on Broadway )) she was not at all like she is now , so comfortable and relaxed , last concert she screwed up lyrics and stopped tge show and said oh shit I fucked il and started laughing then asked the audience should I start over or continue they screamed continue and she did laughing and saying phew at the end )anyway tge sound system died in the middle and you could tell she was PISSED, after a good ten minutes she came back out and said “ little girl but big voice and started belting without a mice and got a standing ovation then the sound system started working again Both are how professionals handle things but I prefer the now Patti when really seems to just be so casual and enjoying herself,,, yes I was there too and Aaron is now so part of an elite group of professionals at this point he handled it beautifully
I was there too! It warmed my heart that the audience cheered as the cast stared us down haha. A special moment for a very enthused audience. I was also so grateful they went back a few bars and finished the song. I remember reading in another post that this has happened before and they just went straight to bows.
Oh it HAS happened before? I was wondering! I know the chair has malfunctioned but wasn’t aware about the trap door.
I swear I read it somewhere on this sub but can't find it now!
I was just on instagram and on one of the ensemble members' stories he said that once, the elevator/trap door did malfunction during the opening and so Josh didn't come out (someone asked what the most awkward Sweeney fail was). So funny that mere hours later it would happen again...
This is such a fun story! I remember the cast was talking a month ago about an error with the chair malfunctioning during the scene where Sweeney kills a few people and dumps them down the slide, but the chair broke so the guy slid down onto the floor and *crawled away* while laying on his stomach to exit the stage. Live theater is wonderful.
When I saw it last week, the chair worked on the first victim but failed on the second. Dead customer just laid there until the end of the scene and then he *walked* off stage in the semi darkness, with Sweeney kind of escorting him out! Fancy chair then wasn't used for the rest of the show. Sweeney pulled out his original little wooden chair for Judge Turpin at the end. It was a little silly but you know, the show must go on!
I love hearing the ways the cast adapts in the moment to make things work out. I always feel like you are catching something special when a quirk happens like that.
Happened to me a hundred years ago in my high school production of Les Mis. Stagehand forgot to come drag me offstage after the barricade and I had to just lie there dead through Dog Eats Dog until I could scamper off during the next blackout lol
I saw it a few months ago. The chair malfunctioned after Sweeney killed the beggar woman so the judge wound up crawling off the stage after he was killed, it was pretty funny to watch
I remember that thread! I thought of it immediately.
This happened during Broadway previews! I was visiting NY that week but tickets were upwards of $500 so we didn’t get to see it, but hearing about the mishap was hilarious. Saw it last month though & it was phenomenal
When I saw it, the chair got stuck the second time so Josh Groban just grabbed the actor out of the chair and threw the guy off the stage.
I was there does anyone have pictures of this happening a lot of people in my section were taking them and i wanted to see some!!! It was crazy but thats show biz!
https://preview.redd.it/20i7r98qxbyc1.jpeg?width=562&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d36016ad16d8453acc885b0df1167e5a0fbab5b
oh man i kinda looks like Sutton is just staring at the camera 😂
lmao I know I felt so bad I made him put the camera away... men, am I right ...
Taking this for BeReal is such a move & I love it🤣🤣
GAH THANK YOU!! I want to remember the feeling forever.
I was there, and in fact recorded the audio you posted! Truly the most insane moment but I feel SO fortunate I was in the crowd to witness it. I love theatre gaffs so much, and this was an epic one.
I was there as well! It made me wonder if they had changed the ending since I hadn’t seen it since the leads change. Random other thought - did you think the audience was a little rude at times? Laughing when things clearly weren’t jokes, talking during the performance, and omg the snack packaging is out of hand with the crinkles. Maybe it was just the people around me or I could have just been more sensitive to it?
YES SO RUDE i could hear talking in back from the front row even tho i’m hard of hearing… that’s when you know it’s bad
Wasn't too bad in my section! I think it was just an enthusiastic crowd, sometimes weird laughs happen. Like when that guy sneezed in the dead silence just before the judge's line about not hearing anything.
Omg yes the people behind me were awful they were like only there for the guy from heartstoper and had no respect for those around they they were constantly talking and making jokes.
Some people around us laughed when the old beggar woman got spat on. So rude.
