A Little Priest - Angela Lansbury & Len Cariou (July 2005)

Angela Lansbury & Len Cariou reprise their original Sweeney Todd roles for Stephen Sondheim's 75th Birthday benefit concert. Some minor flubbing, and Len Cariou does not have the voice he once had, but an absolutely charming performance.
July 8, 2005 at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles
A benefit concert for Children Will Listen, a program of the ASCAP Foundation.
I did not personally tape this.

[@phillylilmermaid7802]

Anybody else watching after just hearing that this amazing woman passed today. What a talent and what a career.

[@angelafischettifitness]

She's almost 80 years old here. Unbelievable. And they still had great chemistry.

[@rowwdycolt654]

She will be 91 in Oct.

[@phyllispetras3821]

92 this year 2017

[@LM-lr9kx]

93 in 2018

[@zueruka]

94 in 2019!

[@qwrtyiop789]

95 in 2020! 🤩

[@asiaswartzentruber9573]

Angela's voice, even at that age, is so amazingly strong. Hardly any difference from when she premiered the role.

[@lisatsou5569]

I was at this performance, and even from sitting in the way, way, WAY back, it was, hands down, one of the most powerful musical theatre performances I've ever seen. They were electric together. Simply outstanding.

[@johnboys4697]

Lisa Tsou I agree I was mesmerized by the live performance lucky to see the show

[@nookvintage799]

I wish I could have seen the show . I’ve seen many but these are the best

[@jghays]

Angela Lansbury still sounds incredible at 80 here. She hits a lot of the high notes. Stunning.

[@basedokadaizo]

two old friends reprising roles always warms my heart

[@peterdevita6308]

Angela now's in her 90's (96 or 97) and still going strong - She's amazing - deserving all 5 of her TONY AWARDS! - 2021

[@dianaaljadeff2983]

Dame Angela was born in.1925 so.she is 96 years now and she will be 97 on October 16.Cariu is younger he was born in 1939.

[@josephwalther5979]

She assed away today

[@martinkalk8256]

@@josephwalther5979 oh no how did she ass?

[@VinluvAntonHandesbukia]

She's not going so strong atm

[@stispade]

​@@josephwalther5979she sure did. ass'd in peace

[@machinegunvibrato]

Angela Lansbury brought a playfulness to Mrs. Lovett that was never replicated. The two of them have electric chemistry. It’s almost like Sondheim wrote the song FOR them. Hands down, one of the best performances in musical theatre history!

[@tearoses9940]

That’s the beauty of theatre: no one will play the same role the same way, which is what keeps us going to see different productions of same show over and over!

[@stevenchambers2653]

Sondheim wrote the role for Angela Lansbury

[@TwoWholeWorms]

@@stevenchambers2653 Yes... That was the joke, duckie. :p

[@dahlia58]

@@stevenchambers2653 and he wrote Sweeney Todd especially for Len Cariou

[@jessicalillianweinberg4401]

Cariou also had a recurring role on Murder She Wrote as Michael Haggerty, a secret agent with whom Jessica Fletcher had a surprisingly flirtatious relationship. I say "surprisingly" because he did a lot of things she wouldn't put up with from most people. But there, Cariou's character was the one with the unrequited crush on Angela's - Jessica seemed to like him, but she would never really get involved with anyone.

[@TheHisNat]

That fact that the performance was not perfect only adds to its brilliance. What makes their performance so good is that you can tell they are enjoying it and, despite their age, they give a better rendition than people half their ages.

[@irisbjones]

Theatre should be dangerous and not perfect because humans aren't perfect. That's when it is brilliant - when we see their humanity and they shine past it.

[@ScottUSA.]

Angela Lansbury passed away today at the age of 96. A very sad day. Seven decades of wonderful entertainment to the world. I was lucky to see her in the original Broadway production of Sweeney Todd. Phenomenal show and performance! After the show I wrote to Miss Lansbury and Len C. They were kind enough to send me autographs. The world mourns the loss of Ms Lansbury but cherishes the vast and unparalleled body of work that she left us to enjoy forever. Rest in peace! 🙏♥️

[@MrSwifts31]

Good to see that here Len(66) and Angela (80) are still going strong,real troupers!

