Can't
walk and chew gum at the same time? How about play multiple instruments,
sing and act in the same scene? A concept central to the upcoming
Broadway revival of the Stephen Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler musical Sweeney
Todd is that the score is performed by the tuner's cast of 10, not
a traditional orchestra. In addition to starring as Mrs. Lovett,
Patti LuPone will be seen with a tuba, side drum and more; title
player Michael Cerveris will take on the acoustic guitar and so
on. Donna Lynne Champlin (a Broadway veteran of James Joyce's The
Dead, By Jeeves and Hollywood Arms) was cast as Pirelli in Sweeney
Todd and must play the accordion, flute and piano during the show.
There is just one minor problem—it's less than a month before
the start of rehearsals and Champlin can't really play the accordion.
Panic Sets In
Champlin did audition on all three instruments, with a borrowed
accordian and a song she'd perfected with the help of a book conveniently
entitled How to Play Accordian Today. And she did not even need
the whole tune—after eight measures, Sondheim cut her off,
saying "Well, if you can play the piano, you can play the accordion,
so let's move on, please." Champlin was understandably ecstatic
about the abbreviated accordion session and that joy remained, at
least until she saw what she would actually be doing in the show.
"I just assumed my main instruments would be piano and flute
with a dash of accordion," she explains. "My Act One score
comes and the accordion—which out of the three is the only
instrument I don't really know how to play—is 85% of my track.
Also it is the only instrument I don't own, so I can't practice
on it either. Picture first day of rehearsal: 'Oh hi, Ms. Lupone.
Yes, I'm accompanying you on every song you sing.... Oh, why do
I suck? Oh, wow. That's a really interesting story... ummm....'"
What is a girl to do? Find one and learn the thing, of course.
The
Search is On
The Sweeney Todd team told Champlin to find an accordion and an
instructor and they would pay for it, but there is not accordion
hotline (dial 1-800-ACCORDION and you'll get a transportation company).
"I swear I did eventually 'fess up about not knowing much about
the accordion. Did they not believe me? Did they think I was hiding
my secret identity as the accordion queen of New York? Like with
all my vast knowledge of the accordion I am just going to go out
and find the best accordion for Sweeney Todd? I don't even know
what color to get, let alone what style. It's going to be a CSI
episode for me to figure out how to play the freaking accordion."
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