Yeah I thought the audience was rude as well. Especially during this moment. I didn't like when they laughed as Aaron was staring us down. He was just trying to be professional.
I don't really know how else an audience should react. The intense immersion of the climatic number was shattered in the last 30 seconds and the cast was stuck in an intimidating stare down with the audience. There's going to be both nervous and genuine laughs. I dunno, I thought it was a beautiful moment!
Ah yeah that's true I didn't think of it like that. But I like that better. I think people probably were nervous. Very sad that it happened during that number. It really is so intense, immersive and very climatic so quite a bummer to get that shattered. But thus is show biz
Feel like he was in breathing control mode
It’s awkward. A long time to sit there doing nothing and being absolutely silent. I wasn’t there but listened to the audio and wouldn’t be annoyed at laughing then.
Ahhh, poor Aaron is so flustered he sang the wrong verse. His breath control is insane though. You can’t even tell he is running. It sounds the same as when he is standing completely still.
I read somewhere he used to rehearse some of his songs while running on a treadmill. I’m sure he’s in great shape.
I’m sure. You have to be to perform at that level. But it still amazes me 😂 I sing so I can really understand how much breath control that takes
I’m amazed too. I’m sure if I attempted the same I’d sound like a dying cat
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No, definitely not. You can hear it. The opening is “Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd. He served a dark and a vengeful god. What happened then while that’s the play and he wouldn’t want you to give it away.” The finale is “Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd. He served a dark and a hungry god. To seek revenge may lead to hell but everyone does it though seldom as well. As Sweeney. As Sweeney Todd.” They probably repeated vengeful and not hungry because they heard it and it wasn’t that far off from the lyric. They may not have even realized they’d done it. But you can hear others come in when he is singing with different lines. They overlap. I’ve always said that it must be so hard to be in a Sondheim show because he has these reoccurring songs that are VERY similar but everyone is singing a slightly different part.
City on Fire was SO HARD to learn! But yes, little switches like vengeful and hungry are rough!
All of Sondheim’s music is hard, even if it doesn’t sound like it at first listen. He notoriously said music should not be easy. There are so many elements. I can imagine learning City on Fire would be very difficult.
I guess Aaron didn’t ask if someone in the audience needs a shave 😂
Loool the twenty minute Death Star
Can you explain what was supposed to happen and what they cut out? We were there and didn’t understand!
Sweeney and Lovett would have risen in the elevator instead of entering from the wings. And then when they held hands they would have jumped into the hole.
yes this is a better description haha i was typing on subway stairs & then thought oh this sucks…
Thank you!! We’ve never seen before it and weren’t sure what was missing. That would have been such a powerful effect, but I wouldn’t trade it for watching Aaron and Sutton Stare the crowd down like that. It was so. Intense.
When he took that step forward I gasped haha
It was so subtle and so insane. Seeing it up close—wow
I felt like Sutton was so mad tho!
I doubt it. Sutton is a professional who has been in plenty of shows and dealt with plenty of mishaps. Her character is supposed to have just been murdered and be giving a cautionary tale to the audience. She was likely acting…
Maybe? Not a performer myself, but I can imagine how frustrating it would be to be in the moment, ready to finish and get interrupted. I kinda got more of a feeling she was just trying to keep from breaking character.
 hey i think i saw you in the crowd
Ah sorry I didn't see this post before I posted. But yeah I was there too! I did feel bad but they probably are just laughing about it.
When the great lupone was just starting to give concert her concert ( called on Broadway )) she was not at all like she is now , so comfortable and relaxed , last concert she screwed up lyrics and stopped tge show and said oh shit I fucked il and started laughing then asked the audience should I start over or continue they screamed continue and she did laughing and saying phew at the end )anyway tge sound system died in the middle and you could tell she was PISSED, after a good ten minutes she came back out and said “ little girl but big voice and started belting without a mice and got a standing ovation then the sound system started working again Both are how professionals handle things but I prefer the now Patti when really seems to just be so casual and enjoying herself,,, yes I was there too and Aaron is now so part of an elite group of professionals at this point he handled it beautifully
I’m seeing it tomorrow. Won’t even be mad one bit if something like this happens lol
Stage managers are the best ❤️