[@KeatonBrower]

Cariou and Lansbury are a match made in Heaven...and they've still got it after 26 years.

[@jessicalillianweinberg4401]

Cariou played a sort-of love interest for Jessica Fletcher (insofar as she had them) on Murder She Wrote.

[@sophiatalksmusic3588]

The thing I love best about this performance is how you can tell the audience and the actors are both having a great time.

[@groovygirl23]

I had the honor of seeing these two on B'way. Magic! RIP Dame Angela - the greatest!

[@londobellace]

Angela Lansbury made it to 96. Survived 2 years of a our whole world shutting down. I hope she lives past 100. So many generations inspired by her work. Ms Lovett will always be her role. Everybody else just did a temp job.

[@eamonndeane587]

I really wish she did live Past 100....

[@AindaMais]

Boy, are they a pair or what?! I just looove the way Len goes mwahahaha and cracks up at 5:28, you can see him trying to stop laughing...Angie is soooo in character AFTER ALL THIS TIME, it's truly amazing...And her voice, althou` a bit "peppered" by the age, is still a wondrous thing...IMHO Angie IS Mrs Lovett, no other actress managed to give the character the insane -yet totally believable- dimension she has given Mrs Lovett. Great upload, I fav-ed it!

[@TwoWholeWorms]

"WIV... Is EXTRAH."

[@mattheuwhite5854]

Patti Lupone will always be my Mrs Lovett. But Angela is amazing

[@imscenery]

She performed at Lincoln Center in 2016 for the 25th anniversary of Beauty and the Beast and it was so simple and magical. The woman is an absolute treasure and the world will be a little bit colder and darker when she passes.

[@LunarShimmer]

Man, what a pair. If you close your eyes, they sound just the same as they did around 20 years ago. I love when Len breaks and giggles after the general pun x) Rest in peace, Mrs. Lansbury. What a wonderful woman and actress.

[@PioggiaNelVento]

Wow look how she's in character!!!!! Amazing!!!! She's one of the greatest actresses/singers in the whole wide world!!!!

[@KoKoJazz99]

4:37 I LOVE HIS MANIACAL LAUGHTER!! XD And they both still sing and sound just great.

[@viridianstar]

Absolutely fabulous. Angela Lansbury is amazing, and I love Cariou's cackle. You can't help but love this performance!

[@CameronCuevaClarke]

I'm watching this again. It's simply incredible. Angela Lansbury was EIGHTY YEARS OLD when this was taped, and her voice is still as powerful as ever. Absolutely amazing. Len Cariou wasn't any old fart either, he kept up damn well. Love them both.

[@Sean_from_the_heights]

I was there that night it was such a fun night. The one moment the entire audience gasped in worry then went silent for a moment poor Mrs Lansbury tripped on stage when the entire cast came out to sing happy birthday

[@johnboy32064]

RIP, Mr. Sondheim. You were a true master of your craft.

[@HeruruMeruru]

See! This song is SUPPOSED to be hammy as hell! If people aren't laughing, they're doing it wrong.

[@danitiwa]

Was that pun on purpose

[@WillScarlet16]

You hear that Johnny and Helena?!

[@amandae8437]

True that

[@soaribb32]

True to a T

[@WillScarlet16]

@Cat Gal The idea that it can't have any humor because it's a movie makes no sense at all.

[@AindaMais]

What I love most about this video is that they enjoy themselves so much, you can see it at approx 6:35 , after the "executioner" line, that is a genuine laughter from both of them ( I know, I've watched it like 200+ times, I like it so much). You can clearly tell that they absolutely love what they're doing and that is so endearing... Legends, pure and simple.

[@somebody9]

Fortunately, it's all so clear that everybody goes down well with beer!

[@johnboy32064]

I saw them in 1979 or 1980 when I was in junior high school. Was with my grandfather on a trip to NYC. What a wonderful musical, what a wonderful number and what wonderful performers. Nothing is better than a Sondheim musical.

