Len Cariou reveals stories & mishaps from Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause & more

Tony Award winner and three-time Tony nominee Len Cariou is back on the New York stage starring as the title character in the new off-Broadway play Harry Townsend's Last Stand.
Len dropped by the BroadwayBox studio recently to reveal some incredible backstage stories, notable mishaps, and cherished memories from his acclaimed career, which includes Applause, Proof and the original Broadway productions of Sondheim's A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd.

[@Muttonchop_USA]

I was at that matinee. The two of them froze after the bridge collapsed. Then Lansbury, recovering herself turned to him and sang, "Nothing's gonna harm you."

[@VeracityLH]

Lol!

[@camillaaston2495]

Imagine Sweeney Todd coming out on stage, full makeup, and saying ‘take two’ to the audience after what had occurred. 😆

[@spoopy3963]

And after such a serious scene lol

[@VeracityLH]

Something similar happened in Groundhog Day--in the middle of a song about losing hope b/c of repeating everything again and again. You know the gods were laughing!

[@sofeashabani]

"Remind me what it is you're doing now?"
"I pointed across the street, and there were three, six-foot photographs of me -"
THE BIGGEST FLEX

[@misfittoys5873]

I love that he still calls her Miss Bacall

[@marathonrunner2590]

I appreciate the respect Mr. Cariou affords to his colleague professionals by referring to them as "Mister So-and-So" and "Miss Such-and-Such." Being gracious and polite never goes out of style.

[@troygaspard6732]

Len Cariou is forever one the best.

[@wewper]

A gentleman of the stage, fully aware of his place in Broadway history.

[@whyyyyou]

Len Cariou, especially when he was playing Sweeney Todd, reminds me of George C Scott. The two great actors who seem very much alike.

[@lukekey5675]

I think that almost perfectly fits in with the 4th wall break of sweeney mentioning the play itself in the opening ballad, lol

[@chookaschookas444]

We were returning to New Zealand from the UK via New York in December 1979 and had the great good fortune to see Len Cariou & Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd. Magic. No stage problems that performance

[@user-ux6cz2bv9c]

Mr prince and Miss Bacall. Class act

[@louisemundinger6180]

I saw Len Cariou in Minneapolis playing Oedipus. Never forgot it.

[@stepheebee]

Love Len Cariou. He was very gracious to me when I saw him sing a solo show a few years ago and met him after.

[@loutimmons3099]

What a guy! I saw him in Applause, A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd!

[@thezealouscellist1966]

My family and I went to see Sweeney when the show came to Washington in October of 1980. I was so disappointed that Cariou wasn't in the touring production!

[@paulwalsh8459]

I saw him in All My Sons . Best stage performance I've ever seen

[@spoopy3963]

I wish i could see footage of that Sweeney Todd mishap

[@robertjackson5645]

Very great actors make the best musical leading men; Shakespeare and Sondheim have a lot in common.

[@connordehaven7341]

0:00 - Introduction
0:20 - Harry Townsend's Last Stand {Harry Townsend}
0:44 - Applause {Bill Sampson}
1:43 - King Henry V {King Henry V}
2:55 - A Little Night Music {Fredrik Egerman}
5:17 - Proof {Robert}
6:16 - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street {Sweeney Todd}
{ = the character that he played at that musical

[@clevertitle3767]

Well that gives me a great big smile :D he's such a nice kindred spirit and I wish him the best in these days

[@annafox7474]

Such a talented and charming man

[@sailingsam3815]

Talented

[@8nansky528]

I ADORE READING

[@dahlia58]

I have only recently learned of this original Sweeney. But I saw a snippet of his performance in a Sondheim South Bank interview and wow, how do we see more??

[@mattattack_1231]

there are some bootlegs on here if you search either Sweeney Todd 1979 or 1982

[@camillaaston2495]

Mattattack _1231 the 1982 version is George Hearn, not Len. But the 1979 version is readily available on RUclips

[@dahlia58]

Actually I have learned the actor I've seen most on those South Bank shows with Sondheim was the 1980 West End Sweeney, act or singer Denis Quilley. He is very creative and really inhabits Todd. Won an Olivier award for Best New Musical

[@ozvoyager]

Buy the DVD!!

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

@@ozvoyager The DVD, while well worth seeing and purchasing, is again the 1982 end-of-the-Broadway-tour performance with George Hearn as Sweeney. But Cariou's definitive vocal performance is well preserved on the Original Broadway Cast Recording.

[@derrickw5204]

Now he is Henry Reagan in Blue Bloods.

[@lilyhogwart]

I love Len Cariou, and this is basically really nice, BroadwayBox, but why is there music playing underneath his talk the whole time? Do you think we'll get bored? Why can't we just listen to him? The music is very annoying. It would also be nice if you didn't feel you had to change shots approximately every three seconds, but that's the style nowadays. I wish someone would buck that style and do these things the simpler and better way they used to be done.

[@bnilsson]

I could not agree more.

[@stanbai5263]

I wasn’t paying attention until I read this and now....

[@tearoses9940]

I could barely hear him over the music!

[@bigred8432]

Yea, thats the reason you didn't get the Tony,,,

[@conortague5410]

But he did. He won for Sweeney Todd.