jan 12, 2008 - NY TIMES Johnny Depp An Actor Whose Approach to Singing Lets the Words Take Center Stage

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By Anthony Tommasini
Jan. 12, 2008

As a devotee of Stephen Sondheim’s musicals and a big Johnny Depp fan, I was surprised, intrigued and very dubious when I first heard that Mr. Depp would play the title role in Tim Burton’s film of “Sweeney Todd.”

On one level it seemed an ingenious casting stroke. A courageous and vulnerable actor, Mr. Depp would surely be able to convey the tormented demon barber of Fleet Street. But Sweeney Todd is a vocally daunting role in a musically complex Sondheim score. Could Johnny Depp sing it?

Indeed he can. Or perhaps the way to put it is that his performance as captured on screen is stunning in every dimension: dramatically, psychologically, physically and, yes, vocally. Naturally, Mr. Depp, who is nominated for a Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or musical, takes a film actor’s approach to singing. His voice does not have much heft or power. Don’t expect him to play the role onstage.

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