[@josephlamanna7527]

I saw it then too and couldn't believe how amazing they were. I fell in love with this musical that night! What a performance.

[@tearoses9940]

So great that they could still have fun doing this at the ages they were here! Sometimes when actors and singers get to a certain age they don't really care, and are reluctant to reprise performances like this, but they're obviously both having a lot of fun here.

[@mattdeans9873]

If anyone was lucky enough to see this performance or see them both live in the show, you experienced a once in a lifetime event. I saw a national tour of Showboat and was stunned to see Len Cariou as Captain Andy. I was thrilled just to be in the same room with him. Just as a sidenote: Cloris Leachman was his wife. WOW

[@RustyShackleford-oo9zh]

Oh my god, I love this woman.

[@erikssiren]

I'm so happy they can still do this! It's like they never left the roles, they're fantastic.

[@nikitakade5242]

I'd pay to see these two do just this song, live, from "Sweeney Todd" together...just this one song...

[@bobthebear1246]

God, I wish I saw the original.

[@aliisantetik880]

You Are Telling Me I Wish I Saw 1993 London Revival

[@alleycone9530]

Sorry u missed it. - To this day I can still visualize nearly every moment of show. I saw the original with this cast at the Uris (a cavernous theatre in NYC). I've since seen 6 other versions and while most had some good points, none came close to the original. Cariou was particularly astonishing - he played a darker Sweeney (too many that followed played too much for laughs - which to my mind made the show lose some edge) And of course, there was that voice. Even Mrs Lovett - who is set up somewhat as comic relief, was deftly played by Landsbury with a menacing evil. All in all the show, complete with ironworks, a greek chorus, and the most gasp-worthy ending ever seen on Broadway - was a riveting DARK comedy. (ironically the movie got the dark part but forgot the comedy - and was bland too boot) In the end the credit really goes to Sondheim, who cleverly buries the show's theme ("The history of the world my pet, is who is eaten and who gets to eat") in this largely comic song.

[@Pinklola911]

You can. It's on KZbin.

[@juliasmith6239]

Totally agree. I saw the show in April 1979, and, after all these years, it is one of the top three theatrical experiences of my life. Cariou and Lansbury together made the show, and Hal Prince's staging was a work of genius. I agree also the ending was absolutely astonishing. There will never be anything quite like that production again, because both the actors' and stage hands' unions subsequently changed their rules about who can move set pieces. I've seen Cariou in other productions, but he was born for this role.

[@MICHGO1]

GET IT ON DVD/BLURAY.

[@ProfessorStuDDS]

Len Cairou and George Hearn are probably THE BEST Sweenys ever!

[@angelafischettifitness]

I saw the original, with the both of them, 10 times. They were beyond incredible. And the staging...with a huge cast. I believe this to be Sondheim's masterpiece. I also saw Patti Lupone's Mrs. Lovett. Though she was, as always, wonderful, this production brought out the Dickensian influences. I am also a huge fan of big casts, as originally written. The Lupone production was from a minimalist perspective with the actors playing the instruments. It was certainly very, very interesting and was the forerunner in minimalist versions of musicals, since. Huge musicals must be an absolute fortune to produce these days.

[@nondescript2892]

I suppose you payed full top prices for the "minimalist" production nevertheless ? I've seen a few of these 're-thinking's" of classic shows and while they sometimes work I bark at the elitist prices they charge for it...orchestra's sounding thin and synthesized, sets non existant and the audience having only their wallet and their imaginations at the ready for their enjoyment.....welcome to the commercial theatre

[@angelafischettifitness]

Pretty hard not to pay fell price, though it was a gift. The price of tickets has at its root, the cost of musicians and the music union. What musicians in Lupone's version you might ask? The musician's union has in their contracts payment must be made even if there are no musicians, however this doesn't mean they are not in the theatre as they stand by if there is an unforseen circumstance, in the case of Sweeney. In this case, actors are paid more because they are playing instruments. This music is incredibly complicated being a Sondheim and his masterpiece at that. For me, I would pay big bucks to see Lupone in anything, especially Sweeney Todd, and especially Sondheim. I am not sure what kind of theatre today is not commercial, even official non-profit. Regional theatre is the same. If one is referring to off Broadway showcases well then earning a living off of it is not going to happen. There are many well known actresses and actors who donate their time to give an unknown playwright, composer, director, a voice. This includes or included Marsha Mason, Patti Lupone, Michael Cerveris, Rosemary Harris, Frances Sternhagen, Liza Minnelli, Barbara Cook, Marian Seldes, Chita Rivera, Bernadette Peters, Kelli O'Hara, Marin Mazzie and more. There are far more and still some of these who donate their time and talents to concerts that raise monies for charities like Broadway Cares Actor's Equity Fights Aids and assisted living facilities that house actors who are no longer able to perform, animal organizations, etc. These concerts are held in Broadway theatres. The musicians always earn their full salary. Please do not think I am saying the musicians don't merit it. They are acutely aware of their importance. So much so that even non musical plays must have some type of background music, perhaps during a scene change. From this perspective, I do agree this is the tough issue regarding commercial theatre. But make no mistake about it, only showcases are true non commercial.

[@dahlia58]

But the original orchestra was explosive. The West End version as well

[@Historian212]

I saw the original, too. Searing. Nothing like it before or since.

[@palmereldritch7777]

Had the incredible luck to see the original Sweeney way back in '79.....and one just knew - after that night that was the benchmark against which any other theater show would be held. Totally unfair to all the great shows i saw since then, and many came close. Maybe some even surpassed in one element or the other (some includ other Sondheim shows).....but '79 Sweeney was....damn, it was perfect start to finish, in every department. song, plot, parts, scenes, staging and the emotions you went though in the course of the evening, from incredibly romantic, to riotously funny, to stark horror, to bone freezing drama. It was a big show, but not big in a miserable way. If a set piece had to turn, it was there for the plot, the story. Not an excuse to have the stage turning with nothing better to do.

[@Blissterd1]

MAGICAL! No one will EVER play Lovett and Sweeney better, or even as well than these two did! I played Sweeney in a national tour in '84 and will never forget the hours I spent listening to these two just to learn the role. Thank you for posting this!

[@sharonbartter3139]

Love the "Murder She Wrote" with Len Cariou. Yes, definite chemistry!

[@lydiaimi]

can we appreciate that she is 80 here and sounds absolutely incredible

[@thegaythespian]

I love how she just immediately drops into character.

[@amesmb]

Fan-damn-tastic. Love Len's chuckle after, "...if ya get it." And Angela's red hair is too awesome.

[@neurodivergentpixi6736]

Perfection. Absolute Perfection Rest in Greatness Angela ❤😭 "No, you see, the trouble with poet is how do you know it's deceased? Try the priest." My favourite line ever.

[@GrantTarredus]

I’m so glad they were given the standing ovation they richly deserved. I’d have shot out of my chair in an instant. Thank you for sharing this.

[@wrlord]

Wow. This made my night. I must have heard the soundtrack 100 times, but I never laughed so hard as I did here. They were clearly having a ball. And Cariou still had that edge of rage in his voice when playing this character. Awesome!

[@wotan10950]

They are ageless and timeless. It's hard to picture the lovable and charming Angela as evil Mrs Lovett. Hey, how come nobody has thought of having a boys choir sing A Little Priest!

[@seanmcfetridge5635]

😂😂😂😂 oh man that is some messed up ish. haha I love it!

[@phyllispetras3821]

Oh God love Stephen Sondheim's lyrics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Historian212]

I saw them do the show on Broadway in 1979. They were brilliant, the show was absolutely searing, an unforgettable experience. IIRC they both won the Tony that season. Wonderful that they were able to reprise this number so many years later.

[@Ed__Powell]

I saw them both on Broadway. It's nice to see them again.

[@Wendolyyyynnnnnnn]

The best Mrs Lovett of all!

[@pamelalabarbiera7308]

OMG, this is GREAT! And she was 80 here, and Len Cariou still couldn't keep a straight face. It's my favorite Sondheim song (I know, I have a sick sense of humor).

[@josephlamanna7527]

I love it too.

[@Zenweaponry]

Its amazing that the originals are still this good. I mean what are they? 70? 80? Absolutely incredible. If only the movie had singers like this.

[@MatSwim94]

She was 80 here... amazing

[@chookaschookas444]

Saw them in 1979 on Broadway. Stunning, and this brought it back again. I couldn't bring myself to watch the movie. Lansbury played it like a Panto Dame; one of the ugly sisters perhaps; and you loved to hate her. Thank you for posting this.

[@mauricegarcia2881]

...i was lucky enough to see them in the original show...it was one of the best broadway shows ever...& Len Cariou had the voice that floored you...Sondheim is a genious...

[@saleconomos473]

Myself as well in April of that year. Lucky us. I was "floored" by this lurid show. The stage production and music still haunts, yet resonates, after all these years. A prodigious musical experience in NY theater at that time in Broadway history. Indeed, "genius" has a name...and its Sondheim.

[@annferrisbrown]

Amazing!! I saw this original cast in 1979!!! Still SOOOO Goooood!!!

[@imscenery]

His laugh when he realizes what she is talking about it would make this whole clip worth watching even if the rest of it sucked... which it DOESN'T!!!

[@deanchristensen4783]

Seeing Len Cariou singing this song will make the dinner scene on Blue Bloods a little different, especially if they have meat pies.

[@jessicalillianweinberg4401]

I was thinking about how watching this could make you see Jessica Fletcher differently...everybody jokes that she did all those murders anyway.

[@jessicalillianweinberg4401]

And then there's the fact that his outfit and look seem like a contrast to the way I'd think of Sweeney Todd.

[@TheLaustintime]

Angela has exactly the same voice....it's wonderful.

[@orangeviolins]

Quite stunning. And stark. Great vibrato and lyrics. And always haunting and darkly humourous. Dammit if I could only create like this!!! Just enjoying the moment. And to echo the consideration...thank you for courting us with this moment wyou17. Excellent. Grew up with memories in my childhood of my parents blasting the album of this musical with this cast in our family room. Glad that these Shakespearian Moments of Musical Sondheim (dare I say that)are now being recognized by movies?

[@josephlamanna7527]

RIP: Angela Lansbury! Wonderful performance she was 80 here.

[@iAncientOne]

Saw them in the original Broadway production twice! Phenomenal! What a great reprise this is!

[@jaclpz]

Timeless, these two.

[@DavidWhatsHisName]

Lansbury has always struck me as infintely better on stage than on screen (with the exception of her spellbinding role in the film, "The Manchurian Candidate"). Her charisma and presence are so great (despite a speaking voice that never projected as brilliantly as her robust singing voice), so great that the screen cannot contain them. On stage, her presence (with those huge, eloquent eyes and perfectly timed comedic reactions)fills the theatre.

[@MissMiffed]

No comparison, whatsoever. The ultimate Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett.

[@chaddirects]

oh god i love this. i watch it at least once a day, it does my heart good to hear the audience's reaction to their names being called. and i ADORE angela's hair, the two bows in place of those infamous buns.

[@clarklesparkle]

I wish I had been born earlier. I would have loved to see them perform this in the original production. Sheer genius!

[@edward311]

God that's good!!!

[@savannahtollison4425]

Love Helen’s performance, but these two make me laugh. Their voices even at this age are so strong. Angela Lansbury is a national treasure

[@spiritussublime]

So FANTASTIC oh my God! Wish I could have seen them in 1979, during their original run! Knowing especially what I know now! They are so perfect! The most perfect- though Patti LuPone & ...ach! names escape me but Her Sweeney, are so great as well!!Excellence all round!!

[@JDPA73]

George Hearn

[@josephwalther5979]

Fantastic. Thank you Ms. Landsbury. R.I.P.

[@eprimeprice]

Compare Lansbury's performance to that in the pairing with Hearn, also on KZbin (which is almost as old as the original with Cariou). When she is singing, it is as if no time has passed at all. Her mannerisms and singing and energy are identical. It's beautiful.

[@1lucie]

They're both amazing! Even after so many years they performed it for the first time! Great!!

[@broadwaymike92]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: This just in. Dame Angela Lansbury passed away today at 96. What a legacy. What a life. So iconic. Heartbreaking. We will miss you. Brava. RIP

[@smichelle65]

wow--she just jumps back into this character as if she's been playing it every day for the last 25 years.

[@lawrencebailey3008]

WOW!!!!!BRILLIANT!!!!!!! The very best!!!

[@nattybrown]

Angela is amazing!!!

[@Delete338]

How I admired Miss Lansbury! A true Master of the Arts. Heaven got a good one. Loved her.

[@jayhartbarger2793]

seen so many actors do this show. They stand out at the most entertaining, mesmerizing in their performances.

[@CameronCuevaClarke]

They've still got it! This is fantastic! Angela just popped back into character, didn't she? And Len was right there behind her.

[@gottamatch]

Angela's STILL got it goin' on! Thank you so much for sharing this gloriously deliciously cute video!

[@zerogio90]

I love Angela Lansbury!!!

[@Anstockd]

She is amazing, to think she had to be almost 80 when she did this! I really admire her. She is and always will be Mrs. Lovett.

[@Hampnkauai]

It is so sad that this was not recorded. It was a magnificent evening of amazing performers.

[@MissMiffed]

Oh my god, for their ages, they both look incredible. My idols.

[@xxfaythiexx]

His voice is not exactly what it used to be; time has been a little better to hers. Still, THE BEST ms lovett. I LOVE her! She is hysterical and even Len couldn't keep a straight face!... Definitely the best!

[@LadyLizaElliott]

Wow, thats the most amazing audience Ive ever heard for it, i can just imagine, two legends doing that which they do best! Awesome video! Thanks so much!

[@dorthekirsten]

Just love these two together❤️

[@jojogarcia8766]

She is absolutely adorable😍😍😍😍😍

[@ChaiElemental]

I hope my singing voice sounds this good when I'm in my 80s. May Dame Angela's memory be a blessing.

[@BTURNER1961]

This was a showcase, not just for those wonderful veterans, but more importantly for the man of the hour, Stephen Sondheim. If this is not the most clever, witty and deliciously morbid lyric every seen on a Broadway or West End stage, I don't know what could surpass it. Nobody since Oscar Wilde has written so sparkling and devilishly funny stuff. As for the music this was actually written in the form of opera and this number was in gay 3/4 time ! Try to imagine this script or these songs in anyone else's hands.

[@Zenweaponry]

I'd say Len was the best Sweeney and Angela was the best Mrs. Lovett. No one has passed her as she was the original.

[@boblowney]

Two people simply standing next to one another singing a song and all of the magic from that genius musical is recreated. genius.

[@HappyHyperHippie]

they were obviously having such fun doing this! love it

[@ellemarie79]

I've never said this before, but Angela Lansbury is amazing! I forgot how versatile she can be, this is great! Despite how long it's been for them, good job :-).

[@AmazinAsian1097]

The original Broadway play was dark, yet it had an extremely dark sense of humor as well. Most people just don't understand that in an adaptation, the movie doesn't have to follow and produce the same effect as the original. The director of the movie had his own vision of the play. It all comes down to Artists' Interpretation.

[@Tibbzbbz]

incredible! ms incredible!!!! Angela Lansbury amazing...

[@robinycus]

I love you Angela Lansbury. Long may you live.

[@SweeneyTodd98]

Wooow she was 80 when she sang that! As much as i love HBC she,or no one can replace Angela Lansbury.Sweeney Todd was Sondheim's best work

[@susantopper3377]

I was at the Hollywood watching amazing performance and also lucky to see the two of them on broadway. One of my favorite musicals on broadway. Sondheim masterpiece and one of Angela Landsbury best performances.

[@ProfessorStuDDS]

I LOVE LEN'S SWEENEY LAUGH! I MUST ADD IT TO MY REPERTOIRE OF EVIL LAUGHS!!!